Gender balance | FTSE leaders shift focus to building the leadership talent pipeline to support better businesses

New research reveals an increasing focus on growing the executive talent pipeline, succession planning, and the retention of women at pivotal career stages. 

At a time when leadership is under increasing pressure from multiple directions, CEOs agreed that while progress at board level has been significant, the real challenge now lies deeper within organisations - particularly in the operational, commercial and profit-and-loss roles that most often lead to CEO appointments.

One leader summarised the issue succinctly “The numbers matter, but culture decides whether they last.”

The research from Male Allies UK and FTSE Women Leaders - sponsored by KPMG UK and based on interviews with male CEOs and Chairs at the top of UK business - found that women are often well represented in early and mid-career roles but remain underrepresented in the positions most closely linked to executive progression, including P&L leadership, operations, international management and commercial strategy.