Provided by FTdynamo Boardrooms were never designed with women in mind, says Denise Kingsmill, deputy head of the UK Competition Commission. A new FTSE Female Index, to be launched at an Industrial Society seminar today, shows that women account for just 5 per cent of all directors of the FTSE 100 companies. There are only 10 women out of 552 executive directors, and 55 women out of 695 non-executive directors. Most boards could use a healthy dose of diversity in their make-up. This would make them more dynamic and energetic.
Headhunters argue that it is only a matter of time before women join the board in larger numbers.
Ashley Summerfield, a partner at Egon Zehnder International, another executive search firm, says boards prefer non-executive directors with experience of senior executive roles. People who have time to serve on other boards are generally in their mid to late-40s or older. There are staggeringly impressive women in their early 30s. But it will take a while for them to be visible enough in their senior position for people to want to put them on the board, or for them to have the time to go on to someone else's board. The pool is gradually expanding.