Women Bosses Face Heightened Scrutiny Compared to Male Counterparts, Review Chief Warns
The chief executive of the FTSE Women Leaders Review has highlighted that female leaders in top corporate roles often face significantly more scrutiny than their male peers. Vivienne Artz, who leads the government-supported initiative, pointed out that companies frequently tend to "fish in the same pool" when recruiting for senior executive positions, limiting opportunities for diverse talent.
Boardroom Targets Met but Leadership Roles Lag Behind
Data from the latest FTSE Women Leaders Review reveals that women held 43% of board positions across FTSE 350 companies in 2025. This represents a substantial increase from the mere 9.5% recorded when the review commenced fifteen years ago, marking significant progress toward gender balance in the boardrooms of Britain's largest publicly listed firms.
However, this proportion remains virtually unchanged from the previous year, indicating a plateau in advancement. The review, which monitors both FTSE 350 companies and fifty of the UK's biggest private enterprises against voluntary gender representation targets, shows that the momentum for change is naturally slowing as parity approaches.
Vivienne Artz commented on this trend, stating, "Boards are still making progress, which is great, but there's not as much progress to make. The pace of change is naturally beginning to level as parity approaches."
Slow Progress in Key Executive Positions
The report further discloses that the proportion of women in leadership roles within the FTSE 350 has only marginally increased to 36% by the end of October 2025, up from 35% the year before. Specifically, women occupy just 8% of chief executive roles, a slight rise from 7%, with only nine female CEOs across FTSE 100 companies.
This stagnation in top executive roles contrasts with recent high-profile departures of women leaders from major listed corporations, such as Dame Emma Walmsley from pharmaceutical giant GSK, Liv Garfield from water supplier Severn Trent, and Debra Crew from drinks company Diageo, all of whom were succeeded by male replacements. In a positive development, energy behemoth BP has appointed its first female chief executive, set to assume the position in April.
Ms Artz explained the challenges in achieving gender balance for CEO, chair, and finance director roles, noting, "It's because they are incredibly demanding and difficult roles to fill. Too often we rely on the safe option—someone who's done it before. If you're always going back to fishing in the same pond, you're not finding new talent or looking at skills and expertise, rather than a familiar CV."
Unconscious Bias and Additional Barriers Persist
Beyond recruitment practices, Ms Artz emphasized that women continue to encounter significant obstacles in reaching leadership positions due to deep-seated attitudes that have proven resistant to change. She asserted, "Female CEOs get a lot more scrutiny and are judged on different criteria than male CEOs. Discussions about whether a woman is married or has children can be distracting and diminish her credibility as a leader."
She further highlighted the pervasive issue of unconscious bias, stating, "We do know that there is absolutely still unconscious bias and that attitudes need to change." Additionally, the high cost of childcare often forces families into decisions that can derail or sideline women's careers, exacerbating the gender gap in executive suites.
Government Response and Corporate Standouts
In reaction to the report's findings, Chancellor Rachel Reeves acknowledged the progress made but stressed the ongoing challenges. She said, "The data shows how far we've come, but there is still a long way to go as women remain under-represented in key executive roles. As Chancellor, I'm clear there should be no ceiling on a woman's ambition. When women participate fully at every level, organisations make better decisions, innovate more, and perform more strongly, boosting our whole economy."
Business and Trade Secretary Peter Kyle echoed this sentiment, remarking, "It's essential that our top talent can reach the highest levels of leadership, which is why I'm so pleased the UK continues to lead the charge for gender equality in boardrooms. However, be in no doubt that despite this progress, there is still much more work to do."
On a company-specific level, drinks conglomerate Diageo and The Co-operative Group lead with the highest female board representation at 77.8% and 72.7%, respectively. Other notable firms with over 60% women on their boards include Marks & Spencer, HSBC, Severn Trent, and Pennon Group, showcasing pockets of excellence in gender diversity.
