Responding to news that one-third of FTSE 100 board members are women, BCC Co-Executive Director Hannah Essex said:

“Companies of all sizes have much to gain by improving the diversity of their workforce at all levels.

“As well as promoting more women to board level, it is important to take active steps to develop a pipeline of talent and remove barriers to progression. For women in particular, this includes introducing more flexible ways of working which allow for parental responsibilities to be shared across families, and better balanced with career aspirations.

“This goes hand in hand with government efforts to make childcare more affordable and to promote greater take up of shared parental leave.”