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In brief

The Parker Review Committee has published its latest report on ethnic minority representation at board level and within senior management at FTSE350 companies, and the 50 largest private companies in the UK. Ethnic minority directors currently represent 19% of FTSE 100 directors, 13.5% of FTSE 250 directors and 11% of relevant private company directors.


Key takeaways

  • Improving the Ethnic Diversity of UK Business was published in March 2024 and emphasises the importance of focusing on the development of talented senior executives from ethnic minority backgrounds.
  • In 2017, the Parker Review set FTSE 100 companies the target of at least one ethnic minority director on the board by 2021. At the end of 2023, 96% had met this target. The target has since been extended to 2024 for FTSE 250 companies, who like FTSE100 companies are also asked to disclose the percentage of senior management from ethnic minorities, and to set their own targets for what this percentage should be by the end of 2027.
  • 50 of the UK’s largest private companies are also covered in the report.
  • The level of ethnic minority representation varies from 46% in London to 7% in the North East.
  • To discuss more about what this issue means for you and your business, get in touch with your usual Baker McKenzie contact.

In more detail

As at December 2023, the percentages of companies which had met the targets set by the Parker Review were as follows:

Author

John Evason manages the employment team in London. He is a specialist employment lawyer advising on all aspects of employment law. He is ranked as a star individual in Chambers and a leading individual in Legal 500. He is a member and former chair of the Legislative and Policy Sub-Committee of the Employment Lawyers Association which provides comments to the UK government on new and amended legislation and regulations. He is a regular speaker at conferences and seminars, and frequently contributes to various legal and personnel publications.

Author

Kim Sartin is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Employment and Compensation team in London and a Member of the Firm’s Global TMT Group SteerCo. She is ranked as a leading individual in Chambers, as Up and Coming for Industrial Relations and recognised for her experience in the TMT sector (Chambers Global, UK). She is described as “a true global partner” who “stands apart with her business acumen”.

Author

Rachel Farr is a Senior Knowledge Lawyer in Baker McKenzie, London office.