This is according to British writer, broadcaster, chair of executive recruitment and diversity recruiter Green Park and founding chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, Trevor Phillips OBE.

Phillips was commenting on Green Park research, released this morning, which shows the total number of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) board members has dropped over the past year, which has resulted in Green Park calling on all companies to appoint a chief diversity officer.

While the report reveals continuing progress on gender diversity, progress on ethnic diversity is stalling at almost every seniority level, when compared with either 2018’s analysis or Green Park’s first ‘Leadership 10,000 Report’ in 2014.

At 3.3%, the number of BAME chairs, CEOs and CFOs (10 individuals) has not improved over the six years monitored. At Top 20 level, BAME directors and non-executive directors in the FTSE 100 has dropped over the past year to 7.4%, down from nearly 9% in 2018, with only a marginal increase from 6.2% in 2014.

Meanwhile, BAME representation at Top 100 Level is flat year-on-year, at 10.7% in 2019 compared to 10.6% in 2018.

While progress has been made over the last five years, 47 companies still have no ethnic minority membership at board and executive director level – 14 less than in 2014. At this rate of change it will take until 2039 before all FTSE 100 boards and executive committees have ethnic minority representation – way below the government-backed target set out by Sir John Parker to have no all-white boards by 2021.

Commenting on the findings, Phillips said: “Our latest analysis shows that after five years of monitoring, the promise that things would change over time for ethnic minority leaders in the FTSE100 looks just as empty as the corporate pipeline. Women are cracking the glass ceiling; but people of colour remain super-glued to the corporate floor.

“If the UK’s companies continue to ignore the experience and actions of their US competitors, they risk falling behind. With this attitude, post-Brexit we can expect talented female and minority executives – just like many of our minority actors – to exit to the USA to get a break.”

Green Park CEO Raj Tulsiani added: “The increasingly patchy progress in many sectors may be a sign that some companies find it hard to focus on diversity in the true sense of the word, opting for concerted effort in the areas of gender or race but struggling to consistently address both. If British business is serious about presenting a modern face to the world it needs to properly invest in diversity and inclusivity leadership and give those leaders the resources to match.” 

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