The average age of non-executive directors has broken through the 60 mark for the first time, according to research by headhunters Spencer Stuart.
In its 2017 UK Board Index report, Spencer Stuart said the average age is now 60.3 in 150 of the largest FTSE companies—an unexpected result and a rise of of 2.4 years on ten years ago.
The average retainer for non-executives has also grown over the past decade, by 41%to £67,655 since 2007.
The number of women joining boards has risen too, with women now occupying 34.7% of new appointments—up from 29.9% a year ago. Women now hold 25.5% of all boardroom positions in the top 150 businesses.
On the appointment of female chairmen, the report said: “Some progress has been made over the past decade: the number of female chairmen in 2007 was two, and it remained that way in 2012. Despite a 250% increase over ten years, the absolute number remains very low [five].”
