Mervyn Davies to lead review into ethnic diversity in British leadership, Umunna announces

Last night, Chuka Umunna, Shadow Business Secretary, announced that Mervyn Davies – former banker and previously Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business – will lead a review in ethnic diversity in British business leadership, if Labour win next May.

Umunna, speaking at the KPMG Asian Festival Dinner said the he hoped Davies who previously led on a report (£) into underrepresentation of women in board rooms, and brought this issue into the fore, would “do the same for ethnic diversity as he did for gender diversity because we need the same scale of change.”

This should be a welcome intervention, as not enough minority ethnic people make it to senior positions in business (as well as in other areas of work). A recent study found between 2007 and 2012 there was virtually no change in the number people from minority ethnic backgrounds in top managerial positions. This is particularly worrying as the figures as it stands shows that while one in 10 employed people are BAME, only one in 16 of top management positions and one in 13 management positions are held by BAME people.