Female executives 'must embrace self-promotion'

A writer and executive coach has urged talented women to make themselves more visible in the workplace.

Suzanne Doyle-Morris, author of Beyond the Boys' Club, said females must "get comfortable with self-promotion" if they want to advance their career in male-dominated industries.

She suggested that women promote their abilities by using their lunch breaks as networking opportunities and making contact with senior colleagues they would not normally speak to.

Ms Doyle-Morris added that female executives continue to face discrimination in "almost every industry", including those that are not traditionally viewed as male-dominated sectors.

"An industry could be well represented with women but the more senior you get, certainly to a board level, you get fewer and fewer women," she commented.

Beyond the Boys' Club aims to provide a series of strategies to help women "break through the glass ceiling" and thrive in leadership roles.

The author made her comments in the wake of the CBI's suggestion that UK companies should set internal targets for increasing gender diversity in the boardroom.