Top business leaders from across Britain’s most influential and successful companies are being asked to boost women in business and in the boardroom.
Sir Philip Hampton, Chair of GlaxoSmithKline and Dame Helen Alexander, Chair of UBM will lead an event today to undertake a review on improving female representation in leadership positions of British business and women in business all together, broadening the ambition to the entire FTSE 350 and raising the target to 33 per cent of women on boards by 2020.
Hosted at KMPG’s offices in London, the event will bring together influential leaders from a diverse range of industries from banking to engineering. The review will focus on ensuring the very best of female talent make their way up the pipeline by removing barriers to their success.
Sir Philip Hampton said, “It is clear that gender balance on FTSE boards has undergone a dramatic shift in recent years and this progress continues. However, we must significantly increase the number of women in senior leadership roles if we are to harness the skills of women for the benefit of business and the UK economy.”
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Nicky Morgan, Minister for Women and Equalities, said, “This government has prioritised equality for women, pushing for greater representation in business and providing young women with the role models that inspire them and their career choices. We have already made huge progress – having increased the percentage of women on FTSE 100 boards from 12% to 26%.”
“But now is not the time to pat ourselves on the back and say ‘job well done’ – we must be even more ambitious. That’s why I am delighted that Sir Philip and Dame Helen will be heading up such a prestigious team of Britain’s best and brightest leaders to drive this ambition forward.”
“The expertise and passion of all the people involved leave me with no doubt that we will continue to see a genuine culture change at the heart of British business. This isn’t just important for women – it’s critical for our economy – that’s why I want to see greater representation from the classroom to the boardroom.”
