Finance
Record number of ethnic minority CEOs in britain's top firms
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 10, 2026
2 min readLast updated: March 10, 2026
Quick Summary
Britain’s FTSE 100 companies now have a record 14 ethnic minority CEOs and minorities make up 20% of all board directorships, while FTSE 250 boards and large private firms also show increasing, yet uneven, diversity progress.
Record Number of Ethnic Minority CEOs and Directors in Britain's Top Firms
Key Findings from the 2025 Parker Review
LONDON, March 10 (Reuters) - Britain's biggest companies have a record number of ethnic minority CEOs and boards with at least one ethnic minority director, and minorities collectively represent a fifth of all directors, a report on Tuesday showed.
The release of updated 2025 statistics from the government-backed Parker Review, however, shows black directors and senior managers continue to be under-represented.
FTSE 100 Companies: Diversity in Leadership
Ethnic Minority Representation
- A record 98 FTSE 100 companies have at least one ethnic minority director.
- 56 have two or more ethnic minority directors, unchanged from the prior year.
- Minorities account for a record 20% of all directorships.
Leadership Roles Held by Minorities
- 14 companies are led by minority CEOs, up one on last year.
- Nine companies have minority CFOs, an increase of two from last year.
Black Directors and Senior Managers
- The number of directorships held by black people fell from 25 to 24.
- Black directors held 2.3% of directorships and 1.3% of senior manager roles, against a black population aged 30-69 in the 2021 census of 3.9%.
FTSE 250 and Private Companies: Progress and Targets
FTSE 250 Board Diversity
- Among FTSE 250 companies, 205 have at least one minority board member, up one on last year.
- Minorities hold 16% of all director positions across the 231 companies to supply data.
Private Company Targets
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December 2027 Target
- Ahead of a December 2027 target for 50 large private companies to have at least one minority, 36 provided data of which 21 met the target.
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(Reporting by Simon Jessop; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama )
Key Takeaways
- •FTSE 100 boards: 98 firms have ≥1 ethnic minority director; minorities hold 20% of directorships; 14 are CEOs, and nine are CFOs.
- •Black representation still lags: black directors dropped from 25 to 24; they hold just ~2.3% of board seats vs 3.9% of population (ages 30–69).
- •FTSE 250 and private companies improving: 205 FTSE 250 firms have ≥1 minority board member (16% of roles); among 36 responding large private firms, 21 met the ≥1 minority director target.
Frequently Asked Questions about Record number of ethnic minority CEOs in Britain's top firms
1How many FTSE 100 companies have ethnic minority directors?
A record 98 FTSE 100 companies have at least one ethnic minority director.
2What percentage of directorships are held by minorities in top UK firms?
Minorities account for a record 20% of all directorships in Britain's biggest companies.
3Are black directors still under-represented in UK companies?
Yes, black directors held only 2.3% of directorships and 1.3% of senior manager roles, less than their population share.
4Has the number of minority CEOs in FTSE 100 firms increased?
Yes, 14 companies are now led by minority CEOs, up by one compared to last year.
5How are FTSE 250 companies performing on board diversity?
205 FTSE 250 firms have at least one minority board member, and minorities hold 16% of all director positions reported.
