FTSE Women Leaders: Improving gender balance in FTSE Leadership

With FTSE 350 companies now asked 
to build the representation of women 
on their boards to 33% and British 
business in its sixth year of progress to 
increase the number of women in the 
boardroom, it is time to apply a similar 
framework to improving the number of 
women in the all-important leadership 
roles below the board. 

The Hampton-Alexander Review (the Review) will build on the success of voluntary business-led approach of the Davies Review for Women on Boards, extending the scope to include FTSE 350 Executive Committees and the Direct Reports to the Executive Committee.  
Although the approach is similar, making progress in the executive pipeline brings new challenges. There is a lack of public disclosure on gender performance at senior levels, particularly in the FTSE 250, so data gathering and the reporting of FTSE progress is a largely manual task. There are new stakeholders 
in CEOs, HR Directors and aspiring women 
to engage and a growing awareness of the multiple barriers to women in the workplace in seeking to progress through the ranks.