While finance is often seen as a male profession, a new report commissioned by ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) from Cranfield School of Management shows that a financial qualification or a background which demonstrates substantial financial acumen are seen as catalysts for women getting onto the boards of FTSE companies.

Analysis for the report ‘Women in finance; a springboard to corporate board positions?” shows that:-       Proportionally, women appear more successful in attaining executive roles where they have a financial background: 45% of female executive directors are financially qualified and 65% in total have a financial background, while 26% of their male colleagues are financially qualified and 44% have a financial background.-       More than half of new female Non-Executive Director (NED) appointments have a functional background in finance.-       The finance function is seen by the three groups interviewed for the research - executive search consultants, chairmen and women who have made it to the board - to be more facilitative for women’s progress to the top of corporate organisations.

Liz Hughes Head of ACCA Ireland says: “What we have sought to understand through this study is why the finance function is such a springboard for women. We are seeing a time of change when it comes to women’s representation in the boardroom – since the Davies Report of spring 2011, we have seen a 5% increase, equal to the entire increase over the previous decade. Our report shows that more than half of the women appointed in this period have a functional background in finance and the proportion is even higher for female executive directors, at 65%.”

The report says that finance is the language of the boardroom and having the ability to communicate financial information establishes and builds credibility; it appears to validate women’s suitability for consideration for a board appointment – a view especially expressed by search consultants who took part in this research.

Dr Ruth Sealy, Deputy Director of the Cranfield International Centre for Women Leaders and co-author of the report added: “A certain level of financial acumen is necessary for all board directors. But for women, having a finance qualification or functional background helps to break down some persistent stereotypes about women’s competence, giving them credibility, legitimacy and a common language that allows them to join the conversation of the boards.”

Bringing together new findings, plus existing research into the differences between men and women when it comes to access to the boardroom, the report reveals that finance offers a clear career path for women, especially within professional services firms.

The research also reveals that women appear to have been more successful in reaching the most senior jobs through the function of finance and this may have implications for other functions when looking to encourage the progression of female talent. But the research also reveals that women nevertheless need to build their networks, use their social connections and use their financial acumen to progress their careers.

Liz Hughes concludes: “While there was a clear message from executive search consultants and the chairmen that finance was a facilitator for a path into the boardroom, it is also clear that financial skills alone are not enough – women need to stretch their social connections, and make themselves known to those where they want to work.

“The adage ‘it’s not what you know but who you know’ still stands in the workplace, but for women - to get to the top they need to be motivated, driven, determined and known.” 

ENDsFor further information please contact Shane Finnegan or Katrina Frazer on 028 9066 3000Notes to Editors1. ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. We aim to offer business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.2. There are over 20,000 members and students in Ireland.3. We support our 154,000 members and 432,000 students in 170 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. We work through a network of over 80 offices and centres and more than 8,400 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through our public interest remit, we promote appropriate regulation of accounting and conduct relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.4. Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. We believe that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. Our values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and we ensure that through our qualifications, we prepare accountants for business. We seek to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating our qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers.About ESRCThe Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) is the UK's largest organisation for funding research on economic and social issues. It supports independent, high quality research which has an impact on business, the public sector and the third sector. The ESRC’s total budget for 2012/13 is £205 million. At any one time the ESRC supports over 4,000 researchers and postgraduate students in academic institutions and independent research institutes.About CranfieldCranfield School of Management is one of Europe’s leading university management schools renowned for its strong links with industry and business.  It is committed to providing practical management solutions through a range of activities including postgraduate degree programmes, management development, research and consultancy. www.cranfield.ac.uk/somCranfield’s International Centre for Women Leaders is committed to helping organisations to develop the next generation of leaders from the widest possible pool of talent.  www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/ResearchFor more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: Marie McCormack, Media Relations, Cranfield School of Management on: T: +44 (0) 1234 754425 or E: marie.mccormack@cranfield.ac.ukKey facts for the media

•         Since the Davies Report of 2011, there has been a significant increase in the proportion of women appointed to FTSE 100 boards – increasing from 12.8% to 17.5%. This increase in women’s representation of almost 5% in 18 months equaled that made in the previous decade. Women took almost a quarter of new appointments.•         Only 17 of FTSE 100 companies have female Executive Directors, with three of those having two such positions held by women.•         Most gains were made in non-executive (NED) positions which rose to 21.8%  and no change was made in the much lower representation of executive directors which remains at 6.6%.•         Over half (57%) of new female appointments have a functional background in finance.•         Of the 48 new female appointments made in 12 months to September, not one of them was an ED role.•         93 FTSE companies have 55 million employees and 1,000 board positions – this means there is 1 board member for every 5,500 employees (source: BoardEx 2012).•         Of the 20 female Executive Directors, 9 are current Chief Financial Officers (45%) and 2 are former CFO, now CEOS, and 2 have held major finance roles in the past.•         This means that 65% of female Executive Directors have substantial financial expertise and 45% of female Executive Directors are financial qualified.•         This compares to only 26% of male Executive Directors are financial qualified and a total of 44% have financial career backgrounds.•         So why do women fare better in the finance functions?-          Objective definitions of success mean less politics required. -          there is minimal damage from career breaks.-          often HQ based, there is less extensive travel and less in the field culture.•         Existing research shows that women taking up new board directorships appear to have substantial qualifications and managerial experience – specifically more MBA qualifications, more multiple sector experience and more international experience than their male peers.