Women are less likely to be appointed CEO and to get top executive positions than men. A significant factor in the shortage of women in executive positions is a slow career progression in the five years after the birth of a woman’s first child. The paper shows that Women who eventually reach executive positions appear to be better qualified than their male peers. Joacim Tåg, IFN, Matti Keloharju, Aalto University, CEPR and affiliated to IFN and Samuli Knüpfer, Norwegian Business School, and affiliated to IFN are the authors of this paper.