Shamed companies with all male boards ignoring diversity targets

Sports Direct and the Stobart group have been singled out for having all-male boards as a government review warned that Britain’s biggest companies are on course to miss gender diversity targets. The findings shame ten companies that have yet to appoint a woman to the top table.

Minister for Women Victoria Atkins said there is “no excuse” for having an all-male board. In its defence, Stobart said that it has identified an “excellent female candidate” for the position of independent non-executive director but the appointment is on hold until after its AGM on 6 July.

Sports Direct has said in the past that it recognises the “value and need for female representation on the board, and we are taking steps to address this”.

Launched in 2016, the review set FTSE 350 businesses a target of having 33% of all board and senior leadership positions held by women by the end of 2020. However, an interim update showed that firms may fall short of the target.