Women 'missing board'

WOMEN are failing to make board level at Britain's smaller listed companies, according to professional services firm Deloitte.

Females make up just three per cent of directors at companies listed on the junior Alternative Investment Market - less than a third of the ten per cent that have board positions among the FTSE-100 companies.

And among FTSE SmallCap companies, women account for just five per cent of all board positions, according to a study of listed companies with market capitalisation above £100 million.

However, when it comes to pay, while salaries in smaller companies are generally lower than those in their bigger counterparts, remuneration has risen at a faster rate for directors.

The "Be Equipped: Directors' remuneration in smaller companies" report studied a number of facets such as salary, bonuses, and boardroom structure.

Hilary Gallagher, director in human capital at Deloitte in Scotland, said: "Remuneration trends tend to start with the larger FTSE 100 companies and filter down to smaller companies over a period of one or two years."