Boardroom diversity rises

Almost all FTSE 100 companies now have at least one director from a BAME background, according to a report from Thomson Reuters, while nearly three-quarters of FTSE 250 companies have BAME people on their boards.

Research from the information services company found that the proportion of FTSE 100 companies with a BAME director had risen from 84% in 2022 to 97% while the figure rose from 55% to 73% for FTSE 250 corporates.

Women hold more than two-fifths (42%) of board roles, up from 40% in 2022 and 39% in 2021, and every FTSE 100 company now has two or more women on its board.

The findings have been broadly welcomed by diversity employment networks although Frank Douglas of HR firm Caerus noted in a comment to HR Magazine that no FTSE 100 company has a BAME board chair and there are no BAME chief executives or chief finance officers at that level.