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Friday, 21 February, 2003, 15:58 GMT
More women make the boardroom
![]() Scardino is the FTSE 100's only female chief executive
The number of women heading UK businesses has seen a sharp increase, according to the latest research from Cranfield School of Management.
The biggest increase was seen in executive director posts, where the number of women jumped from just 10 in 2001 to 15 in 2002. "If this increase continues we will have gender parity on our corporate boards in seven years," said Susan Vinnicombe, director of the Centre for Developing Women Business Leaders at the Cranfield School of Management. Time for a change While the changing trend was applauded, some have complained it is still not going far enough to shake up male-dominance in the boardroom.
Clara Freeman, chairman of the campaign group Opportunity Now, said the number of female directors fell woefully short of where it could be. Cranfield's "Female FTSE" report found that 39 of the UK's top companies still had no women directors. "It's bad for women, bad for business and bad for the economy to waste the potential of half the UK's workforce," said Ms Freeman. In Britain today, Dame Marjorie Scardino of Pearson is still the only female chief executive of a FTSE 100 company, while 3i's Baroness Hogg is the only female chairman. Female-friendly stores UK retailer Marks & Spencer topped the poll for the second year running, with 27% of its boardroom made up of female staff. Food group Sainsbury was in second place with a 25% female board. This was a significant improvement on its 27th position last year. The survey has been running for four years and Ms Vinnicombe who co-authored the report said this year's findings were "particularly pleasing". Pay up However, female salaries are still failing to match those of their male counterparts.
The Cranfield survey suggested that the average total earnings of FTSE 100 executives passed £1.5m this year. "Gender parity would require a quantum leap in male attitudes to power-sharing and remuneration for women," said Ms Vinnicombe.
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