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Taking action to achieve ethnic and racial diversity23 October 2020

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Respect for different backgrounds and perspectives is at the heart of the firm’s core values and we recognise the importance of fostering an inclusive environment that allows everyone to reach their full potential. This is a key feature of our Global Code of Conduct and Values, which place diversity and inclusion at the centre of our firm’s ways of working.

We are committed to attracting, recruiting and developing black, Asian and other ethnic minority talent with our firm and creating an inclusive environment in which people can be themselves and reach their full potential. Particularly in view of the events highlighted by the Black Lives Matter movement, we recognise that additional targeted action is required in order to help us achieve this and have taken the following steps:

Race at Work Charter

We are pleased to be a signatory of Business in the Community’s Race at Work Charter and have committed to taking specific actions to help recruit, retain and develop black and other ethnic minority talent within our firm by working towards five key principles:

  • Appoint an Executive Sponsor for race
  • Capture ethnicity data and publicise progress
  • Commit at Board level to zero tolerance of harassment and bullying
  • Make it clear that supporting equality in the workplace is the responsibility of all leaders and managers
  • Take action that supports ethnic minority career progression

As part of this, we will participate in the annual Race at Work Charter survey to help us develop best practice and identify room for improvement.

This initiative is driven by three Executive Sponsors, our Chairman, Nigel Thomas, our Global Sector Head for Maritime Lindsey Keeble and the Head of our Dubai Office, Andrew Baird. All three will ensure that our work in this area is championed from the highest levels of the firm and will be working with our Global Diversity & Inclusion Lead to develop and deliver an action plan to help us further meet our charter commitments.

Mosaic: Our Ethnic & Racial Diversity Group

We have formed a global Ethnic & Racial Diversity Group, which is employee-led with Partner support. This group acts as a forum to develop the conversation around race at our firm and will support us in furthering our work in this area.

A commitment to education

We recognise that more can be done to develop the conversation around racism and that a lack of awareness and understanding can hold back conversations around race and that more can be done to develop the conversation around racism. As such, we have committed to hosting a series of educational sessions to support colleagues at all levels of our firm learn from different backgrounds and experiences and understand how racism can manifest itself in the workplace.

The first of these sessions was hosted recently and more will be held in the coming months.