Two thirds (64 percent) of UK finance chiefs say there are more opportunities for women to advance through the ranks in finance than at any time in the last decade. The same can also be said of accounting. The improved levels of opportunity are also increasing and improving the chances of women securing executive board positions.
A weighty 87 percent of UK finance directors said that women are now much more likely to secure high level positions in finance companies and a further 81 percent of finance directors claimed they would encourage and help women move into the top spot of chief executive.
The new research has been carried out by the specialist recruitment consultancy Robert Half UK. A further study by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) found that the total proportion of female members and students in the accountancy profession stayed constant during the years 2010 and 2014 at around 50 percent.
However, the percentage of female qualified members stands at just 36 percent, suggesting that while equal numbers of men and women start a career in finance and accounting, more men than women remain in the profession in the long term.
Robert joined the HRreview editorial team in October 2015. After graduating from the University of Salford in 2009 with a BA in Politics, Robert has spent several years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past he has been part of editorial teams at Flux Magazine, Mondo*Arc Magazine and The Marine Professional.
