Some interesting points, not least that you "could" have been the next Billy Elliott! :)

Iwon't go into the whole qualifications issue - that's another topic that can go on!

I think it's over-analysed whether women are CEOs of FTSE100 companies. There may well be a whole load of women who are capable but don't get the top jobs; there are also men who are capable that also don't get the top jobs.

<<I guess using the CEOs of FTSE companies is an easy shorthand for the wider picture; not least as the fact there are 100 makes calculating percentages very easy!

As things stand however, there are more Daves who are CEOs of FTSE100 companies than there are women. What is about the name Dave that makes you a better CEO than c.50% of the population?!?>>

At present there are more men than women, but the landscape changes and evolves - the likelihood is that most CEOs will have worked their way to the top (as they should) and women now have the same opportunities as men to do so - that's enshrined in law.

<<By and large, people have a tendency to hire (and promote) clones of themselves so a vicious circle is created where the same types of people consistently make it to the top. Hence the rise of blind profiling for job applicants and training in unconscious bias.>>

What should be noted is that simply being a woman doesn't make a person more or less capable of being a CEO, so the gender factor is irrelevant.

Unless there is proof that a woman has been turned down for a CEO position BECAUSE she's a woman, it's just supposition and conspiracy theory at best, and a weak excuse at worst. It smacks of an Ali G type approach. Or worse, and Ali Desai approach (worth Googling).

<<Freakonomics ran a series of podcasts last year about CEOs and one episode looked at the lack of females in the role. What I took from that was that women are more likely to be offered a CEO role when a company is in trouble – basically a last roll of the dice when all other options fail.>>

Being on the front line clearly does appeal to some people.But again, I'm yet to see or hear of a feminist pushing for more females in coal mines, or cleaning sewers. Or scaffolding - when did you last see a female scaffolder, let alone a team of scaffolders with 50% females.

<<I would say that the lack of female scaffolders merely proves my point – you can’t be what you can’t see. Exactly the same for the lack of male nannies or primary school teachers (my kids’ school has no male teachers – except the Head…)>>

I think you make an interesting point about role models, but I think you give it too much weight. I doubt whether Asian kids turn there nose up at football because Beckham or Ronaldo or whoever is not Asian; in the same way I don't believe that many Korean kids suddenly took up football when there emerged a few well-known Korean footballers. More likely the attraction with football is the perceived fame, stardom, wealth etc.

The community influence is more of an issue. I remember some Asian friends inviting me to the local hockey club (they did a great curry) and nearly everyone there was Asian. But I think the community influence is more to push kids towards a specific sport, rather than away from a specific sport. That's my take on it.

<<“Role models” is perhaps the wrong phrase as that has connotations of behaviour. “Examples” would be more accurate. If football is attractive because of the possibility of fame, wealth, etc, I would guess that would appeal to all demographics – certainly I can’t think of a group that actively avoids those possibilities.

Despite this, I can’t think of a British-Asian player making to a Premier League team. I would however guess that Tiger Woods made golf more engaging for the black community. Likewise, Lewis Hamilton for motor racing.

Put it this way. Think of two blokes, both went to public school. One is 196cm, 110kg. The other is 195cm, 115kg.

Which one plays rugby to an international level and which one rows in the Olympics? From that information, most would struggle to know.

The first guy is white, the second black.

Now, most people would (I would suggest) guess that the white guy rows. Who’s ever heard of a black rower?

They’re Pinsent and Itoje, by the way. I reckon with his size and athleticism, Maro would have been a decent oarsman.>>

My point remains - anyone can play rugby, they just have to want to.

<<They also have to have rugby (rowing, nannying, scaffolding, being CEO, whatever) presented as a possible option.>>

Good luck with the pas de deux and the pliets :)