Report says progress on gender at small firms is largely down to more female NEDs, with “no material improvements” in ethnic diversity.

Research shows that FTSE SMC/AIM firms lag behind the FTSE 350 on boardroom diversity. Yet biggest does not need to be best in this field.

By 5.30pm today the average FTSE 100 CEO will have earned as much as a worker on median pay makes in a year.

Fund manager warns FTSE 100 nomco chairs that it will vote against reappointments “if they fail to meet expectations on ethnic diversity”.

Evidence shows that diversity on boards boosts financial performance. So why are some firms still failing to reach gender targets?

We need a renewed focus on the representation of both gender and ethnicity on boards, ensuring targets are comparable and given equal profile.

The Investment Association and Hampton–Alexander Review team have written to 63 companies asking how they intend to improve the gender balance on their leadership teams.

Latest update of Sir John Parker’s report finds 37% of FTSE 100 companies surveyed have no ethnic minority representation on their boards.

Some companies have adopted a “one and done” attitude to female representation on boards, said Denise Wilson in a speech to the ICSA conference.

The Financial Reporting Council has highlighted a worsening in audit quality at KPMG as reports that audit standards across the Big Four firms has fallen.