Women make progress on FTSE 100 boards

Liz Draper
WVoN co-editor

The number of women on the boards of FTSE 100 companies is on the rise, according to a report released on Monday.

The Professional Boards Forum found that one in four FTSE 100 companies have exceeded government targets for female directors.

Last year, the Government recommended that Britain’s largest companies aim to have 25 per cent female directors by 2015, a target which has already been reached by one in four companies.

Almost 17 per cent per cent of board members are now women, up from 12.5 per cent in 2010. Over the past three months, 44 per cent of appointments have gone to women.

Several companies have a significantly high proportion of women board members. Drinks company Diageo boasts 44 per cent female directors, with Burberry and Pearson both exceeding 30 per cent. Only eight all-male boards remain within the FTSE 100.

According to Elin Hurvenes, the founder of the forum, which aims to help chairmen find women directors:

“The figures contradict recent reports that chairmen only recruit mirror images of themselves. It also puts to rest the argument that board-­ready women don’t exist.”