When the spotlight limits opportunity

In a recent episode of Business Talk, Professor Isabel Fernández-Mateo, EDEKA Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship at London Business School, discussed her widely cited study “Unequal in the Spotlight: Gender Differences in How Serving on Prominent Boards Affects Future Appointments.”

Her research, co-authored with Raina Brands and Hans Frankort, explores a striking paradox: men who serve on the most prominent corporate boards tend to gain more opportunities afterwards, while women often gain fewer.

“We expected that women would benefit more from prominence,” said Fernández-Mateo. “These are visible signals of competence, and competence signals often help underrepresented groups. But the data showed the opposite.”

Beyond Access to the Top

The study analysed FTSE 100 firms between 2010 and 2017—a period of intense effort to increase female representation in boardrooms. Women directors were, on average, more likely than men to secure additional seats, until the prestige of the company rose. At the most visible firms, women’s subsequent appointments declined.

This finding, Fernández-Mateo argued, reveals a subtler form of inequality: not merely who gains access, but how careers unfold once inside elite institutions.

“Getting into these roles is one step,” she explained. “What happens next, whether the role enables or constrains your future, is another.”

The Hidden Pressures of Prominent Roles

Drawing on interviews with board directors, the researchers uncovered signs that women on high-profile boards face heavier informal demands. They are more likely to be asked to mentor colleagues, represent the firm in diversity discussions, or shoulder invisible relationship-building work, all in addition to greater scrutiny and public accountability.

“These are responsibilities that matter but are rarely recorded,” Fernández-Mateo noted. “They create a heavier burden and, because they’re informal, they’re not always recognized or evenly distributed.”

The result, she explained, is that even as women accumulate exceptional qualifications, elite degrees, extensive experience, and broad networks, these advantages don’t always translate into more opportunities.

From Access to Mobility

The findings highlight a critical shift needed in how companies, headhunters, and policymakers think about board diversity.

“It’s not enough to open doors,” Fernández-Mateo emphasised. “We have to ensure these roles remain stepping stones, not bottlenecks.”

She called for greater transparency in workload expectations, better distribution of informal duties, and ongoing sponsorship to ensure visibility leads to long-term influence. Boards, she added, should treat prominent appointments as platforms for progression, not endpoints that silently constrain growth.

A Broader Lesson

While this research focuses on corporate boards, Fernández-Mateo believes the same dynamic appears in other high-prestige environments: prominence brings visibility, but also hidden costs. These costs, if left unaddressed, risk reinforcing inequality at the very top.

“Ultimately,” she said, “this is more for organisations to change than for individuals to fix.”

Watch the podcast, here