Nneka Orji — Senior Director, Alvarez & Marsal

What is your personal commitment to inclusion and diversity?

Playing a proactive role in improving inclusion and diversity, in my opinion, isn’t a choice. We all need to do our bit. My first personal commitment is to use my voice even when it’s uncomfortable to do so; I speak up in recruitment and promotion discussions to ensure bias is called out and addressed. My second personal commitment is to mentor those at the early stages in their careers and provide some guidance and support as they navigate their workplaces. It’s important that we focus on the talent pipeline to drive longer term sustainable change in organisations.

Considering your current organisation, or others you know, what do you believe is the biggest challenge in D&I today and what have you seen make a difference?

One of the biggest challenges I’ve observed is around the ​“ownership” of D&I. Who is ultimately responsible for D&I and delivering the strategic initiatives? While many organisations have invested in D&I leaders to drive the change we need to see, it can prove challenging if not impossible for small teams (sometimes with very limited budgets) to change a company culture, which is really what’s needed to create more diverse and inclusive workplaces. 

D&I should be embedded in the evaluation and review discussions for every employee (and stakeholder). Where D&I targets have been included in performance objectives of senior business leaders, behaviours and decision making has started changing. However, there is more to do and, as much as leadership sets the tone, there should be a level of accountability at all levels within every organisation.

Pamela Thompson — Non-Executive Director

What is your personal commitment to inclusion and diversity?

Whilst it is over 30 years since I became a law firm partner, despite efforts and initiatives, the dial has not moved enough on D&I. I am passionate about finding ways to tackle this and see businesses move off the ​“well-intentioned” wheel to measurable and continuous outputs. 

My personal commitments are to continue to be involved in D&I initiatives, particularly on social mobility, including initiatives like Levelling Up the Law and the Socio-Economic Taskforce for Social Diversity, to help open up the professions; to speak in schools to enable children to understand opportunities available to them; and to mentor people of all levels of seniority to help empower them in their career development. 

Considering your current organisation, or others you know, what do you believe is the biggest challenge in D&I today and what have you seen make a difference?

Whilst all businesses have D&I strategies and policies, the main challenge I have seen is effectively embedding them in the business and delivering on their aspirations. 

Where I have seen a strategy get traction and become part of the culture of an organisation, the commitment to D&I has come from the top level of management, with a member of the executive responsible for delivery of the D&I strategy. The D&I strategy covers all aspects of diversity, inclusivity and progression, supported by a detailed action plan. Progress on it is under continuous review at board level. D&I goals and responsibilities are part of each leaders’ objectives and assessed in appraisals. Bad practices are called out. D&I is seen as a non-negotiable. The strategy is visible within the organisation, reported on regularly, with targets and progress against them, disclosed externally also.

Networks are encouraged, and champions appointed to foster inclusivity and provide conduits to raise behaviours; people are matched with appropriate mentors and sponsors to help navigate how to progress and to help prevent attrition. Senior leaders participate in reverse mentoring and are encouraged to be visible role models and speak openly about their career journeys. 

Not all businesses can do everything, but they can learn from each other to help move D&I forward. 

Richard Iferenta — Partner and Vice Chair, KPMG

What is your personal commitment to inclusion and diversity?

Throughout my career I’ve learnt that regular conversations, debate and challenge are key for progress, and when combined with an inclusive culture, the potential is limitless. I’ve also seen first-hand, and through research, the positive impact that greater inclusion and diversity (I&D) brings — from attracting top talent and a happier, more productive workforce, to better returns and solutions for clients. While I&D has risen to the top of the business agenda in recent years, for me it’s an everyday commitment to use my influence, experience, and skills to drive tangible, positive results, to ensure a fairer future for all.

Considering your current organisation, or others you know, what do you believe is the biggest challenge in D&I today and what have you seen make a difference?

The biggest challenge for many at present is that I&D can get crowded out by other challenges of the day. 

I&D must be embedded into business strategies with a clear explanation, and it’s through articulating the what, how and why that you can begin to demonstrate the challenges, but more importantly, to collaborate and find solutions.

To really move the dial forward, it’s important for ExCos and Boards to set clear and SMART objectives/​targets, and to regularly monitor them while being accountable for the progress, or lack thereof. This isn’t and shouldn’t be just a tick box exercise, it’s about long-term, positive progress that benefits employees, employers and wider society as a whole. The benefits of adopting such an approach are far too great to ignore and those businesses that don’t take I&D seriously will get left behind.

Gillian Sheldon Senior Adviser Credit Suisse and Non executive director, Severn Trent 

What is your personal commitment to inclusion and diversity?

D&I should be a top priority at all levels within an organisation. The culture and agenda is determined by senior management, but I am personally committed to ensuring that D&I is embedded throughout every business I am involved in. After three decades working in finance, whilst statistics suggest there is still much work to do, I am pleased to see an ever increasing determination to recruit and retain a diverse workforce. 

Considering your current organisation, or others you know, what do you believe is the biggest challenge in D&I today and what have you seen make a difference?

Listening forums within organisations which include senior leadership can make a real difference. However, the greatest challenge is to turn listening into actions and meaningful outcomes. I believe in Listen, Act and Learn. The most important of these, in my view, is to Learn — to look back and ask what hasn’t changed and why.

Sir Ian Powell — Non-Executive Chair, Flint Global

What is your personal commitment to inclusion and diversity?

Culture is fundamental to the sustainability of any organisation and the most vivid reflection of the values that underpin culture is the organisation’s commitment to inclusion and diversity in all of its interactions both internally and externally. I strongly believe that an organisation flourishes as its people flourish. It is leadership’s job to create an environment where this can happen and everyone can fulfil their potential. In my roles I am committed to this goal.

Considering your current organisation, or others you know, what do you believe is the biggest challenge in D&I today and what have you seen make a difference?

The challenge is to convert D&I strategies into visible, measurable actions. It is easy to say the right things but tangible, operational actions are where an organisation demonstrates that D&I really matters. Personal sponsorship and responsibility for D&I at CEO level is key in my experience if you are to make a step change. 

Mark Reynolds — Chief Executive, Mace

What is your personal commitment to inclusion and diversity?

It’s vital that we all — particularly leaders – champion inclusion and diversity at all levels of our business. Without a diverse and engaged workforce who represent society across our geographies, we will not be able to support our clients achieve their goals and help our communities. I am personally committed do everything I can to address the issues that face women, people from different ethnic backgrounds and other minority groups.

Considering your current organisation, or others you know, what do you believe is the biggest challenge in D&I today and what have you seen make a difference?

To be a truly inclusive and diverse organisation we and other organisations face several structural challenges; such as the gender imbalance, particularly in my sector construction, we cannot overcome these challenges alone. It requires the collective action from the entire sector and I am proud that in my role as Co-Chair for the UK’s Construction Leadership Council that I can play a part in that effort. 

We must do everything we can to address the issues that face women, people from different ethnic backgrounds and other minority groups. All companies need to address the prejudices and support all colleagues so that everyone feel they are able to be themselves in their workplace. We must address behaviours, both conscious and unconscious, from the top to the bottom of the organisation issues and not be afraid to speak out against racism. By setting ambitious targets, openly sharing performance and lessons is vital if we are to achieve the step change needed.

Dr Alan Belfield — Chair, Arup Group

What is your personal commitment to inclusion and diversity?

Inclusion and diversity are fundamental to the values in Arup – we strive for a membership of quality, and this aim drives the firm to have an inclusive and diverse membership. I have seen our creativity, innovation and business thrive, with happier teams, as I&D has become business-as-usual both inside the organisation and on our projects. It is part of our culture and fostering the culture of the organisation comes from the top and I committed to use my influence, experience and voice to ensuring that I&D stays a key priority within our company and within our wider industry.

Considering your current organisation, or others you know, what do you believe is the biggest challenge in D&I today and what have you seen make a difference?

The biggest challenges are:

• that I&D has to compete with many other issues at the moment and therefore could considered not as urgent as it should be, or done, or someone else’s issue
• ensuring that the aims and ambitions turn into real, measurable actions that become ingrained in all our strategies and plans

David Sproul — Chair, Starling Bank

What is your personal commitment to inclusion and diversity?

I will use my voice and platform to continue to make the case that embedding Inclusion and Diversity in organisations is not just the right thing to do but the right business thing to do creating a more sustainable successful organisation. I will action this through specific platforms I have including mentoring undergrads at University of Hertfordshire and working with the Black Talent Charter.

Considering your current organisation, or others you know, what do you believe is the biggest challenge in D&I today and what have you seen make a difference?

My experience is that in addition to strong senior leadership of I&D, organisations need to embed goals with measurable outcomes and actions across the organisation and my commitment is that on the organisations I am on the board of I will argue for these actionable goals with responsibility as well as strong messaging and leadership.