Using a Feminist Institutional perspective, this paper suggests that the explanation for the slow pace of change in the gender profile of the professoriate lies in the gender awareness of managerial leadership. In Irish universities, women now constitute 51 per cent of the lecturers, but only 24 per cent of those at full professorial level and have, on average, a three times lesser 'chance' than men of accessing a professorship. The context is one where power is concentrated at (male) presidential level and where managerial leadership is seen as driving change. Using an ex-post facto research design, involving a re-analysis of qualitative interview data collected from those at presidential, vice-presidential and dean level 10 years ago, it differentiates between four categories of gender awareness: denial of the existence or relevance of gender (mainly men); stereotypical awareness of gender (mainly men); awareness of gender inequality (both men and women) and gender competence (both men and women). Only a minority were in the latter category, which is seen as most likely to be associated with change in the professorial gender profile. Finally, the question of whether the under-representation of women in the professoriate across the EU could be similarly explained is raised.