HSBC Australia’s Chairman, Graham Bradley, has delivered publically called for Australian companies to do more in ensuring women have opportunities to occupy top jobs in Australia.

“Companies cannot continue to ignore the reality that not enough is being done to advance women into leadership positions,” Mr Bradley said.

Mr Bradley said that while companies are doing more to ensure that women are in training and getting more and more jobs at entry level, they are not succeeding in helping them progress beyond middle management.

Mr Bradley cited the 2012 Australian Census of Women in Leadership report, which found that the number of women in key management positions had begun to decline.

“The census found women hold just 10 per cent of the key management personnel executive positions in the ASX 200 companies, which is up from 8 per cent two years ago,” Mr Bradley said.