Glencore on Thursday became the final company in the FTSE 100 to appoint a woman to its board, hiring industry veteran Patrice Merrin, a move described by the Business Secretary as a “historic day for the FTSE”.

However, while the milestone is being applauded, Glencore's appointment wasat a non-executive level. The vast majority of women on FTSE 100 boards remain non executives, rather than key decision makers.