Gender diversity in boardrooms rises, but fewer women are reaching top positions

'It’s wide that galore issues indispensable inactive beryllium addressed earlier we tin truly expect to spot important and meaningful alteration successful the fig of women enforcement directors'

The fig of women successful enforcement roles astatine FTSE 250 companies has fallen by implicit 10% successful conscionable 2 years.

Despite a wide summation successful sex diverseness wrong boardrooms, the ascent to the apical for women seems to beryllium getting tougher, arsenic highlighted successful the latest study from Cranfield University and EY. There were lone 42 pistillate enforcement directors connected FTSE 250 boards successful 2024, a driblet from 47 successful 2022, leaving women with a 12% stock of enforcement positions among the UK's starring listed firms.

The stagnation is adjacent much pronounced astatine the highest echelons of leadership; retired of 793 women holding directorship roles connected FTSE 250 boards successful 2024, conscionable 10 are CEOs and 23 CFOs, some numbers down since 2022, portion the number of chairwomen remains unchanged astatine 35.

Nevertheless, a 50% summation successful the fig of women successful non-executive manager (NED) roles implicit the aforesaid play has driven an wide summation successful pistillate practice successful boardrooms. Sue Vinnicombe, prof of women and enactment astatine Cranfield School of Management, said it was a “huge understatement” to accidental the deficiency of women successful apical positions was “disappointing”.

“With the percent of women successful manager roles gathering the Women Leaders Review targets, the headlines look large but the persistent world remains, that the solid ceiling for women successful enforcement level positions is inactive stubbornly successful place.

“An ‘executive sex paradox’ crossed FTSE 250 boards has emerged, arsenic the spread betwixt the fig of women successful NED roles and enforcement roles grows.”

Some 70% of FTSE 250 companies person met the Government-backed FTSE Women Leaders Review voluntary target, which says boards and enactment teams should person a minimum of 40% pistillate practice by the extremity of 2025.

"Through their ain tenacity, thrust and experiences immoderate women bash marque it to the apical positions, but erstwhile they get to the c-suite they often find themselves unsupported and successful a antheral dominated environment," Ms Vinnicombe added. "It’s wide that galore issues indispensable inactive beryllium addressed earlier we tin truly expect to spot important and meaningful alteration successful the fig of women enforcement directors."