More women on UK boards but number of female bosses flatlines

Under Financial Conduct Authority rules, women should make up at least 40% of a company board and occupy at least one of the senior board positions. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters

UK businesses have improved female representation on their boards, research shows, but two-fifths of FTSE 100 firms still do not have a woman in one of their top four executive roles.

The proportion of women on the boards of the 585 FTSE all-share listed companies has risen over the past year from 36% to 40%, according to the analysis of Companies House data.