Gender balance | Women take more FTSE 100 board seats but CEO numbers remain low

The number of women sitting on the boards of the UK’s biggest businesses has grown, a new report shows, but the number of female chief execs at the same firms remains lower.

According to the latest FTSE Women Leaders Review, women now hold 44.7% of board positions in FTSE 100 companies. Across the FTSE 350, women occupy 43.4% of board seats, reflecting continued progress in gender diversity at the highest levels of British business.

The report, which tracks female representation in leadership roles across the UK’s largest listed companies, highlights that nearly three-quarters of FTSE 350 firms have now met or exceeded the 40% target set for boardroom diversity. 

This positions the UK as a leader in voluntary gender diversity initiatives, ranking second among G7 nations, behind only France.