Diversity and Inclusion - how does the retail sector fare in the boardroom?

• White males dominate senior leadership positions at the 30 biggest retail brands in the UK, US and mainland Europe. Amongst almost 700 positions, white men hold 67% of the total roles in the US and 72% in both the UK and Europe.

• Women and ethnic minorities are more likely to be NEDs than Executive Directors who have the real power to run the company. There are just 70 female executive directors and 17 BAME executive directors out of a total of 337 across all the UK, US and Europe.

• BAME individuals make up just 3% of the leadership at UK retailers, 13% at US and 1% at European companies.

With diversity and inclusion fast becoming a hot topic on the agenda for almost every business across the globe, there is no doubt that the requirement for a more diverse board is increasing.

The consumer goods and retail landscape is rapidly evolving. Now more than ever, consumers are seeking more diverse products from which to choose and a variety of different ways to shop. With the need for the overall customer experience to reflect this broadening diversity, is the sector sufficiently diverse to be equipped with the varied cultural knowledge and understanding to take on the challenge?

With this in mind, DLA Piper's Consumer Goods & Retail Team have partnered with Green Park to analyse the board and executive committees of 30 of the world's leading retailers, looking in detail at the level of diversity and inclusion across these businesses and whether it is representative of the market overall.

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