Female representation on FTSE boards climbs by 50 per cent, finds Hampton-Alexander Review
The number of women on boards of the UK’s largest public companies has risen by 50 per cent since 2015, according to a landmark government report.
The Hampton-Alexander Review, which was launched five years ago, found that women representation on FTSE 350 boards has risen from 21.9 per cent to 34.9 since 2015.
The final report from the review also noted that there are now no longer any all-male FTSE 350 boards.
The FTSE 350 is an index of the 350 largest companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.
“In total, 220 of the FTSE 350 companies now meet the Hampton-Alexander target of having at least 33 per cent of their board positions held by women – with the figure having quadrupled from just 53 in 2015,” a statement from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Beis) read.
The figures also showed that women occupy 29.4 per cent of wider seniorship roles in FTSE 350 companies, which is up from 24.5 per cent in 2017.
Hampton-Alexander Review chief executive Denise Wilson said: “The lack of women in the boardroom is where it all started a decade ago, and it’s the area where we have seen the greatest progress.
“But now, we need to achieve the same – if not more – gains for women in leadership. The supply of capable, experienced women is full-to-over-flowing. It is now for business to fully-utilise a talent pool of educated, experienced women, to their own benefit and that of the UK economy.”