Contact Dr Ruth Sealy
- Email: r.h.sealy@cranfield.ac.uk
- ORCID
Background
Prior to becoming an academic, Ruth was the Managing Director of a specialist holiday company, which she sold to a larger tour operator. She then worked for a number of years as a Business Psychology Consultant, with clients such as Airbus(UK), RHR International, and Bank for International Settlements (Switzerland). She specialised in process-oriented Developmental Feedback based on a variety of psychometric instruments, including Cognitive Processing Profile, MBTI (Step 2), and Emotional Intelligence tools.
Current activities
Ruth has been the lead researcher of the annual Female FTSE Report since 2007. Sponsored by government and major organizations, the report analyses the demographic composition of the FTSE 350 corporate boards and executive committees. She has co-authored similar reports in Hong Kong and India. Ruth has presented the reports' findings to both academic and practitioner audiences, globally. The annual report has a considerable reputation and research impact, with the findings cited in 100+ broadsheet newspapers, radio and television channels, and practitioner journals across the world each year. Her doctoral research considered the importance of role models for female directors in investment banks, and organizational demography may affect their work identity formation and career aspirations. Ruth has spoken at many academic and practitioner conferences, lectures on MBA and MSc courses, and has written a number of reports, book chapters and journal articles. She has co-authored papers which have won Best Paper awards at both British Academy of Management and American Academy of Management Conferences.
Ruth is a member of the editorial review board for Gender in Management - an International Journal. She is a Chartered Member of the Institute of Personnel and Development, the British Psychological Society, Association of Business Psychologists and Institute of Directors.
Publications
Articles In Journals
- Page A, Sealy R, Parker A & Hauser O. (2024). Regulation and the trickle-down effect of women in leadership roles. The Leadership Quarterly, 35(5)
- Tilbury L & Sealy R. (2024). Seen and not heard: A comparative case study of women on boards and process loss beyond critical mass. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 32(2)
- Opara V, Ryan MK, Sealy R & Begeny CT. (2023). “Fitting in whilst standing out”: Identity flexing strategies of professional British women of African, Asian, and Caribbean ethnicities. Frontiers in Sociology, 8
- Michelon G, Trojanowski G & Sealy R. (2022). Narrative Reporting: State of the Art and Future Challenges. Accounting in Europe, 19(1)
- Opara V, Sealy R & Ryan MK. (2020). The workplace experiences of BAME professional women: Understanding experiences at the intersection. Gender, Work & Organization, 27(6)
- Sealy R, Terjesen SA, Doldor E & Huse M. (2018). Women on Boards, Selection Processes & Dynamics: Pushing Boundaries with New Research Approaches. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2018(1)
- McLaughlin H, Silvester J, Bilimoria D, Jané S, Sealy R, .... (2018). Women in power. Organizational Dynamics, 47(3)
- Atewologun D, Kutzer R, Doldor E, Anderson D & Sealy R. (2017). Individual‐level Foci of Identification at Work: A Systematic Review of the Literature. International Journal of Management Reviews, 19(3)
- Sealy R, Doldor E, Vinnicombe S, Terjesen S, Anderson D, .... (2017). Expanding the Notion of Dialogic Trading Zones for Impactful Research: The Case of Women on Boards Research. British Journal of Management, 28(1)
- Harman C & Sealy R. (2017). Opt-in or opt-out: exploring how women construe their ambition at early career stages. Career Development International, 22(4)
- Doldor E, Sealy R & Vinnicombe S. (2016). Accidental activists: headhunters as marginal diversity actors in institutional change towards more women on boards. Human Resource Management Journal, 26(3)
- Atewologun D, Sealy R & Vinnicombe S. (2016). Revealing Intersectional Dynamics in Organizations: Introducing ‘Intersectional Identity Work’. Gender, Work & Organization, 23(3)
- Terjesen S & Sealy R. (2016). Board Gender Quotas: Exploring Ethical Tensions From A Multi-Theoretical Perspective. Business Ethics Quarterly, 26(1)
- Atewologun D & Sealy R. (2014). Experiencing privilege at ethnic, gender and senior intersections. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 29(4)
- Pryce P & Sealy R. (2013). Promoting women to MD in investment banking: multi-level influences. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 28(8)
- Atewologun D & Sealy RHV. (2011). ADVANCING RACIO-ETHNIC AND DIVERSITY THEORISING THROUGH ‘INTERSECTIONAL IDENTITY WORK’. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2011(1)
- Sealy RHV & Singh V. (2010). The Importance of Role Models and Demographic Context for Senior Women's Work Identity Development. International Journal of Management Reviews, 12(3)
- Sealy R. (2010). Changing perceptions of meritocracy in senior women's careers. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 25(3)
- Terjesen S, Sealy R & Singh V. (2009). Women Directors on Corporate Boards: A Review and Research Agenda. Corporate Governance: An International Review, 17(3)
Conference Papers
- Atewologun D & Sealy R. (2011). Advancing racio-ethnic and diversity theorising through 'intersectional identity work'
- Sealy R. (2009). How senior women experience extreme gender-imbalanced work environments
- Sealy R. (2009). Women on Boards - Is progress sustainable in times of economic crisis?
- Sealy R. (2009). Women's progress towards the boardroom in economically turbulent times
- Herzfelt R, Chrobot-Mason D, Gentry B, Khapova S, Korotov K, .... (2008). Understanding career development of European women in Russia, Spain, UK and the Netherlands
- Sealy R. (2008). The importance of female role models for senior women in investment banks
- Sealy R. (2008). Role models and identity formation for female directors in banking
- Sealy R. (2008). Women in leadership in the 21st century
- Sealy R, Vinnicombe S & Singh V. (2008). FTSE 350 Female directors and women in the executive committees
- Sealy R & Singh V. (2008). Changing the faces at the top for better governance: the value of female role models
- Sealy R. (2007). Relational Identity and Identification: The importance of senior female role models
- Sealy R. (2007). The Importance of Female Role Models for Senior Women in Varying Organisational Demographic Contexts - the Diversity Directors' Views
- SEALY R & SINGH VAL. (2006). ROLE MODELS, WORK IDENTITY AND SENIOR WOMEN'S CAREER PROGRESSION - WHY ARE ROLE MODELS IMPORTANT?
- Sealy R. (2006). An exploration of the effect of organisational demographics and the lack of senior female role models on women's career progression
- Sealy R. (2005). An exploration of the impact of close versus distant female role models on career ambitions of female managers
- Sealy R. (2005). An exploration of the relationship between close versus distant female role models and the career ambitions of female managers
Books
- Sealy R, Forsblad C & Worts N. (2024). Women's leadership ambition in early careers In Handbook of Research on Gender and Leadership. Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Sealy R & Grosvold J. (2024). Boardroom diversity: The role of the responsible leader In Handbook on Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility.
- Searle R, Sealy R & Hawkins B. (2019). ‘Don’t you know that it’s different for girls?’: a dynamic exploration of trust, breach and violation for women en route to the top In Women, Business and Leadership. Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Sealy R & Harman C. (2017). Women's leadership ambition in early careers In Handbook of Research on Gender and Leadership.
- Sealy R & Vinnicombe S. (2013). Women on boards in the UK: accelerating the pace of change? In Machold S, Huse M, Hansen K & Brogi M (eds), Getting Women on to Corporate Boards. Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Sealy R. (2013). Breakthrough for women on UK boards In Handbook of Research on Promoting Women’s Careers. Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Nicholson G, Kiel G & Tunny JA. (2012). Board Evaluations: Contemporary Thinking and Practice In Clarke T & Branson D (eds), The SAGE Handbook of Corporate Governance. SAGE Publications Ltd.
- Sealy R & Singh V. (2008). The importance of role models in the development of leaders' professional identity In Turnbull James K & Collins J (eds), Leadership Learning: Knowledge into Action. Palgrave.
- Sealy R, Vinnicombe S & Singh V. (2008). The pipeline to the board finally opens: Women's progress on FTSE 100 boards in the UK In Susan V, Val S, Ron B, Diana B & Morten H (eds), Women on Corporate Boards of Directors: International Research and Practice. Edward Elgar.