Regression | Lack of female CEOs exposes broken leadership pipelines

In the midst of a post-COVID leadership reset, the UK's FTSE 100 companies have witnessed a surge in CEO appointments during the first half of 2023.

However, while this record intake of senior talent suggests progress, a glaring gender disparity reveals that leadership pipelines within these organisations remain fundamentally broken.

A recent report by Russell Reynolds Associates (RRA) sheds light on the distressing fact that women continue to be significantly underrepresented in top leadership roles, with just a quarter of FTSE 100 CEO appointments in H1 going to women.

The RRA Global CEO Turnover Index for H1 2023 reported a jump to 38% in FTSE 100 CEO appointments year-on-year, with over a tenth of the companies undergoing CEO changes.