Financial sector feels positive about board positions for women, research finds ahead of Davies review report
Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of finance directors think women have more opportunities to advance in finance and accounting than they did 10 years ago, research by specialist recruitment consultancy Robert Half UK has revealed today.
The survey findings come ahead of a new report relating to the Lord Davies review of women on boards, published today.
Of the more than 200 finance executives Robert Half interviewed, 87 per cent think that women now have a better chance of securing an executive board position because of the better opportunities they have, and 81 per cent believe that women have greater odds of scoring a top job as chief executive.
“Creating a diverse talent pool should be at the top of the agenda for businesses, alongside attracting and retaining skilled professionals,” said Phil Sheridan, managing director of Robert Half UK.
However, in a separate study released yesterday, executive search firm Audeliss warned that current trends suggested the proportion of women non-executive directors in the FTSE 100 could drop to 26 per cent in the next 18 months.
Commenting on Audeliss’s research, Helena Morrissey CBE, founder of the 30% Club, commented: “It's so important that the improvement in women on boards seen over the past five years is sustained, and this new data is a timely reminder of the need to keep up the momentum and source more talented women who can serve on boards.”