New research shows fewer than one in 10 FTSE 100 company directors is black, Asian or minority ethnicity; white men hold 84% of executive directorships.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, June 16, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- An analysis of the boards of top UK companies reveals a continuing lack of black, Asian and minority ethnicity (BAME) directors and a paucity of senior female executives.

Research by website DiversityQ.com into the composition of the UK’s FTSE 100 boardrooms highlights that more needs to be achieved in terms of BAME and gender representation, as well as in appointing people who are LGBT+ or disabled, including those with physical and hidden conditions.

In terms of diversity, white males make up 62.% of boards and occupy 83.8% of executive directorships. White females make up just 28.2% of boards, male BAMEs 6% and female BAMEs 3.8%, according to The DiversityQ FTSE 100 Board Diversity Report 2020.

There are just 99 senior BAME people at board level, comprising 19 executive directorships and 80 non-executive directorships, the research reveals.

When it comes to the representation of women on boards, the proportion has slowly risen – growing to 33.2% by the end of 2019 from less than 7% two decades ago – but 89.5% of the roles are non-executive positions.

In total, there are 1,013 board members across the FTSE 100, comprising 326 executive directors and 687 non-executive roles. There are just 324 females holding directorships – only 32% of all boards – comprising 34 executive directorship positions and 290 non-executive directorships.

The recent departure of Alison Cooper from Imperial Brands means women now hold just five of the chief executive positions within the FTSE, down from seven last year. There are seven CEOs from an Asian or minority background but no black CEOs.

Cheryl Cole, editor of DiversityQ and co-author of the report, said: “Right now, 25% of primary school children in the UK are BAME, which means we need to be creating more inclusive workplace cultures where those children are going to find their voice and flourish when they enter employment. The changing face of the demographics means that we need to be ready for all the right reasons.

“There is better representation of women in senior positions thanks to movements such as the 30% Club and the campaign to reduce the gender pay gap, but it still falls short of where it needs to be. The same applies to LGBT+ and disability inclusion. It is imperative that recent progress towards fairer representation continues unabated.”

Simon Stilwell, chief executive officer of Bonhill Group plc, parent company of DiversityQ.com, said: “The boards of companies big and small are a perfect place to start affecting the positive change we all hope can come out of the dual crises of Covid-19 and racial injustice that have marked 2020 so far.’

Neil (Nilesh) Sachdev MBE, chairman of Bonhill Group plc, said: “Embracing and investing in the full spectrum of inclusivity is the most powerful weapon business has to create real change in society. Isolating this to one community, such as BAME, means we risk leaving talent behind such as LGBT+, female or those with disabilities.

“Research shows us companies that really get diversity right are more profitable, with higher employee retention on average than those that don’t. It is evident that good work is going on across some major companies and sectors, but the gauntlet is down for more to be done.”

The full FTSE 100 Diversity report can be found here: https://diversityq.com/dq-boardroom-report/

* All figures are as at 31 March 2020, sourced from publicly available information.

For further information or comment, please contact:

Cheryl Cole
Editor, DiversityQ
Tel: 020 7250 7024
Email: Cheryl.cole@bonhillplc.com

Martin Stott
Bulletin PR
Tel: 07956 917 978
Email: martin.stott@bulletin.co.uk


Notes to Editors

About Bonhill Group
Founded in 1991, Bonhill Group plc is an AIM-listed company producing information and conferences for the technology, financial services and diversity communities in the UK, Europe, Asia and North America.

About DiversityQ
DiversityQ (www.diversityq.com) is a Bonhill Group website designed to promote D&I in the workplace, supporting organisations to create a culture where everyone is heard and respected.

Cheryl Cole
DiversityQ
+44 20 7250 7024
email us here
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