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M&S and John Lewis are among several retailers who are leading the way for gender equality in boardrooms.
According to the FTSE Women Leaders Review report for 2025, women now occupy nearly 43% – or a total of 1,275 – of roles on company boards in the UK.
A number of the UK’s top retailers have performed the strongest out of a number of industries, with M&S (54%), Next (50.5%), Burberry Group (52.6%), John Lewis (56.4%), CDS Superstores (48.6%), and Matalan (44.4%) beating the average number of women in board positions.
The report, which is backed by the government and sponsored by Lloyds and KPMG, also revealed that 6,743 (35%) of leadership roles at 350 FTSE companies are held by women.
According to the review, progress has been made to break down barriers to opportunity at the highest levels for women as part of the government’s Plan for Change to ensure women have fair access to stable well-paid jobs.
However, the government states there is still more to do to bring more women into roles such as company chairs and CEOs, as well as to increase the number of women on boards and in leadership who hold executive roles.
Chancellor of the exchequer, Rachel Reeves, said: “The UK is leading the charge for gender equality in boardrooms, but we cannot rest on our laurels.
“We must break down the barriers that stop many women being represented in decision-making roles, so that top talent reaches the highest levels of leadership in businesses driving economic growth across Britain.”
