Majority of women executives believe a sporting background can accelerate their leadership and career potential, according to a report commissioned by the EY Women Athletes Business Network and espnW.

The Making the connection: women, sport and leadership report was based on a global online survey of 400 women executives, conducted by Longitude Research.

Of the highflying respondents, 94 per cent said they had actively participated in sport while three quarters (74 per cent) agreed that a background in sport can help accelerate a woman's leadership and career potential.

Beth Brooke-Marciniak, EY's global vice chair for public policy, said: "We’ve long known that sport has a positive impact on society. These findings show that participation in sport not only influences leadership skills, style and career development, but it is also a powerful motivator for female executives."

Other findings include that more than half (61 per cent) of women leaders accredited past sporting involvement to their current career success and said that a background in sport has a positive influence on their own hiring decisions – more than two-thirds (67 per cent) highlighted a background in sport as a positive influence on their decision to hire a candidate.

Laura Gentile, vice president of espnW, added: "This study validates long-held theories that women who are athletes are well-suited for the business world and have tangible advantages. From work ethic to adaptability to superior problem-solving ability, these women enter the workforce ready to win and demonstrate that ability as they rise throughout their career."

To read the full report click here.

To read an article on the status of women in sport, click here for the latest issue of Sport Management magazine.

Background:

• The online survey for the report was conducted across Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific, with the top five responding countries being Brazil, Canada, China, the UK and the United States.

• Half (49 per cent) of those surveyed were in the “C-suite” category – meaning that they serve on the board of directors at a company or in another C-level position, such as CEO, CFO or COO. The remaining 51 per cent surveyed were in other management positions.