Halma, the global group of life-saving technology companies focused on growing a safer, cleaner and healthier future, today announced an ambitious target for all its company boards to be within a 40-60% gender-balanced range by the end of March 2024.

Halma is a FTSE 100 company made up of nearly 50 small to medium-sized engineering and technology businesses each with their own board of directors. The new gender diversity target applies to more than 200 senior people across more than 20 countries.

The new target builds on significant progress at Halma’s plc Board and Executive Board levels, which are today 48% and 67% women respectively. At individual company board level, the figure is currently 23%.

The target forms part of Halma’s Sustainability Framework, announced earlier this year. This seeks to amplify Halma’s positive impact on the world and help to fulfil Halma’s purpose of growing a safer, cleaner healthier future for everyone every day. As well as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), the Framework includes a commitment on climate change and the circular economy.

Jennifer Ward, Halma Group Talent & Communications Director, commented: “We’re pleased with the progress we have made in recent years to achieve gender balance at the Group level. However, we want to challenge ourselves to do more and drive positive change across our entire portfolio of businesses around the world.

“We believe building inclusive businesses that reflect the communities in which we live and work is vital to achieving our purpose and accelerating the growth of our business.”

Halma has already put in place initiatives to help its portfolio of companies improve their gender diversity. This includes an inclusive leadership programme for all senior leaders; new talent acquisition practices to recruit and engage future female leaders in the STEM fields; and flexible working practices to attract more women into the businesses.

Halma has already begun to see the benefits of its efforts to improve gender balance on its company boards, with female representation increasing from 19% last year to 23% this year.

In 2021 Halma was recognised by the European Women on Boards as gender diversity leaders, coming 8th out of 668 companies. Halma has also been an active member of the 30% Club since 2017, a membership organisation which campaigns for at least 30% of board seats to be held by women. 

Read more about our Sustainability Framework.