UK tech scale-ups lag on gender diversity as over a third have no women on their boards

"The report from global growth consultancy Think & Grow found that women occupy just 18% of board positions across the UK's leading tech scale-ups, while 36% of these companies have no female board members at all. This is despite an overwhelming 94% of board members and key decision-makers saying they believe a diverse board is essential for success. The findings expose a clear disconnect between the industry's stated commitment to inclusion and its execution in practice."

"In comparison, listed technology companies perform far better: women now account for 41% of board members across FTSE 350 tech firms, more than double the figure seen among scale-ups. This improvement has been driven in part by the Financial Conduct Authority's diversity and inclusion rules, which require at least 40% female representation on boards. The contrast underscores the importance of regulatory frameworks in driving change and the need for scale-ups-unbound by such requirements-to proactively embed diversity in their governance models."

Women occupy just 18% of board positions across the UK's leading tech scale-ups, while 36% of these companies have no female board members at all. An overwhelming 94% of board members and key decision-makers say a diverse board is essential for success, yet many fast-growing firms do not make diversity a boardroom priority. Listed FTSE 350 tech firms have stronger female representation, with women accounting for 41% of board members, supported by rules requiring at least 40% female representation. Only 12% of the fastest-growing tech firms have a female CEO or founder, and 12% have a female chair.

Read at Business Matters