Drapers Magazine investigates: Getting Women on Board The fashion Industry Calls for parity Male counterparts

An analysis of the top 21 UK fashion and footwear retailers listed on the FTSE and Aim markets paints a worrying picture of the number of women on boards.

Drapers, the leading B2B publication for the fashion and footwear industry, looked at the boards of retailers including Boohoo Group, Next, Ted Baker, Burberry, Shoezone, Marks & Spencer, Asos, JD Sports, Joules, Debenhams and Frasers Group, among others (full list below), ahead of International Women’s Day on 8 March.

 The findings reveal that less than one-third (28.1%) of board positions are held by women – less than the 33% of board seats at FTSE 100 companies occupied by women, as found in a government-backed study by independent body Hampton-Alexander Review published in February.

 Flash Sale business MySale Group and footwear retailer Shoezone had no women on their boards as of 10 February 2020, when the data was compiled. Joules, Laura Ashley, Mothercare, Quiz and French Connection had just one each. Laura Ashley has since appointed Katherine Poulter as its new CEO.

 Of all the retailers Drapers contacted to comment on the lack of women on their boards, only Joules came back with a response. The lifestyle retailer said the “majority” of its operating board, which includes the creative director and supply chain director, is female (86%), while women make up 70% of its senior management team.

 The research also found 81% of women on fashion and footwear retail boards are in non-executive director roles. Just 19% are in executive roles, such as CEO, CFO or chairman.

 However, several retailers stood out in Drapers’ study for having an above-average percentage of women on their boards, including Ted Baker (66.7%), Burberry (45%), Next (44%), Asos (40%) and Marks & Spencer (37%).

 Industry voices told Drapers action is needed to get more women on boards, such as introducing board effectiveness reviews, opening up the talent pool, providing mentoring, pre and post-maternity workshops, childcare support and monitoring and measuring the gender pipeline.

 Drapers editor Kirsty McGregor said: “Our analysis of the number of women on boards tells a hard truth about the lack of gender diversity at the top of the UK’s leading fashion retailers. By overlooking women for these roles, retailers are missing out on a large pool of talent. Women must be empowered to rise to the top.”

 Drapers’ Isabella Fish, author of the report, added: “This analysis suggests that women are not given the same consideration as men when it comes to applying for board roles.

 “The fashion retail industry is in the midst of a disruptive transformation. Now is the time for companies to finally smash the glass ceiling and ensure their boards have greater gender parity, in order to be fit for the future.” 

Fiona Hathorn, co-founder and CEO of Women on Boards UK, a network of influence focused on helping women get to the top in all sectors, said: “Sadly, I am not at all surprised by Drapers’ findings. Despite the strong body of evidence showing that diverse boards and senior leadership team deliver better business results, I am all too aware that progress is too slow in many sectors. However, it is particularly short-sighted of the fashion industry – where such a large proportion of the customer base are women – to have the female perspective under-represented in its strategic decision making.

“Significant challenges remain in achieving a gender balance in executive roles, as this data demonstrates. In my view, more effort needs to be expended on equipping low-to-mid-level managers (male and female) to extract the benefits of diverse teams and ensure performance and progression truly align.”

To read the full report please click here.