Congratulations to Professor Elena Doldor on her appointment as Academic Adviser to the FTSE Women Leaders Review

1 September 2026

The FTSE Women Leaders Review is the UK's leading independent, business-led and government-supported initiative to improve women's representation in the country's largest companies. Building on the earlier Davies and Hampton-Alexander Reviews, it monitors and reports on progress across the FTSE 350 and sets the national benchmark for gender balance in senior business leadership.

The appointment comes at an important point in the Review's evolution. Following significant progress in women's representation on FTSE 350 boards, the next phase of the Review will sharpen its focus on the continuing challenge of women's progression into executive leadership, and on the organisational practices that shape leadership pipelines.

Professor Doldor, Professor of Leadership and Diversity at Queen Mary Business School, brings 20 years of research expertise on gender equality in leadership, corporate boards, senior leadership promotions, sponsorship, and the organisational and institutional levers that improve diversity in senior leadership. She has previously advised and contributed research to the national Davies and Hampton-Alexander Reviews.

As Academic Adviser, she will work with the Review's leadership and Steering Group to strengthen the connection between academic evidence and business practice. The role will include bringing research evidence into the Review's future strategy, convening dialogue between leading academics and business leaders, and supporting the development of practical, evidence-informed guidance for organisations. A policy secondment will provide dedicated initial support for this role.

Reflecting on her appointment, Professor Doldor said:

My aim is to help the Review build on hard-won progress on boards and translate it into lasting change deeper in organisations, by bringing research and business leaders together around the practices that actually move women across leadership pipelines. I'm honoured to take on this role and to support the Review over the coming year and beyond.

Vivienne Artz OBE, Chief Executive of the FTSE Women Leaders Review, said:

We've proven that business-led change works on boards. The next frontier is the executive pipeline, and progress there has to be built on rigorous evidence, not assumption. Elena brings exactly that, alongside a deep understanding of how UK businesses can address inclusion. I'm delighted to welcome her to the Review for what I hope will be a long and productive partnership.