Read: FTSE 100 boards miss target for diversity

Some of Britain’s best-known companies, including BAE Systems, the London Stock Exchange Group and International Consolidated Airlines Group, the owner of British Airways, are yet to appoint a single member of an ethnic minority to their boards, according to a report.

The latest Parker Review revealed yesterday that 81 companies out of the FTSE 100 had ethnic representation, up from 74 in November last year and 52 in January 2020. Sixteen companies have all-white boards, while three declined to respond to requests for information.

Sir John Parker, chairman of the review, said that “significant” progress had been made by companies hiring people who were black, Asian or from another ethnic minority into non-executive board positions. However, progress was slower in the key executive posts and chairmanships.

The review, established by the government in 2015, has a goal of every FTSE 100 company having at least one ethnic board member by the end of 2021 and every FTSE 250 company by the end of 2024. The latest survey showed 124 out of the 998 board positions across the FTSE 100 were held by ethnic minority directors, up from 95 in 2020.

Read the full story in The Times

Achieve equality, through diversity & inclusion is one of the ‘Levelling Up Goals’ launched to set out clear objectives for the UK's Levelling Up challenge.