Diversity and inclusion

To ensure we are building an increasingly diverse talent pool we are using the combined knowledge and experience from two global working groups established and sponsored by executive committee members.

The groups are looking at ways in which we can attract and retain more women and employees from Black, Asian and minority ethnic groups into operational management and leadership roles. To assist, efforts are also being made to extend our current diversity metrics beyond gender. This will not only help us measure progress it will also enable us to target other areas of under representation in due course.

The Group’s workforce reflects the wide range of countries, cultures and environments in which the Group operates. The Group has long recognised that diversity can enhance decision making and performance and therefore it actively promotes diversity within the organization and in early 2019 the board adopted a formal board diversity policy to capture its approach to diversity and set out the principles it follows in considering board appointments, board composition, and succession planning. The policy includes the introduction of explicit targets which will be measurable on an on-going basis. The targets focus on both gender and ethnicity in line with the recommendations of the Hampton Alexander and Sir John Parker reviews and make express commitments to at least maintaining both 40% female representation and one board member from a Black, Asian or minority ethnic background. In order to deliver on these commitments the Policy confirms that only executive search agencies who are signatories of the Enhanced Code of Conduct with a track record in promoting diverse recruitment will be invited to support future board recruitment assignments.