- Female chief executive numbers in the FTSE 100 remained unchanged last year.
- Women hold 36 per cent of senior leadership roles across the FTSE 350.
- Campaigners say progress at the top remains “achingly slow”.
Gender equality UK business progress appears to have slowed at the very top of corporate Britain, with new figures showing there are only nine female CEOs FTSE 100 companies, underscoring the ongoing challenge of improving gender diversity in leadership.
Research from the government-backed FTSE Women Leaders Review found the average number of women leading FTSE 100 firms did not change over the past year, prompting campaigners to warn that momentum has stalled despite years of focus on diversity.
The report found that women currently hold just nine chief executive roles among the UK’s biggest listed companies. The figure is unchanged from the previous year and remains below the peak of 10 recorded in 2023. Back in 2016, there were only six female bosses in the index.
Among those counted were leaders at major firms including BT, National Grid, Admiral, Entain, United Utilities, Vodafone, Aviva and WPP. The review also noted leadership changes, including departures at GSK and Severn Trent in December, as well as an interim chief executive at BP expected to be replaced in April.
The number of female chief executives also fell after companies such as Taylor Wimpey and WPP moved out of the FTSE 100, although both businesses continue to be led by women.
Vivienne Artz, chief executive of the FTSE Women Leaders Review, said progress has been “achingly slow,” as quoted in a news report, pointing to the difficulty of filling roles such as chief executive, chair and chief financial officer. She suggested the issue partly reflects gaps in the talent pipeline and fewer women gaining experience in profit and loss roles.
Stronger presence in boardrooms, but gaps remain
Across the wider FTSE 350, which includes mid-sized companies, women now make up 36 per cent of senior leadership roles, missing a voluntary target of 40 per cent set for 2025. The report defines these roles as executive committee members and senior managers just below that level.
However, companies did meet the 40 per cent target for board representation, with women now holding 43 per cent of board seats. Female representation is particularly strong among non-executive directors, with women accounting for 49 per cent in the FTSE 350 and 50 per cent in the FTSE 100, unchanged from the previous year.
The UK ranked second among G7 countries for women on boards, behind France, where mandatory quotas have helped women secure 45 per cent of seats among the CAC 40’s largest companies.
Burberry was identified as the FTSE 100 firm with the highest proportion of women in its leadership team, while Next also ranked highly. At the other end of the scale, Games Workshop and Fresnillo had some of the lowest representation in senior leadership.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves said the figures show “how far we’ve come” but also highlight that there is “still a long way to go,” as quoted in a news report, adding that organisations tend to perform better when women can participate fully at all levels.
Equalities minister Seema Malhotra said progress over the past 15 years has moved women “from the periphery to the heart of the boardroom,” reportedly said in a news report, pointing to policy measures aimed at improving workplace protections and support.
Despite improvements in board representation, the latest figures suggest that reaching the very top job remains a slower journey, with the gap between boardroom presence and executive leadership still clearly visible.
