The Pipeline Research
In addition to undertaking our own research, we also collate other reports, papers and article to further evidence the benefits of gender diversity.
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Women Count
Since 2016, The Pipeline has conducted research annually into the FTSE 350 to analyse the state of gender diversity at executive and board level. The Women Count series is the only study which reviews the role, value and number of women executives in the FTSE 350. The data was gathered through a mixed-methods approach examining company websites, annual and other reports and direct contact with companies.
Women Count 2017Amidst global change low numbers of women at the top expose PLCs to risk
- Women account for only 5% of CEOs in FTSE 350 companies, continuing the sadly familiar trend of previous years. With 95% of these businesses still having a male CEO, almost every major PLC is failing to make progress on gender diversity at the top.
- Where women CEOs are in place, they are better at achieving a more gender balanced executive committee. On average, women CEOs appoint four times the number of women to these business-critical bodies than male CEOs.
- Chief Financial Officer (CFO) roles are still overwhelmingly occupied by men, with women only taking 17% of these leadership positions in FTSE 350 businesses.
Companies are failing to promote women to P&L roles
- Women are excluded from key profit and loss (P&L) roles. 89% of all Executive Committee P&L roles available are taken by men whilst only 11% are filled by women.
- The majority of FTSE 350 (59%) companies do not have a single woman on their executive committee with P&L responsibility. Yet the contrast with men is stark. Every company in the FTSE 350 has a man in a profit and loss role on their executive committee.
- Women CEOs are better at collaboration, appointing on average 1.6 women to P&L roles on the executive committee. Male CEOs only appoint 0.5 women.
The makeup of executive committees remain rooted in the past
- Men still account for nearly 85% of all executives on company main boards, with the rate of increase for women appointments slowing rapidly in 2021. 70% of FTSE 350 company boards never sit down with a senior female executive at a board meeting, undermining the very concept of ‘unitary boards’.
- Men now make up 78% of all Executive Committee roles and women 22%. Women are in a better position than 5 years ago but the pandemic has slowed the rate of change. In 2021 we witnessed an increase of 2.5% on the previous year, but in 2020 this same annual measure was 2.7%.
- Women Count 2021 therefore predicts the winning line on gender parity for executive committees is now 2036, four years longer than last year’s assessment of 2032.
- Only 10% of companies are holding out against having a single woman on their executive committee, an improvement of 5% on 2020. But, just 4% of companies have broken through the 50% mark, showing the size of the challenge for women.
Hampton-Alexander Review 2020 facts…
- 42%of NEDs are women
- 14%female execs on main board
- 25%female execs on exec comms
- 72%of all women’s places on exec comm are in HRD roles
Hampton-Alexander Review 2018 facts…
- 12Only 12 women CEOs run FTSE 350 companies, down from 15 in 2017
- 50There are still 50 all-male executive committees across the FTSE 350
- 22The number of women in FTSE 350 Chair roles remains flat at 22
- 30%Women on FTSE 100 boards has exceeded 30% for the first time
Higher return on Equity by 47% between global companies with the most women on their executive committees and those with none
More from McKinsey & Company’s findings…
Accenture’s findings…
Getting to Equal 2018: Creating a culture where everyone thrives, March 2018
Read the report
Getting to Equal, September 2017
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Getting To Equal: How Digital is Helping Close the Gender Gap at Work, June 2016
Read the report
Harvard Business Review’s findings…
Research: Women Ask for Raises as Often as Men, but Are Less Likely to Get Them, June 2018
Read the report
A Study Used Sensors to Show That Men and Women Are Treated Differently at Work, October 2017
Read the report
Why Men Still Get More Promotions Than Women, September 2010
Read the report
Gender Themes
Profit margins are almost DOUBLE in FTSE 350 Executive Committees with at least 25% women
The Pipeline Publications
Important new data on women…
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Gender Diversity – After the crisis, don’t fall back!
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Improving Ethnic Diversity – Here’s What Works
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The age of ignoring women in business is over. If firms want to thrive post-lockdown, they’ll put them on top
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Maintaining diversity during an economic crisis.
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Let’s Kick the Unconscious Bias Training (UBT) Addiction and Create Sustainable Diversity Instead.
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The Pipeline is a leading diversity business, working with organisations to develop all their talent to deliver better results.
We have built GENIE Px, the largest bank of data on the barriers facing women, to evidence our tailored interventions for organisations who are losing their female talent. This provides the basis of the leadership programmes we design and run for individual women and organisations.
Join the conversation
"UK women earn 15% less than men. There are only eight female CEOs in the FTSE 100 and just 16 female CFOs. Companies need to treat their women better—it’s that simple." says our Deputy Chair @pavitacooper for @oecd #InternationalEqualPayDay👩🏾🤝👨🏼
https://www.oecd-forum.org/posts/companies-need-to-treat-their-women-better-it-s-that-simple
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