More than six in 10 senior executive headhunters disagree with Davies report recommendations that firms should more than double the women on their boards by 2015, according to executive search firm InterExec.

The data also reveals that 89% of those surveyed believe there is a danger that the recommendations will result in some optimal candidates being turned down as a result of positive discrimination.

Seven in 10 of respondents also didn’t think that the proposals to increase women in the boardroom were workable.

Kit Scott-Brown, managing director of InterExec, says: “I think it would be a crying shame if the best candidate didn’t get the job, completely regardless of their age, sex, colour or creed. It should be skills, experience and aptitude for the job that count.”