The UK is performing well when it comes to appointing women, but less well when it comes to finding first-time directors.

The conclusions are drawn from the 2025 Board Monitor Report compiled by international headhunting firm Heidrick & Struggles. The report finds that, of the 305 board seats filled by the FTSE 350 in 2025, less than 4% of incomers were under 45 years of age. The average age of directors appointed in the same year rose to 58.

Kit Bingham, head of Heidrick & Struggles’ UK board practice, says: “The 2025 Board Monitor shows that UK boards are doing well where it counts, especially on gender balance and international outlook.

“But the numbers also tell us there’s room to bring in fresh faces and first-time directors.

“Boards should reflect the world their businesses operate in, and this can be achieved through a broader mix of people and experience.”

Same old, same old

The lack of youth in UK boards stands out when compared with other jurisdictions. In Ireland, 21% of board appointees were under 45, in Germany, 8.2% and in France, 5.4%. The UK scraped in at 3.9%. A quarter of all UK appointments were first-time directors.

Heidrick describes this as “signs of hesitancy to take greater chances on generational change and first-time public board members”.

However, the UK does much better when it comes to appointing women to boards, with half of all FTSE 350 directors appointed in 2024 being female, though this is down from 58% in 2022.

These figures compare to 36% in Fortune 500 companies, 46% in Germany and 33% in Switzerland.

That said, the UK is behind France, which has 57%, and Spain with 54%.

Another area in which the UK stands out is appointing directors with no formal qualifications—one in ten during 2024. That’s the highest of all 16 markets reviewed by Heidrick, and well ahead of the next highest—one in 50—in the US.

Heidrick says the figures illustrate the “premium” which FTSE 350 companies place on “real-world leadership experience, sector insight and boardroom readiness over academic pedigree”.