The financial services industry — long criticised for not doing enough to ensure women are represented in its highest ranks — has emerged close to the top of a board diversity ranking from the index provider and data giant MSCI.

MSCI ESG, which looked at almost 2,500 companies within the MSCI ACWI Index, found that 83% of financial firms had at least one woman on their board, putting it ahead of all other sectors bar healthcare.