Women now maintain a document 42% of board jobs at UK’s greatest listed corporations

Women maintain greater than two in 5 board positions on the nation’s greatest listed firms – however ‘step-change’ remains to be wanted to get extra into essentially the most highly effective jobs.

The proportion of boardroom jobs held by ladies within the FTSE 350 elevated by two share factors final 12 months to 42.1 per cent, in keeping with the Government-backed FTSE Women Leaders Review.

This is up from the 24.5 per cent recorded when the report was launched in 2017.

Campaigners hailed this progress as a ‘revolutionary change’ for UK plc however mentioned much more must be finished to get ladies in prime roles.

There are simply ten feminine chief executives within the FTSE 100 and two ladies who chair a blue-chip board. 

Utility large: The longest-standing feminine chief exec is Liv Garfield (pictured), who has been boss of water agency Severn Trent for nearly a decade

The longest-standing feminine chief government is Liv Garfield, who has been boss of water agency Severn Trent for nearly a decade. 

The latest addition to the record is BT’s chief government Allison Kirkby who took over on the telecom large final month.

But Gwen Rhys, founding father of Women within the City, mentioned the continuing lack of feminine chief executives continues to be ‘disappointing’ for Britain.

‘We are making progress but it has taken over ten years to get to where we are,’ she mentioned.

Women make up simply 35 per cent of all management roles in FTSE 350 firms, a quantity that has stayed stubbornly flat lately and stays under the goal of 40 per cent, the report mentioned.

This consists of positions comparable to chief government, chief finance officer and different members of the chief committee concerned within the day-to-day operating of enterprise. 

And regardless of main enhancements lately, 9 corporations throughout the FTSE 350 nonetheless have all-male government committees.

The 9 listed corporations with none ladies on their committee embody Aston Martin Lagonda, Savills, Hochschild Mining, Foresight Group, Primary Health Properties, BBGI Global Infrastructure, Bellway, International Distributions Services and Fresnillo.

At the opposite finish of the spectrum, corporations comparable to Severn Trent and Diageo have led the best way for variety, with extra ladies than males on the board – a respective 75 per cent and 70 per cent feminine illustration.

Denise Wilson, chief government of the FTSE Women Leaders Review, mentioned this was right down to the ‘revolutionary change in the culture and dialogue’ round firm management.

Just over a decade in the past, 152 of FTSE 350 firms had no ladies on their boards in any respect.

Overall, Burberry was the very best performer within the FTSE 100 for feminine illustration on boards and management groups, whereas Frasers Group, the retail empire led by Mike Ashley, was worst. 

But Penny James, co-chairman of the FTSE Women Leaders Review, mentioned: ‘We need a step-change in the rate of improvement to reach our goal of 40 per cent women’s illustration on the prime of trade in two years.’

The UK is second solely to quota-led France, which has 44.7 per cent illustration of ladies at board stage.