It’s enough to make a career director choke on his sherry. The clubby nature of FTSE 100 boards turns out to be something of a myth: according to a survey by Resources Global Professionals, just 9 per cent of FTSE 100 directors reappear on other FTSE 100 boards.

This is reassuringly modest; especially since virtually all those who do boardroom-hop restrict themselves to just two (although the hyperactive John Buchanan, chairman of Smith & Nephew, flits between four). True, there is no word on how many spread themselves across other FTSE companies. But those who like to grumble about old boys’ networks and city grandees spreading themselves too thin have one less arrow in their quiver.