No women in one tenth of FTSE 100 boardrooms: study

The proportion of female directors on the boards of Britain's top companies has hit a record 15 percent, but one tenth of FTSE 100 boardrooms still have no women members, a study said on Tuesday.

There are now 141 women holding 163 board seats in FTSE 100 firms, the 100 highest-value companies listed on the London Stock Exchange, according to the study by the Cranfield School of Management.

But 11 companies on the index still have no women board members, the business school said.

Cranfield said there had been a "significant move in the right direction" but there was still some way to go to reach the target set by a government-commissioned report last year of 25 percent by 2015.

"If the momentum we have seen since the Lord Davies' review continues, we could achieve 30 percent women on boards in less than four years, which would be a terrific achievement," said Susan Vinnicombe, one of the report's authors.

Just 6.9 percent of FTSE 100 board positions were held by women in 1999 but the figure now stands at 15 percent. If current trends continue, women could hold 36.9 percent of directorships by 2020, Cranfield predicted.

Business Secretary Vince Cable said increasing female board representation was "a win-win proposition for business".

"Well-balanced boards with broader experience introduce fresh perspectives and new ideas, which help improve performance and boost productivity," he said.

Drinks giant Diageo had the biggest proportion of female directors at 44 percent, Cranfield said, adding that the number of women at senior executive level varied "dramatically".

Women hold just one in five senior management roles globally, according to research published by British accountancy firm Grant Thornton in August.

Businesses in Russia, followed by Botswana, the Philippines and Thailand have the highest proportion of women in senior management, while Germany, India and Japan have the lowest, it said.

Britain came 31st out of 40 countries in their ranking.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/no-women-one-tenth-ftse-100-boardrooms-study-141925832.html

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