'3 Not so long ago, employers could turn to foreign-born engineers and scientists to fill their talent needs. A recent newspaper headline tells the story: 'Scramble for Scientists: Shortages Threatens to Slow Growth of Booming Biotech Industry.

Labor shortages in SET fields are worsening. These women are newly important to employers. Their dedication is impressive: Two-thirds of female scientists choose their fields to contribute to the well-being of society. Despite the challenges they face at school and in our culture, a significant number of girls begin careers in science. Athena Factor survey data show that 41% of highly qualified scientists, engineers, and technologists on the lower rungs of corporate career ladders are female. The DNA of Opportunity In the private sector, the female talent pipeline in SET is surprisingly deep and rich. This study also creates a road map for companies by showcasing a number of new initiatives that realign corporate cultures and redesign career paths to better fit the needs of SET women. While considerable research has been done on women in the academic sector, women in SET in the private sector have been largely ignored and are poorly understood.1 Over an 18-month period (March 2006вЂ“October 2007) the task force, under the aegis of the Center for Work-Life Policy and in collaboration with Harris Interactive, fielded four major surveys of both men and women and conducted 28 focus groups in Boston and Sydney.2 The resulting rich data sets shed a great deal of light on the scope and shape of female talent in SET companies. Sponsored by Alcoa, Cisco, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft, and Pfizer-and named the Athena Factor to honor the Greek goddess of wisdom-this project set out to examine the career trajectories of women with SET credentials in the private sector. EењЋcutivE Summary In the spring of 2006 the Hidden Brain Drain-a private sector task force comprising 43 global companies-launched a research project targeting women with degrees in science, engineering, and technology (SET) who have embarked on careers in corporations.

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