As the UK economy spirals downward, there is mounting concern that many of the nation’s largest companies are being led by people who have no experience of steering businesses through hard times.

The average FTSE 350 board member has been in his or her position for only four years, according to data from BoardEx and Manchester Square Partners, and the average chief executive has been around only about 4.6 years. The last UK recession was more than a decade ago.