Fortune Magazine “Top 50 Powerful Women” member sees even greater opportunities for Women CEOs

Ctrip CEO, Jane Sun has made the Fortune list for the past three years, she says there’s room for more Asian women executives across a broader range of industries

SHANGHAI (Staff Writers and PRNewswire)

Fortune Magazine recently named Ctrip CEO Jane Sun as one of the top 50 businesswomen in the world in its “Most Powerful Women International” list. After becoming CEO in 2016, Ms. Sun has received the award every year for the last three years, in recognition of her role in making Ctrip Asia’s largest online travel agency and expanding the company’s operations overseas.

Additionally, Fortune recognized Sun’s work in advocacy for women’s rights, and the policies she has put in place to help women excel in their careers at Ctrip. “This year’s Fortune list is an indicator of what’s to come, more and more women at the helms of important businesses,” she said, “I congratulate this year’s honorees on their achievements and look forward to being joined by more of my peers in the years to come.”

As the CEO of a major Internet company, an industry in which women have been typically underrepresented, Jane Sun understands the challenges faced by the modern businesswoman. This year, over a third of honorees were new to the list, and overwhelmingly drawn from industries that have scarcely seen female leadership. As a veteran recipient of the honor, Sun said it was encouraging to see wider representation of women in business, and particularly, in typically male-led industries. “It is a great honor to continue to be among such brilliant peers on the Fortune Most Powerful Women list,” said Sun. “It is even more significant that, this year, we are joined by so many new members from industries in which they can make meaningful change.”

According to Fortune, today only 14 of the world’s 500 largest companies are run by women. Sun is confident, though, that businesses like hers are making headway in supporting their female workers to reach their full potential. Over one-third of high-level executives at Ctrip are female, and women make up over half of the company’s workforce. “Irrespective of gender, we should celebrate the unique skills and achievements of our staff,” she said.

Mainland China ranks among the highest nations for top-level executive positions for women. Thirty per cent of senior Chinese business executives are women; that number is similar to Australia and New Zealand but well ahead of the United States, double that of India and six times the rate of female executives in Japan.

Under Sun’s leadership, Ctrip has implemented a host of policies to support women in achieving their highest potential in their careers, without having to make the choice between a family and a career. Expectant mothers enjoy a taxi allowance, while young families benefit from the company’s generous leave and remote working policies.

When female employees give birth the company pays a US$800 gift to the parents, in addition to US$3,000 that is put toward the child’s education. Ctrip also supports workers that choose to put off starting a family with its oocyte cryopreservation subsidy.