After the release of its IPO filing, Twitter has come under heavy scrutiny for the lack of women amongst its board, investors, and executive team â save for Vijaya Gadde, General Counsel, who was appointed 5 weeks ago. High tech has long been criticized for having a gender imbalance, with only 5.7% of employed women in the US working in the computer industry; but in the wake of Sheryl Sandbergâs top seller, âLean In,â the issue is front and center in the public consciousness. Critics of Twitter claim that the lack of gender diversity is among the many symptoms of Silicon Valleyâs chauvinistic and male-dominated culture. Those close with Twitterâs CEO, Dick Costolo, report that finding a woman board member has been a priority, but has been a difficult process.
Is Twitter in the wrong for going to IPO without a diverse leadership team? If so, should the public hold them accountable?