The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is aiming to have women make up half its senior leadership positions by 2025, despite its gender pay gap widening slightly last year.

Women currently hold 39 percent of leadership positions at the regulator.

These figures were outlined by FCA chief executive Andrew Bailey, in a speech at a PIMFA conference focussed on diversity in the wealth management industry.

Mr Bailey said the FCA’s median gender pay gap was 20.9 percent in 2017, and 21.2 percent in 2018.

“Yes, we went backwards by 0.3 percent. Our gap is below that for many firms we regulate, but it does...