The pace at which UK companies have adopted recommendations to add more women to their boards – outlined in the UK government-backed Davies report exactly one year ago today – has sped to a “brisk walk”, a forum on the issue has heard.

Sir Roger Carr, one of Britain's best-known businessmen and chairman of Centrica, said progress had gone "from a glacial pace to what is what I would describe as a brisk walk". He was speaking at an inaugural seminar of the 30% Club, a group of chairmen of UK companies founded by Helena Morrissey, chief executive of Newton Investment Management.