For Women Executives, Progress Is Slow in Coming : Compensation: A Times survey finds that women still make up only about 4% of the state's top executives.

By KATHY M. KRISTOF

May 28, 1991 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

When Judith Nelson graduated from law school in 1965, women made up only 4% of her graduating class. There were even fewer female partners at law firms. And there was a prevailing attitude that certain jobs were “women’s work”--and law wasn’t one of them.

Now Nelson is among a small but growing number of women who have made it to the top ranks of California’s biggest corporations. Women may still meet resistance in striving to make it into upper ranks, but many believe that the tide is turning.

“You see things happening,” Nelson said. “Things seem to be getting better.”

Still, women make up less than 4% of the top executives at California’s biggest corporations, even though they comprise almost half of the nation’s work force, according to a Los Angeles Times survey of more than 500 publicly owned corporations.

Only one woman ranks among the 100 most highly compensated public company executives in the state. Marion O. Sandler, president and chief executive of Golden West Financial Corp., made the grade by exercising stock options worth $762,314 in 1990.

Out of the 191 executives who earned $1 million or more, there are four women--Sandler, Mattel’s Jill E. Barad, Wendy L. Simpson of American Medical Holdings and Barbara A. Wolfe, an executive vice president at Charles Schwab Corp.

Only Barad reached the $1-million mark on salary and bonus alone. The others reached that coveted level with stock options and stock grants.

And even those who have made it to the upper corporate levels maintain that they still sometimes encounter resistance that seems to be based on nothing but their gender.

Babette Heimbuch, president and chief executive of FirstFed Financial Corp., tells of an unexpected meeting with an institutional investor while attending another firm’s annual meeting with a male officer of lesser rank.

The institutional investor wanted some answers from FirstFed, a mid-size thrift holding company. Heimbuch volunteered the answers, but the shareholder, nevertheless, directed all his questions to the man.

“It didn’t seem to matter that I kept answering,” Heimbuch said.

There are a few women who maintain that they’ve never been hampered in their rise to the top.

“To me, being a woman is not an issue,” said Kathy Bronstein, executive vice president of Wet Seal in Irvine. “But I am in an industry that’s dominated by females. Do I think opportunities are limited for women? Maybe I am naive, but I don’t think so.”

Bronstein believes that you just need passion to make it to the top.

“If you are so passionate about your job that you live and breathe it, you are probably going to get wherever you want to go,” she said. “But, if you are not passionate about what you do, you are not going to be great. It is a competitive market out there. People who aren’t great aren’t going to make it to the top.”

An analysis of The Times list of top-paid women indicates that women have a better chance of making it to the top in certain professions.

The vast majority of women on the list work in high technology or financial services. Indeed, 50 of the 78 women who earned enough to rank among the five most highly compensated executives at their firms work for banks, thrifts, insurance companies or technology companies.

Many of them are in traditionally male-dominated financial and legal positions. There are 15 chief financial officers; four corporate controllers; four lawyers, and two company treasurers.

Heimbuch believes that is no accident.

“My guess is, it is easier to prove yourself in finance,” she said. “In marketing, somebody needs to give you a chance to see if your ideas are going to work. Finance is more cut and dried.”

Although highly compensated, highly successful women are still rare. Some believe that executives such as these are merely the first in what will soon be a flood of capable and successful women at the top.

“It has only been fairly recently that there have been a large number of women graduates from the major business schools,” said Gary C. Hourihan, president of Strategic Compensation Associates in Los Angeles. “You have a growing group of women who are extremely capable, who are going to crack the upper echelon in the next 10 years.”

In the meantime, Nelson believes that adversity in the business world makes women stronger. “It’s like a fish walking across the desert,” she said. “If you survive it, you are a strong fish.”

CALIFORNIA’S HIGHEST-PAID WOMEN EXECUTIVES

NAME COMPANY TITLE 1 Marion O. Sandler Golden West Financial P, CEO 2 Jill E. Barad Mattel SO 3 Wendy L. Simpson American Medical Holdings SVP, CFO 4 Barbara A. Wolfe Charles Schwab EVP, SEC 5 Babette Heimbuch Firstfed Financial P, COO, CFO 6 Kathy Bronstein Wet Seal EVP 7 Fredricka Taubitz Zenith National Insurance EVP, CFO, SO 8 Kathryn A. Braun Western Digital EVP 9 Joan D. Little FirstFed Financial EVP 10 Carol J. Krane Centex Telemanagement SVP 11 Jane E. Shaw Alza P, COO 12 Irene Romero National Mercantile Bancorp EVP 13 Blanche M. Sutter Caere VP, CFO, SEC 14 Deborah S. Kweller CII Financial EVP 15 Melinda Benedek Imagine Films Entertainment EVP 16 April J. Morris Standard Pacific L.P. SEC 17 Katherine August First Republic Bancorp EVP 18 Susan S. Wang Solectron SVP 19 Carol L. Miltner Merisel Computer Products SVP 20 Sandra L. Kurtzig ASK Computer Systems COB, P, CEO 21 Diane C. Creel Earth Technology Corp. P, COO 22 Johanna Hinds PS Group VP, CON 23 Virginia R. Perry Nellcor VP 24 Judith R. Nelson Teledyne SEC, LC 25 Rita C. Villa First Capital Holdings SVP, CON 26 Melanie J. May Leisure Technology SVP 27 Patricia E. Bashaw Nellcor VP 28 Gari M. Grimm Wordstar International P, CEO 29 Jacklyn M. Horton Price Co. EVP, LC 30 Roberta E. Masters Commerce Bancorp EVP, CFO 31 Carol Whitefield Consilium VP 32 Donna Miltenberger CVB Financial SO 33 Nancy D. Celick First National Calif. SVP, CFO 34 Marilyn Ziering Diagnostic Products VP, SEC 35 Gloria Chen GBC Bancorp VP 36 Cynthia B. Sample Sunrise Bancorp SO 37 Trude A. Tsujimoto CII Financial LC, SEC 38 Mary K. Levinson Levy Bancorp SO 39 Katharine C. Branscomb Intellicorp P, COO 40 Linda G. Moulds First Republic Bancorp VP, SEC, CON 41 Lorna L. Olson ENB Holding EVP 42 Jan A. Praisner Aspect Telecommunications SVP, CFO, AS 43 Jeanne M. Miller Gish Biomedical SEC, VP, CFO 44 Penny Karlin-Hildebrand Vidmark SVP 45 Cynthia J. Cohn DVI Financial VP 46 Delight Saxton McGrath Rentcorp VP, SEC 47 Wahneta C. Poteet Levy Bancorp SO 48 Gail L. Salanitro Vallicorp Holdings EVP, SO 49 Joan M. Mcgrath McGrath Rentcorp VP 50 Diane S. Erk Medical Imaging Centers VP, CFO 51 Marilyn Creson Jones BSD Bancorp CFO, SO 52 Sharyn R. Gibbs Keegan Management VP 53 Diane W. Hazelroth American Recreation Centers VP, GM 54 Elizabeth A. Crilly Bank of San Francisco SO 55 Joanne Fabian New Horizons Savings & Loan SEC, VP 56 Joan Jones Trico Bancshares CFO, EVP, CAO 57 Donna J. Moore Mercury General VP, CON 58 Anne H. Long First Commercial Bancorp SVP, CFO, SO 59 Barbara J. Morales California Commercial Banksh SVP 60 Sarah A. S. Goldberg Perceptronics SVP, SEC 61 Emelia Marko Safeguard Health Enterprises SVP 62 Mary P. Gilbert-Rau Landmark Bancorp SVP 63 Deborah Bonanno-Raderman Stor Furnishings Internatnl VP 64 Judith Woodward Archbold Newport Pharmaceuticals Intl VP, LC, SEC 65 Natalie D. Kimball Home Federal Financial VP 66 Diane Castello Pitts Southwest Water TRE 67 Felice Ginsberg Ventura County National Bnk VP, CFO, SO 68 Jane R. Butterfield California Financial Holding SVP, CFO 69 Kathryn L. Turpin Frawley VP 70 Sandra A. Knell Coast Distribution System EVP, CFO 71 Georgia A. Athanasiou New Horizons Savings & Loan VP, CFO 72 Karen M. Minardi Keegan Management EO 73 Christina L. Coulston First Republic Bancorp VP 74 Hannah H. Foster Coast Distribution System SVP 75 Gail A. Mejeur Home Federal Financial VP 76 Jeanne G. Leach Wesco Financial TRE, SO 77 Karen W. Clark Dick Clark Productions VP 78 Donna Streed Humphrey SEC

1990 Total Salary Stock Stock NAME Comp. & Bonus Options Awards 1 Marion O. Sandler 1,486,960 724,646 762,314 None 2 Jill E. Barad 1,354,370 1,353,747 None None 3 Wendy L. Simpson 1,204,946 509,527 None 271,997 4 Barbara A. Wolfe 1,181,912 393,330 788,582 None 5 Babette Heimbuch 806,234 324,805 429,707 51,722 6 Kathy Bronstein 546,785 546,785 None None 7 Fredricka Taubitz 490,995 489,000 None None 8 Kathryn A. Braun 473,441 417,742 55,699 None 9 Joan D. Little 423,220 253,556 116,380 53,284 10 Carol J. Krane 343,902 210,065 133,837 None 11 Jane E. Shaw 338,646 265,000 73,646 None 12 Irene Romero 314,000 314,000 None None 13 Blanche M. Sutter 287,610 176,531 111,079 None 14 Deborah S. Kweller 278,025 249,150 None None 15 Melinda Benedek 276,538 276,538 None None 16 April J. Morris 269,800 269,800 None None 17 Katherine August 257,158 257,158 None None 18 Susan S. Wang 256,129 181,129 75,000 None 19 Carol L. Miltner 251,291 251,291 None None 20 Sandra L. Kurtzig 248,712 247,162 1,550 None 21 Diane C. Creel 246,303 240,380 None None 22 Johanna Hinds 245,307 146,269 None 91,506 23 Virginia R. Perry 240,000 150,000 None None 24 Judith R. Nelson 234,900 234,900 None None 25 Rita C. Villa 220,000 220,000 None None 26 Melanie J. May 210,111 210,111 None None 27 Patricia E. Bashaw 207,235 207,235 None None 28 Gari M. Grimm 207,204 207,204 None None 29 Jacklyn M. Horton 201,731 201,731 None None 30 Roberta E. Masters 198,256 185,700 None 3,510 31 Carol Whitefield 186,341 186,341 None None 32 Donna Miltenberger 169,329 121,540 33,791 None 33 Nancy D. Celick 168,112 168,112 None None 34 Marilyn Ziering 166,000 153,000 None None 35 Gloria Chen 156,610 127,310 29,300 None 36 Cynthia B. Sample 156,113 150,255 None None 37 Trude A. Tsujimoto 148,485 130,000 None None 38 Mary K. Levinson 145,133 128,393 None 16,740 39 Katharine C. Branscomb 140,443 138,400 None 2,043 40 Linda G. Moulds 138,019 138,019 None None 41 Lorna L. Olson 137,580 81,751 None 55,829 42 Jan A. Praisner 136,863 136,863 None None 43 Jeanne M. Miller 136,348 135,298 1,050 None 44 Penny Karlin-Hildebrand 135,000 135,000 None None 45 Cynthia J. Cohn 134,185 134,185 None None 46 Delight Saxton 131,650 131,650 None None 47 Wahneta C. Poteet 130,046 126,698 None 3,348 48 Gail L. Salanitro 128,173 104,191 None 20,175 49 Joan M. Mcgrath 126,400 126,400 None None 50 Diane S. Erk 119,031 116,678 None None 51 Marilyn Creson Jones 115,968 115,968 None None 52 Sharyn R. Gibbs 112,112 112,112 None None 53 Diane W. Hazelroth 109,828 109,828 None None 54 Elizabeth A. Crilly 109,770 108,500 None None 55 Joanne Fabian 109,582 107,188 None None 56 Joan Jones 109,110 104,617 None None 57 Donna J. Moore 105,505 105,505 None None 58 Anne H. Long 100,928 98,930 None None 59 Barbara J. Morales 96,536 86,000 8,000 2,536 60 Sarah A. S. Goldberg 91,201 88,001 None None 61 Emelia Marko 90,000 90,000 None None 62 Mary P. Gilbert-Rau 88,800 88,800 None None 63 Deborah Bonanno-Raderman 88,000 88,000 None None 64 Judith Woodward Archbold 87,270 87,270 None None 65 Natalie D. Kimball 82,554 77,881 None None 66 Diane Castello Pitts 82,000 82,000 None None 67 Felice Ginsberg 81,641 73,800 None None 68 Jane R. Butterfield 78,723 78,723 None None 69 Kathryn L. Turpin 75,823 75,823 None None 70 Sandra A. Knell 73,400 73,400 None None 71 Georgia A. Athanasiou 71,079 68,542 None None 72 Karen M. Minardi 69,846 69,846 None None 73 Christina L. Coulston 68,288 68,288 None None 74 Hannah H. Foster 67,800 67,800 None None 75 Gail A. Mejeur 64,674 61,013 None None 76 Jeanne G. Leach 63,210 63,210 None None 77 Karen W. Clark 61,250 61,250 None None 78 Donna Streed 60,200 60,200 None None

Other NAME Comp. 1 Marion O. Sandler None 2 Jill E. Barad 623 3 Wendy L. Simpson 423,422 4 Barbara A. Wolfe None 5 Babette Heimbuch None 6 Kathy Bronstein None 7 Fredricka Taubitz 1,995 8 Kathryn A. Braun None 9 Joan D. Little None 10 Carol J. Krane None 11 Jane E. Shaw None 12 Irene Romero None 13 Blanche M. Sutter None 14 Deborah S. Kweller 28,875 15 Melinda Benedek None 16 April J. Morris None 17 Katherine August None 18 Susan S. Wang None 19 Carol L. Miltner None 20 Sandra L. Kurtzig None 21 Diane C. Creel 5,923 22 Johanna Hinds 7,532 23 Virginia R. Perry 90,000 24 Judith R. Nelson None 25 Rita C. Villa None 26 Melanie J. May None 27 Patricia E. Bashaw None 28 Gari M. Grimm None 29 Jacklyn M. Horton None 30 Roberta E. Masters 9,046 31 Carol Whitefield None 32 Donna Miltenberger 13,998 33 Nancy D. Celick None 34 Marilyn Ziering 13,000 35 Gloria Chen None 36 Cynthia B. Sample 5,858 37 Trude A. Tsujimoto 18,485 38 Mary K. Levinson None 39 Katharine C. Branscomb None 40 Linda G. Moulds None 41 Lorna L. Olson None 42 Jan A. Praisner None 43 Jeanne M. Miller None 44 Penny Karlin-Hildebrand None 45 Cynthia J. Cohn None 46 Delight Saxton None 47 Wahneta C. Poteet None 48 Gail L. Salanitro 3,807 49 Joan M. Mcgrath None 50 Diane S. Erk 2,353 51 Marilyn Creson Jones None 52 Sharyn R. Gibbs None 53 Diane W. Hazelroth None 54 Elizabeth A. Crilly 1,270 55 Joanne Fabian 2,394 56 Joan Jones 4,493 57 Donna J. Moore None 58 Anne H. Long 1,998 59 Barbara J. Morales None 60 Sarah A. S. Goldberg 3,200 61 Emelia Marko None 62 Mary P. Gilbert-Rau None 63 Deborah Bonanno-Raderman None 64 Judith Woodward Archbold None 65 Natalie D. Kimball 4,673 66 Diane Castello Pitts None 67 Felice Ginsberg 7,841 68 Jane R. Butterfield None 69 Kathryn L. Turpin None 70 Sandra A. Knell None 71 Georgia A. Athanasiou 2,537 72 Karen M. Minardi None 73 Christina L. Coulston None 74 Hannah H. Foster None 75 Gail A. Mejeur 3,661 76 Jeanne G. Leach None 77 Karen W. Clark None 78 Donna Streed None

METHODOLOGY

The information in this chart was derived from proxy statements and annual reports of more than 500 publicly held California companies. The compensation of more than 2,400 executives was examined in a computer analysis by researcher Keating Holland of The Times’ Washington bureau.

In cases where benefits or stock gains were reported over periods exceeding one year, the number shown on the chart is an annual average.

In cases where 1990-91 proxy statements were unavailable, the information is from the previous year’s proxy.

GUIDE TO TITLE ABBREVIATIONS

AS Assistant Secretary

CAO Chief administrative officer

CCOB Co-chairman of the board

CEO Chief executive officer

CFO Chief financial officer

CIO Chief investment officer

COB Chairman of the board

CON Controller

CONS Consultant