Women on FTSE Boards

FTSE 100 Companies

The number of women on the FTSE 100 boards has increased significantly over the past 23 years, from 6.7% in 1998 to 37.7% in 2021.

Most of the FTSE 100 companies (79%) have now meet met the 33% target set for December 2020 by Hampton-Alexander.

Executive Directors
The number of women executive directorships has plateaued at 31 (out of a total of 227 Executive Directors).

There are only 31 women holding these roles in 27 companies. There are four companies with two women in executive roles. Overall, there are now eight women in CEO roles and 15 in CFO/FD roles. The remaining women are in Operations, Sales and Marketing, Talent, Human Resources and Division President roles

Non-Executive Directors
Although the percentage of women non-executive directors is at the all-time high of 44.4% (362), few are promoted to the Chair role with a total of eight women CEOs across FTSE 100 companies in 2021.

Age
The average age of women directors continues to be slightly younger than the male directors (approximately three years). The same gap exists for both executive directors and non-executive directors.

Nationality
Just over half of the women directors are British (55%). The only comparative figure we have for men directors is 72% for a sample of new directors appointed 2001-2004. North American women account for 18.5% of all women directors – slightly lower than the figure found in the population of all new women appointed during 2011-2015. The remaining women directors come from 17 countries across the world.

Tenure
Not only are women directors likely to be younger than men directors, they are also likely to have shorter tenures. The average tenure of women and male directors for both executive directors and non-executive directors has narrowed for a second year with male directors’ tenure being slightly longer in both cases.

Race/Ethnicity
Based on the data available in May 2019, there were 297 women directors on FTSE 100 boards. Of the 297 women, 32 of them were Black, Asian and of Minority Ethnic ethnicity and/or women of colour (11%). Two of the women hold multiple roles and eight of these women are reported as British.

FTSE 250 Companies

The percentage of women on FTSE 250 boards increased from 31.9% in 2020 to 34.9% in 2021 and over 40% non-executive directors are now women. There are now 688 women-held directorships, the increase coming solely from the number of women non-executive directors. However, like the FTSE 100 in 2021, the number of women executive directorships has plateaued at 47 (out of a total of 416 executive directors).

Executive Directors
The percentage of women in executive roles has plateaued at 11.3%. There are still only 47 women holding these roles in 45 companies.  There are two companies with two women in executive roles. Overall there are now eight women in CEO roles, 26 in CFO/FD roles and four in COO roles. The remaining women are in Legal, Human Resources or unspecified roles

Non-Executive Directors
The percentage of women non-executive directors is now 41.2%, but only 15% occupy the Chair role.

Sources

• The Female FTSE Board Report – Cranfield, 2021
• FTSE women leaders: Improving gender balance – 5 year summary report, Hampton-Alexander review, 2021
• FTSE women leaders 4th report: Improving gender balance in FTSE leadership – Hampton-Alexander Review, 2019
• Women on board reports