I am associated with a company that has recently had a high degree of management turnover. This hit the IT department hard in the past year. The IT department leadership was composed of three males and three females - quite well balanced in my mind.

The top role IT role was male and had been with the company for his entire career. This individual, fully deserving of a VP postion, became frustrated when this didn't occur, left the company to become a CIO, and was replaced by a female VP of IT - far less qualified (not just an opinion). The new leader subsequently fired the top two males left in IT leadership, leaving the entire IT leadership team to be females. All three males were highly qualified in their specific areas of influence, with good performance histories. No different than their female counterparts.

The Senior VP of HR is female - as the vast majority of HR is - the opposite problem as seen in IT - and three of the past four executives hired have been female. I have nothing against females as leaders, or females in general - some of the best leaders, managers and peers I have had in my career have been female. Their sex had nothing to do with how they were viewed through my eyes. They were qualified individuals and we were fortunate having many talented females in IT leadership. As females they definitely brought a different perspectives to many aspects of the job. Not generallizing, just fact.

Rising females in IT and business at all levels is a good thing for America and business in general. However, quota based hiring is not a good thing, and this case certainly could indicate a strong bias toward quotas based hiring practices. Women are no longer a minority in the business world. Candidates should be judged on their merits not their sex, at all levels.