2018 Female FTSE Board Report

Julie Goldstein, IWF UK Chair, is quoted in this year's Female FTSE Board Report, which was launched with IWF UK member Professor Susan Vinnicombe CBE and Sir Philip Hampton at Aviva on 17 July.

The report presents a mixed picture: the percentage of women on FTSE 100 boards has increased to 29% and the percentage of female Non-Executive positions is at an all-time high of 35.4%, while the pace has slowed on FTSE 250 boards, with 23.7% women on their boards and 29.1% female Non Executive positions.

The real area of concern is the number of women in Executive Directorships. There are only 9.7% women in these roles in FTSE 100, showing it has flatlined for a fourth consecutive year, and there has been a slide backwards in FTSE 250 with only 6.4% women in Executive Directorships.

Ms Goldstein says: ‘The International Women’s Forum is an organisation dedicated to advancing women’s leadership locally and globally and it concerns us that there are so few women in the executive pipeline, as evidenced in this research. The challenges facing senior women resonate with many of our members and as women leaders, we need to continue to support each other to increase women’s representation at the board level. It is crucial that men step up to the task too, not just with words but with action that has real impact.’