FTSE 100 CEOs are more likely to be called Stephen, or Steve, than they are to be a woman

They are however equally likely to be called Dave, with six Davids running the UK’s largest companies.

In a report on falling pay among FTSE 100 chief executives, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) also pointed out that there is still a vast gender imbalance at the top of the country’s largest companies.

There are currently six female CEOs among the top 100, down from seven last year. On top of this, those six earn just 4.2% of the total pay awarded to FTSE 100 CEOs.

This is actually an improvement on last year’s figures, when the then seven female leaders took home 3.5% of total pay.

Emma Walmsley, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline, is the only woman among the 25 highest-paid CEOs in the FTSE 100.

Comparing wide demographics against individual names among the top CEOs is a familiar practice – earlier this year, it was reported that there are also more Steves (seven) at the top than there are people from an ethnic minority.

The government has set targets for 33% of board members to be female by 2020.

 

Originally published in Economia on 22 August 2019.