IA takes aim at 20% of FTSE 350 firms on board diversity failures

63 companies urged to take action

The Investment Association (IA) has written to nearly a fifth of FTSE 350 firms asking them to explain how they intend to improve the gender diversity of their boards, which continues to lag the Hampton-Alexander Review's target of 33% representation of women by 2020.

It comes amid growing success in the pursuit for greater board diversity, with one-third of all FTSE 100 board positions now held by women. However, according to the IA, more needs to be done, with 24 so-called "one and done" firms in the FTSE 250 that have just one woman on the board. Diversity Debates: 'Young people, particularly diverse talent, can't be themselves at work' The 63 FTSE 350 companies the IA has written to include 13 that have been urged to take "robust action to address the lack of women in their top teams for a second year running", the trade body said, adding th...