More than four in 10 FTSE 100 chief executives are foreign-born or based abroad, according to a new Harvey Nash report.

Of all the chief executives, 15% are from the US, 6% from South Africa and 4% from Australia. The Europeans make up a substantial proportion too. The French and Irish account for 3% each, with the Dutch, Spanish and Swedish all accounting for 1% each. The CEO of mining company Kazakhmys is Kazakhstan-born Oleg Novachuk.

Age and gender demographics are less surprising. The average CEO of a FTSE 100 company is a male aged 45-55. Just 3% are aged under 40, while 97% are male.

Recruitment is becoming ever more globalised. Talent is international and more UK firms are casting the talent net wider to find the best people, says Harvey Nash CEO Albert Ellis. If the best person for the role is foreign-born or based outside the UK, looking beyond British shores can only serve to benefit companies.

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