CBI COMMENTS ON CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY DATA ON WOMEN ON BOARDS

CBI COMMENTS ON CRANFIELD UNIVERSITY DATA ON WOMEN ON BOARDS

The CBI today commented on Cranfield University data, showing that 14.2% of FTSE 100 directorships are held by women, up from 12.5% in 2010.

Katja Hall, CBI Chief Policy Director, said:

“Lord Davies’ review is starting to bring about change in boardrooms, with nearly a third of FTSE 100 firms already setting their own targets for increasing female representation.

“At the end of 2010, there were 88 women on FTSE 100 boards, rising to 156 by the end of August 2011. This shows progress is being made, but more needs to be done to build a strong pipeline for female talent to reach the top.

“The voluntary approach is starting to pay off and therefore proposals to introduce mandatory quotas are unnecessary and would smack of tokenism.”