BT Wales chief calls for female boss quota to be considered

Quotas for the number of women in boardrooms should not be ruled out, the director of BT in Wales has said.

Ann Beynon said other measures, such as sponsorship and teaching women entering business how to deal with discrimination, are also important.

The latest figures show almost 24% of board positions in the leading British companies are held by women - up from 12.5% in 2011.

She said: "It's getting better, but there's a long way to go."

The European Union has been pushing for legislation to force firms to have at least 40% of their boards made up of women.

Ms Beynon said everybody has the "the responsibility to make sure that women are not disadvantaged" but added that quotas can be a "negative force".

"I think you need a whole shelf of different solutions," she added.

These include managers sponsoring women to help their careers and preparing them for the discrimination they can face in workplaces, in order to make them "more prepared to fight those battles".

Ms Beynon leaves BT this week after 17 years and has dismissed rumours she plans to stand for a seat in May's Assembly elections.

Instead, she said she plans to stay in the private sector to help grow the Welsh economy.