New Analysis Shows Bruce Rauner’s ‘Mad Men’ Business Approach

Less than 2 in 10 senior level positions at Rauner’s firm are held by women; women hold less than 9% of board of directors positions at GTCR companies

Chicago, IL–(ENEWSPF)–August 5, 2014. Today Illinois Freedom PAC released new analysis showing that Bruce Rauner’s firm, GTCR, offers very few opportunities for women, particularly those seeking senior management positions. Rauner remains a large owner of GTCR and acted as a principle of the company for 31 years.

Of the 82 employees at Rauner’s firm, 7 in 10 are men. Nearly 90 percent of the men are senior or mid-level employees at the company. In contrast, only 14 percent of women hold positions that are senior level, while over 70 percent of women are in entry-level/administrative positions at the company new analysis shows.

“Rauner appears to have run his business with an attitude towards women in the workplace that should only exist in episodes of Mad Men,” said Neal Waltmire, Communications Director at Illinois Freedom PAC. “If Rauner couldn’t attract talented female candidates to help lead his organization, it could only be because he wasn’t trying.”

A 2004 profile in Private Equity International shows Rauner was involved an “elaborate, intensive process” to recruit directors to run companies GTCR financed, but gave no indication that women or minority candidates were a priority. The profile, which was highlighted in a June Chicago Sun Times piece, describes how the company courted potential top executives in Rauner’s exclusive “cigar room,” stocked with top-of-the-line scotch.

“We have a unique ability to identify executives well before they even think they are interested in being identified, bonding with them, and then being enjoyable, personal partners for them,” Rauner was quoted as saying.

Yesterday, Huffington Post published an analysis showing less than 9% of board of directors positions at GTCR companies are held by women.

“Rauner’s ‘ability’ is clearly lacking,” said Waltmire. “Someone who can’t see talent among women and minorities is a poor choice to the run a state as well as a business.”

The Huffington Post analysis, performed by Northeastern Illinois University Professor Emeritus Robert Starks, also shows less than 10% of directors at GTCR companies are people of color. Starks concludes “the facts are that neither Bruce Rauner’s company, nor the companies GTCR owns, are diverse.”