UK: FTSE100 companies and female directors

The International Centre for Women Leaders at Cranfield University's School of Management has published the 2008 edition of its Female FTSE report. This is the tenth report published by the centre. The findings reported include (to quote directly from the report):

• There was an increase in women CEOs to five in the FTSE 100, with an additional three more divisional or regional CEO posts held by women, an all-time high. There are now two female Chairman of FTSE 100 companies. The total number of female executive directors is 17.
• The number of female directorships -131 - held by women on FTSE 100 boards is currently up to 11.7% of the total. In 1999 there were only 79 female directorships, 6.9% of the total.
• Both market capitalisation and board size are significantly and consistently higher for companies with female directors when compared with those of all-male boards. 
• Female directors are three years younger than their male counterparts on FTSE 100 boards, with an average age of 53.9 years. The female directors also had significantly shorter tenure.
• There are still 22 companies in the FTSE 100 that have exclusively all-male boards.
• Ethnic minorities are still underrepresented among the female FTSE 100 directors.
• Of the 149 new appointees to the FTSE 100, only 16, a mere 10.7% were women.