Only Four Current FTSE 100 CEOs Are Oxford or Cambridge Alums

(Bloomberg) -- You can count the number of Oxford and Cambridge-educated executives running the biggest U.K. companies on one hand as the dominance of the two universities at the highest ranks of business wanes. 

Only four current chief executive officers at FTSE 100 companies attended Oxford or Cambridge, down from as many as one in five in the past, according to a study released Monday by recruitment specialists Robert Half. Only nine of the companies are headed by women.

Some 42% of the CEOs in the FTSE 100, which represents the largest U.K. companies by market value, have a background in finance and banking, the Robert Half FTSE 100 CEO Tracker reveals. That’s the case even though only 19 of the top 100 companies operate in the financial sector. 

Chartered accountants or chartered management accountants top the list of the most common profession for corporate leaders. 

Leyla Tindall, managing director for Robert Half Executive Search, said she sees a greater appetite for chief financial officers to take the helm of companies as the financial acumen they bring is regarded as vital for navigating companies through a financial downturn.

“However, as the economy improves, companies will look to employ visionaries to focus on growth and recovery,” Tindall said in a statement.

The study analyzed data for fiscal 2020, including changes which take effect for the FTSE on Monday.

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