Morrisons targets increase in female board members

The grocer has seen an increase of 7% since February last year, following the Lord Davies Women on Boards review.

The company currently has two female directors - Penny Hughes and Johanna Waterous - on its seven strong board.

Female representation within the retailer’s top 100 executives has increased from 13% to 20% in the last 12 months.

Morrisons academy and talent director Toni Eastwood said:  “We have a long way to go to meet our aspirations but we believe we are honestly facing this issue and setting out to fix it.”

Morrisons said it has implemented a number of strategic changes over the past 12 months to achieve this goal, including joining the UK-wide Pearls network to support women and build their confidence in the workplace and introducing industry policies on maternity and paternity benefit.

The grocer has also appointed 85 women as potential board members to coach and support more female employees on the junior levels as they work their way up from the shop floor.

A working party has been set up to monitor women’s issues in the company alongside this advanced coaching programme.

Group human resources director Norman Pickavance said: “It’s not just about having the right numbers at the top; it’s about creating the right environment in which women can thrive and build a sustainable pipeline of talented women for the future.

“Morrisons believes making these changes will be good for the company as our management become more representative of our customers and employees.”