Largest businesses in the UK will disclose their female leadership statistics

• Aparna Sreevalsan
• 2 November, 2022

• The government-sponsored FTSE Women Leaders Review has encouraged the top 50 private firms in the UK and all of the FTSE 350 corporations to reveal the gender breakdown of their leadership teams for examination.
• The biggest private businesses, such as Matalan and Virgin Atlantic, have until the end of the month to disclose how many women work in executive positions there.
• This will feature in the February 2023 report.

FOR the first time, 50 of the top private firms in Britain have been invited to disclose their leadership gender statistics by the FTSE Women Leaders Review.

The largest non-listed companies will now be included in the FTSE Women Leaders Review, which was established earlier this year to replace the Hampton-Alexander and Davies evaluations.

Significant employers including Deloitte, the John Lewis Partnership, Matalan, Virgin Atlantic, Specsavers, Laing O’Rouke, Merlin Entertainments, and Thames Water will be covered.

The Government’s new portal for companies opened on Monday (1) to upload a report to the site.

Grant Shapps, the business secretary said, “My mission as Business Secretary is to help unlock long-term growth right across the UK. Growth requires innovation and diversity of thought, which is why businesses should invest in talented individuals from a range of backgrounds, reflecting the society we live in.

“While there is more work to do, the FTSE Women Leaders Review demonstrates the success of the UK’s voluntary approach in getting more women into the upper rungs of British business.”

Britain has seen a significant improvement in the participation of women in top leadership roles and at the board level during the past ten years. At the beginning of this year, women occupied nearly 38 per cent of FTSE 350 board positions, up from 9 per cent in 2011.

In a statement, the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said this is “clear evidence this [voluntary] approach is working”.

Denise Wilson, CEO of the FTSE Women Leaders Review said: “The discussions we have had with the private companies have been overwhelmingly positive and we are looking forward to supporting them in the submission of their leadership gender data over the coming weeks.”

By the end of 2025, FTSE 350 businesses must have at least 40 per cent of women on their boards and in leadership roles. Additionally, there must be at least one female chair, senior independent director position, chief executive officer, or finance director.

The FTSE Women Leaders Review is an independent, business-led initiative that has the government’s support. It offers suggestions for Britain’s major corporations on how to increase the participation of women at the two levels of leadership below and on boards.

It also tracks women’s representation throughout Britain’s top businesses.

Publication of the gender diversity data will feature in the February 2023 report.