‘Some are disconcerted their boss is a woman’, Guardian editor says

The new editor-in-chief of The Guardian, Katharine Viner, has suggested that some at the newspaper have been left disconcerted by her appointment.

Speaking to Vogue magazine Viner said: “Obviously, just now and again, you can tell some people are just a bit disconcerted that their boss is a woman.” Viner went on to add that The Guardian is a “place where women really thrive.”

Viner is the first woman to hold the top job at the publication and she follows Alan Rusbridger, who headed The Guardian and The Observer for twenty years.

The comment displays a sense that there are still some lingering sexist attitudes in the workplace, especially towards women who reach the very top of their chosen career.

The number of women holding positions of power around the globe is growing. 26 women are now CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, a considerable increase from the zero that was recorded in 1995. The current US congress also includes a record number of women.

Viner also went on to discuss her management style in the interview, saying that she conducts the daily morning meeting standing up. “It makes for quite a dynamic meeting, grabbing people from around the room,” the editor-in-chief added.