Over half of UK finance directors have no succession plan in place, according to professional recruiter Robert Half – and banking group Barclays is among these it has emerged, following the FD’s decision to retire.

A survey of 200 FDs across the UK from Robert Half found that 55% of firms have no succession plan in place, with the top factors preventing this being planned were lack of existing talent (39%), lack of time to develop and mentor (25%), and lack of time to identify (15%).

Barclays group FD Chris Lucas, along with group general counsel Mark Harding, announced their intention to retire from the firm yesterday [3 February], having last year said they were considering retirement.

A spokesperson for the company tells Recruiter that no replacement has been recruited for Lucas’ job, with a recruitment process likely involving both an external executive search firm and internal recruitment now underway.

Lucas, as with Harding, will remain with the company until a replacement has been found an “an appropriate handover [period] completed”, a Barclays statement says.

Lucas has been in his current position for nearly six years.