EU quotas on cards if boards don't recruit women

Viviane Reding the EU's gender equality commissioner, warned last week that Europe will suffer if it does not promote more women to top positions because of a shortage of talent across an ageing continent.

Mrs Reding said she will decide next March whether to introduce board quotas after watching if they make enough progress in the next few months. Speaking to The IoS, Mrs Reding made the claim following the pledge signed by Chantal Gaemperle an LVMH board director, to significantly increase women in the luxury goods company. Mrs Reding wants to boost female boardroom positions to 40 per cent by 2020.