The ethnic balance of the Senior leadership in the UK’s educational sector is failing to represent the wide ethnocultural base of both society and students.

With senior leadership in higher education’s Russell Group less ethnically diverse than the boards of the FTSE 100 companies, at 97.6% white, UK academia is failing to address structural inequalities in the management regime that act as a barrier to BAME progress.

Universities should be facilitators of social advancement, not creating extra prejudice and barriers for those of a BAME background to overcome. To attract students of diversity and ambition, the educational system must be open and accountable and this commitment should start at the top. Diversity strategies need to be at the heart of HR policies and universities need to invest in developing their leadership pipeline to ensure they remain sustainable and at the height of innovation.

This article was published in the Times Higher Education on 7th October 2017. To read the full Times Higher Education article, click here.

Add as Preferred Source

Related News

News

21 September, 2026

Confessions of a Headhunter: Why Executive Search Firms Should Be More Than Order Takers

Effective executive search is not simply about taking a brief and finding a candidate who matches. It requires challengi...

News

10 September, 2026

How to Retain Leaders and Increase Productivity

Retaining senior leaders is critical to maintaining productivity, organisational stability and long-term performance. Ef...

News

7 September, 2026

My take: Three Interim CEOs placed in three months.

Three very different charities. Three very different challenges. One thing in common: each organisation recognised that ...

News

7 September, 2026

Confessions of a Headhunter: Fame Isn’t Governance

What is your rule for putting candidates forward, and why is it so important? Green Park only put forward individuals w...

News

26 August, 2026

House of Commons Launch: Asymmetric Workforce Report

The 23 July 2026 was a proud milestone for Green Park. As well as celebrating our 20th anniversary at the House of ...

News

24 August, 2026

Confessions of a Headhunter: The Friday Afternoon Truth in Executive Search

Why the End of the Week Changes Candidate Behavior, Avoiding Rushed Hiring Decisions Before the Weekend, and The Realiti...

News

3 August, 2026

Confessions of a Headhunter series: The Extra Chair in the Room

We were invited by a board secretary to pitch for a senior appointment. It was a crowded meeting, lots of stakeholders, ...

News

28 July, 2026

The Asymmetric Workforce report, explores a challenge that many organisations recognise

As Green Park marks its twentieth year as a global executive search and talent advisory firm  having helped thousan...