There has long been an under-representation of females running FTSE 350 companies, so it is positive to see two appointments that help address this problem.
Lyssa McGowan looks like a great hire for Pets at Home, bringing expertise in data and digital channels for a consumer audience. The pet products retailer has been enjoying recent success with its VIP club which is helping to strengthen customer loyalty and give more insight into spending habits.
McGowan’s experience in a top consumer role at Sky could help take Pets at Home’s analytical capabilities to the next level. Understanding the customer and how they might spend more money is an important goal for retailers.
“Jennie Daly is an internal promotion at Taylor Wimpey and one that brings nearly 30 years’ experience in the housebuilding and land planning industries. She should know the sector inside out and should be a safe pair of hands in making sure the company is run smoothly,” said AJ Bell’s Russ Mould.
“Daly becomes the fourth CEO change for a FTSE 100 company in 2022, following appointments at Johnson Matthey, Burberry and Anglo American.
“There are currently eight FTSE 100 companies with a female CEO, not including the forthcoming changes at Taylor Wimpey. The relevant companies are Admiral, Aviva, GlaxoSmithKline, Entain, ITV, NatWest, Severn Trent and Whitbread.
“Liv Garfield at Severn Trent is the longest running FTSE 100 female CEO, having been in charge since April 2014. She’s a member of the 30% Club which is a campaign to increase gender diversity at board and executive-committee levels.
“The 30% Club says: ‘Time and again research shows diverse companies outperform their less diverse peers’. It’s therefore encouraging to see the percentage of FTSE companies with female leadership start to move up, but there is clearly a lot more to be done.”
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