Findings from the annual Robert Half FTSE 100 CEO Tracker reveal 49% of serving Chief Executive Officers in the current FTSE 100 Index have financial backgrounds compared to only 31 per cent in 2008.
Of the 9 FTSE 100 CEOs appointed over the past year, six leaders (67%) have financial backgrounds, including Andrew Harrison of Whitbread and Nicandro Durant of British American Tobacco – who have both held Finance Director roles in their careers. Phil Sheridan, Managing Director for Robert Half UK said, ‘As the economy continues to improve, we are seeing an increasing demand for leaders with a strong financial skill set to guide organisations through a challenging operating environment.’
The number of women making the top position in 2011 remains the same as last year with 4% while the number of CEOs under the age of 45 has increased from 4% to 6% over the last year. Although the majority of CEOs remain British nationals, the figure has decreased to 54% in comparison to 59% last year.
It also appears there is an increasing percentage of current CEOs who have attended either Oxford or Cambridge, with the vast majority of the remainder holding some form of higher-education qualification.
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