Women in finance get board-level boost, shows research

Women have more opportunities to reach senior jobs in the accounting and finance sector than they did a decade ago, says new research by recruitment company Robert Half.

Nearly two thirds of UK finance directors believe that the position has changed over the past ten years.

Executive board positions

The new report found that of the UK FDs surveyed, 87% thought women now have increased opportunities to become executive board members.

The number of women holding board positions on FTSE 100 companies has doubled in less than five years, with the figure currently standing at 26%.

However, Robert Half's report noted a “geographic divide”, with finance directors in London and the South East being more positive about opportunities for women than those in similar roles in other regions of the UK.

Seventy-five per cent reported that women have a better chance of moving upwards in the finance and accounting sector in London and the South East. This is opposed to 65% in the South West and Wales and in the North, 60% in the Midlands and only 55% in Scotland.

Gender opportunities

The report also found that female FDs have a more positive outlook than male finance directors when it comes to women progression in their careers.

When it came to believing that there are currently more opportunities for women to achieve board level success than ten years ago, 67% of female finance directors agreed, compared to 61% of men.

Over 200 UK finance executives took part in the survey.