Fall in proportion of women on leadership teams report

The proportion of women on the leadership teams of ISEQ 20 companies has fallen slightly from 27% to 24% according to new research.

The latest report of the Balance for Better Business (B4BB) Review Group shows that there are no female CEOs currently on leadership teams of ISEQ 20 companies, a fall on last year's figure as two female CEOs stepped down from their roles.

There are two female chairs and four female CFOs across ISEQ listed companies, unchanged from last year’s figures.

The research shows that 20% of ISEQ 20 leadership teams are all-male, up from 16% in 2023.

The report notes that the small and declining sample size of the ISEQ 20 over the past 12 months mean that changes in its composition can result in a disproportionate impact on leadership figures.

The representation of women on the boards of Irish companies listed in the ISEQ 20 reached 40% for the first time in 2024 and there has now been a 22 percentage point increase in female representation at board level since the B4BB initiative was founded in 2018.

The Women on Boards EU Directive will introduce new rules requiring 40% of board members to be women by 2026.

The B4BB Review Group has called for all organisations to put a plan in place to achieve 40%+ female representation on boards and leadership teams.

Findings from the CSO Labour Force Survey, included in the report, show that accommodation and food services, administrative and support services, and financial, insurance and real estate are the three sectors with the highest proportion of women in management roles.

At the other end of the scale, just 9% of professionals in the construction sector are women.

"As the ISEQ 20 today represents a smaller proportion of Irish business than in recent years, going forward we will be putting more emphasis on supporting and spotlighting progress in privately held companies as they represent a larger proportion of the economy overall," said Balance for Better Business Co-Chair Carol Andrews.

Fellow Co-Chair Bernard Byrne said that over the past six years there has been positive progress in gender balance at board level among Ireland’s largest listed businesses.

"From private companies to organisations in sectors where change has been slower, we’re widening our mandate to support all organisations realise the benefits of more balanced leadership," Mr Byrne said.

B4BB is an independent business-led review group established by the Government in July 2018 to improve and promote gender balance at board and leadership level of Irish business.

"Since the Balance for Better Business initiative was founded in 2018 there has been sustained progress in gender balance at board level," said Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke.

"However, more work remains ahead. It is important that we build on this progress by encouraging Irish business more broadly to accelerate its gender balance journey," Mr Burke said.