FTSE Women Leaders Review

What FTSE Women Leaders Review does

The FTSE Women Leaders Review is an independent, business-led framework supported by the UK Government that sets recommendations to improve the representation of women on the boards and senior leadership teams of FTSE 350 companies and the 50 largest UK private companies (annual turnover exceeding £1bn and 4,000+ employees). It traces its origins to the 2011 Davies Review, was relaunched as the Hampton-Alexander Review in 2016, and adopted its current form in 2021 with a 40% target for both boards and leadership by end of 2025. The Review collects annual gender diversity data through a secure online portal (snapshot date 31 October), covering leadership gender data, employee turnover data, and board gender data — tracking more than 27,000 roles across participating companies.\n\nIts core outputs are the Annual Reports and Company Rankings of FTSE 100, FTSE 250, and 50 Largest Private Companies, supported by supplementary content including Board Stories, Inspiring Women profiles, a 'How to Bring About Change' guide, and External Insight & Reports produced with research partners. The Review is co-chaired by Penny James and Nimesh Patel; Vivienne Artz OBE has served as Chief Executive since April 2024. The Review is governed by a Steering Group of business and subject matter experts, with policy support from the Department for Business and Trade and the Office for Equality & Opportunity, and is funded by corporate sponsors KPMG and Lloyds Banking Group. Research partners include Cranfield University, King's College London Global Institute for Women's Leadership, The Investment Association, and the 30% Club; 13 executive search firms are accredited under an Enhanced Code of Conduct.\n\nThe operating model is non-commercial and entirely voluntary: there are no fees for participation, no commercial products, and no public revenue. The Review's leverage comes from transparent public rankings, integration with The Investment Association's IVIS Red Tops signal, and government-backed accountability rather than market-based pricing.

Name

FTSE Women Leaders Review

Legal name

FTSE Women Leaders Review

Website

https://ftsewomenleaders.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The FTSE Women Leaders Review is an independent, government-backed, business-led framework that tracks and publicly reports gender diversity on FTSE 350 boards and in senior leadership, and across the 50 largest UK private companies, publishing annual reports and company rankings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Corporate Diversity Benchmarking & Research

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

akta.pro primary industry

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF)

Keywords

• Gender diversity reporting
• Board diversity benchmarking
• Corporate leadership research
• Women leadership framework
• Diversity data analytics

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The FTSE Women Leaders Review is an independent, business-led framework supported by the UK Government that sets recommendations to improve women's representation on the boards and in the leadership teams of FTSE 350 companies and 50 of the UK's largest private companies. It operates a secure data collection portal where companies submit gender diversity data, and publishes annual reports and company rankings benchmarking progress against targets.

Product overview

The FTSE Women Leaders Review is a unified advocacy and research platform that provides gender diversity benchmarking for UK businesses. The core offering consists of the Review framework itself, supported by a secure Data Collection Portal where FTSE 350 and 50 Largest Private Companies submit gender diversity data. This data powers the Annual Reports and Company Rankings products, which track progress against targets. The platform also offers supplementary content through Board Stories (executive perspectives) and Inspiring Women (leadership profiles), plus practical guidance via the 'How to Bring About Change' guide and External Insight & Reports produced in collaboration with research partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Data Collection Portal A secure online portal through which FTSE 350 companies and 50 of the UK's largest private companies submit annual gender diversity data, including Leadership Gender Data, Employee Turnover Data, and Board Gender Data, at a snapshot date of 31 October each year.
• Annual Reports Annual publications tracking progress on gender diversity in FTSE 350 and 50 largest UK private companies, providing data on women on boards and in leadership roles, published each February since 2011.
• Company Rankings

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• KPMGflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerKPMG is the corporate sponsor of the FTSE Women Leaders Review, providing funding for technology and operational costs. KPMG has committed to 40:40:20 representation at partner level by 2030 and is a signatory of the HM Treasury Women in Finance Charter.
• Department for Business & TradecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment department providing administrative, secretarial and policy support to the Review. Ministers from DBT support the initiative and provide government backing for the voluntary approach.
• Office for Equality & OpportunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment body responsible for equality strategy and legislation, providing data analysis and policy guidance for the Review. Part of the Government Equalities Hub.
• The Investment AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner providing analysis of institutional investor engagement on diversity issues. Their Institutional Voting Information Service (IVIS) Red Tops companies with low gender diversity.
• 30% ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and advocacy partner focused on developing a diverse talent pool through Chair and CEO member commitments to gender balance at all organizational levels.
• Cranfield UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner that has published annual Female FTSE benchmarking reports since 1999, providing research, data analytics and expertise on gender diversity at leadership level.
• King's College London - Global Institute for Women's LeadershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner undertaking rigorous research, practice and advocacy to understand and address women's underrepresentation in leadership positions.
• Executive Search Firms (Enhanced Code of Conduct)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner13 executive search firms accredited under the Enhanced Code of Conduct in 2025, including Egon Zehnder, Russell Reynolds, Korn Ferry, Spencer Stuart, and others. These firms have demonstrated at least 40% women appointments to FTSE 100 and FTSE 250 boards.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Equileap: Data and research firm that ranks companies on gender equality; closely comparable to the Review's data collection, rankings, and benchmarking of corporate gender performance.
• Cranfield University Female FTSE Report: Long-running annual benchmarking of women on FTSE boards and in executive committees since 1999; the FTSE Women Leaders Review explicitly partners with Cranfield on this research, making it a direct academic/research peer.
• 30% Club: Global campaign driving gender balance on boards and at senior management levels; the FTSE Women Leaders Review itself lists 30% Club as a core research/advocacy partner, indicating closely aligned mission and methods on UK board diversity.
• Catalyst: US-headquartered nonprofit that produces research, data and advisory services on gender diversity and inclusion in workplaces; comparable as a research-driven, advocacy-oriented gender diversity body publishing reports and benchmarking.
• The Pipeline: UK-based initiative focused on building balanced leadership pipelines; operates in the same gender balance/leadership space as the FTSE Women Leaders Review and serves overlapping corporate audiences.
• Diversity Project: UK financial services industry initiative to accelerate diversity and inclusion; comparable as a UK-based, industry-focused diversity advocacy and research body targeting similar corporate stakeholder groups.

Emerging players

• Women in Banking and Finance (WIBF): UK membership organization championing gender diversity in financial services; the FTSE Women Leaders Review's CEO previously led WIBF, and both serve overlapping corporate stakeholders focused on women in financial leadership.

Broad incumbents

• McKinsey & Company (Women Matter): Global consulting firm's research series on women in leadership and corporate gender diversity; comparable in producing influential benchmarking reports but as part of a much broader consulting portfolio rather than a dedicated nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ftsewomenleadersreview
• Xx.com/FTSEWomenLeader

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FTSE Women Leaders Review