Women's appointment to board level at EU financial firms slows

LONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters): The percentage of women appointed to board-level roles at large financial services firms in the European Union fell last year, making it harder for the sector to meet the bloc's looming diversity target, a survey from consultants EY showed on Monday.
The European Financial Services Boardroom Monitor showed that 44 per cent of all appointments last year were of women, down from 51 per cent in 2022, with 31 per cent of listed European financial services firms still reporting under 40 per cent female representation on their boards.
Under EU "Women on Boards" rules, companies will have to meet a minimum 40 per cent female target for non-executive boards, or 33 per cent for all board members, by June 2026.
"The 40 per cent level of female representation at board level is a minimum to build from, not a level to work towards," said Omar Ali, managing partner for EMEIA financial services at EY.