AIM-listed companies offer more opportunities for women

Controversy about the lack of women in British boardrooms has focused almost entirely on the country’s biggest public companies. Statistically, however, the lack of diversity is more evident in smaller firms. New research from campaign group BoardroomMum entitled ‘UK Plc Gender Diversity Statistics’ shows that the percentage of women on the boards of AIM-listed companies is 5.2%*, substantially less than the 15.6 % in the FTSE 100 and the 9.6% in FTSE 250 as at February 2012 (Boardroom Mum’s more recent statistics show these at 16.6% and 11.2% respectively, still far short of the 25% target set in the Lord Davies Review). There are 1,099 AIM-listed companies offering 5,993 board director positions and whilst many of these positions are filled internally without the use of executive recruitment consultants, the variety of companies and industry sectors is far wider.

Amanda Bolt, MD & Founder of Boardroom Mum, says in a Sunday Times article by Hannah Prevett (28th October 2012), “Big business doesn’t always give the best boardroom experience. Added to this, the feel of a smaller company and the entrepreneurial nature of growing businesses could appeal to women looking for more flexibility” She adds, “these types of companies may offer more variety,” she said. “Also, the fast-growing companies on AIM may want different skill sets from the traditional FTSE 350 organisations.”

Boardroom Mum has calculated that between 1,500 and 2,997 female directors would need to be recruited by AIM-Listed companies to meet the 25% to 50% female representation target by 2020. If, as expected, the EU implements 40% quotas on women non-executive directors on the biggest public companies, this could leave many of the small-cap firms struggling to fill positions.

Visit Boardroom Mum UK Plc Gender Diversity Statistics for further information.