Financial managers head field for FTSE's top jobs.

PositionFinancial Reporting - Brief Article

Accountancy is the best route to the boardroom, according to research by executive headhunters Hanover Fox.

The chief executives of Britain's largest companies are more likely to have experience in finance than in any other field. And the trend is growing. More than 40 per cent of today's FTSE-100 chief executives have a financial background, compared with 24 per cent in 1996.

Tony Isaac of BOC Croup, Paul Walsh of Diageo and Mike Hodkin-son of BAA are all CIMA members who have pursued an accountancy career before becoming FTSE-l00 chief executives. But although this is good news for accountants, it does nothing for increasing boardroom diversity, according to Elisabeth Marx, author of the research report.

"This trend could have an adverse affect by creating a homogeneous group of CEOs' "she said. "It could also imply that executives with a career route...

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