Why do companies with more women at senior level tend to outperform rivals? Evidence of a link between the bottom line and women at the top is growing, with McKinsey research released on Thursday showing better-than-average financial performance by European companies with the highest proportion of women in influential leadership roles.

Women at the top

FT ranking: A French power player crowns the list of Europe’s top 25 women in business

The report, launched at the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society in Deauville, France, finds these companies do better than their sector in terms of return on equity, operating result and share price growth.