Boardroom equality: We need more FTSE 100 appointments like Ms Laury’s

The appointment of a woman, Veronique Laury, to run B&Q owner Kingfisher, is a cause for celebration. As indeed is the elevation of any female to the top of a company in the FTSE 100. For the shaming fact is that only five out of the 100 biggest listed companies in the UK have a woman boss and that includes Kingfisher. Whatever gloss is applied, there is no getting away from it: Britain lags far behind other, more enlightened countries when it comes to equality.

Until women are seen to be getting the very highest jobs in sufficient numbers – and in that respect, Rona Fairhead’s anointment as chair of the BBC is also welcome – we can never hope to achieve a semblance of gender balance. There is plenty happening at lower levels, with firms going out of their way to ensure they recruit females. But until women keep reaching the summit, we cannot hail a social shift.

It’s the chief executive who sets the tone of an organisation; everything flows from the boss; everyone looks up to them. It’s vital that if we’re going to attain a level playing field for the sexes that more women make it to CEO.

For that to occur, however, we might have to re-evaluate what we want from our bosses. CEOs tend to have worked abroad, running divisions, before getting the big job. Female executives may feel that such a move is too disruptive for their children, if they have them, which many will by that stage in their life. We need to look, too, at the cost of childcare in the UK. It is absurd that many women find it more economically worthwhile to stay at home and look after the children than pay for care so they can resume their careers.

A scientific report last week gave evidence that the perception of men’s and women’s brains being different is wrong, but it is possible that subtle differences in life experience can be used to a company’s advantage. A need to be competitive and combative would do well to be balanced by intuition and empathy. And – as a result – everybody, from the board to the customer, wins.