Women on boards

Women on boards - February 2011
The review was first announced by BIS in August 2010, when the department issued a press release announcing that Lord Davies had been asked to build on the work carried out by Professor Laura Tyson in her 2003 report.

Lord Davies' review was subsequently published by BIS on 24 February 2011, as announced in the press release FTSE 100 companies should aim for 25% women board members – Lord Davies recommends.

The review's recommendations include that FTSE 100 companies should be aiming for a minimum of 25% female board member representation by 2015; quoted companies should disclose annually the proportion of women on the board, in senior executive positions and in the whole organisation; and the UK Corporate Governance Code should be amended by the FRC to require listed companies to establish a policy concerning boardroom diversity.

Since the original review the follow-up reports have been published:

• Women on boards: First annual review (2012)
• Women on Boards 2013: second annual review
• Women on boards 2014: third annual review
• Women on boards 2015: fourth annual review
• Women on boards: 5 year summary (Davies Review - October 2015)

Female FTSE Index
Cranfield School of Management's annual FTSE benchmarking report. Includes of an archive of previous reports dating back to 2005.

FTSE Women Leaders Review
Successor report to the Hampton-Alexander Review and the Davies Reviews. Reports on progress for women serving on boards, and for women in the two senior management layers below the board in 400 companies.

FTSE women leaders: Hampton-Alexander review
Reports of the Hampton-Alexander review into increasing the number of women in senior positions in FTSE 350 companies.

Women on boards: Six months monitoring report
Interim report by the Cranfield International Centre for Women Leaders published in October 2011 which analyses the progress in improving UK boardroom diversity following the Davies report.

Feedback statement: Gender diversity on boards
In October 2011 the FRC announced its decision to amend the UK Corporate Governance Code to strengthen the principle on boardroom diversity which was first introduced into the Code in June 2010. The statement summarises the main points from the consultation responses, the decisions taken by the FRC and the reasons for those decisions.
The changes 'will be incorporated in an updated version of the Code to be published in 2012, following consultation on proposed changes to other parts of the Code, which will apply to financial years beginning on or after 1 October 2012', although the FRC strongly encourages early adoption of its recommendations.

Gender diversity on boards
Consultation paper published by the FRC in May 2011 which invites views on whether the UK Corporate Governance Code should be revised in order to help achieve more diverse and effective boards. The consultation document was announced in the press release Financial Reporting Council consults on boardroom diversity on 5 May 2011.

Increasing diversity on public and private sector boards: Part 1 - How diverse are boards and why?
Increasing diversity on public and private sector boards: Part 2 - What is being done to improve diversity on boards and how effective is this?
Research produced in 2009 by Cranfield School of Management for the Government Equalities Office, on diversity on boards of directors in the public and private sector. Examines why are there so few women and other under-represented groups on boards and what is being done to increase diversity.

Building better boards
Document published in 2004 by the then Department of Trade and Industry with recommendations for improvements and information relevant to creating more diverse and effective boards.

• Board diversity
• Tyson report on the recruitment and development of non-executive directors
• Women in business