G15 Chief Executives sign Ethnic Diversity Pledge

The Chief Executives of the G15 have come together to sign a pledge to encourage more ethnic diversity in the boardroom and at senior level.

The pledge on black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) diversity commits each of its signatories to try to reflect the ethnic diversity of the communities they work in at their organisations - particularly at senior managerial, leadership and board levels.

This will mean targeted recruitment initiatives to attract talented Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic applicants and the removal of unconscious bias from the recruitment process, as well as the publication of diversity data from each involved organisation and the launching of a G15 Management and Leadership Academy that will invest in and support existing staff.

A ‘talent roster’ for Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic colleagues will also be developed, accompanied by a plan for the career progression of each involved individual, and the success of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic individuals at each organisation will be recognised annually.

Each signatory will also seek out a ‘reverse mentor’, who will help them to develop their own understanding of the disadvantages faced by minorities, and ultimately allow them to remove these disadvantages in their organisations.

Helen Evans, Chief Executive of Network Homes and Chair of the G15, said: “Given that only one of my fellow twelve G15 Chief Executives is of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic heritage, the importance of this pledge is obvious to me. I’m delighted to be part of such a big step in the right direction, and look forward to seeing how each of our organisations will be enriched by the increase in diversity that we hope this pledge will bring.”

Geeta Nande OBE, Chief Executive of Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, said: “The G15 diversity pledge will support members to achieve our shared ambition to promote inclusion and harness a greater variety of strengths, skills, and perspectives.”

"As a collective of London’s largest housing associations, it is important that we lead the way; investing in the Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic talent within our organisations and using the targets set out in the pledge as an effective way of promoting race equality in the sector, and society, as a whole.

“It is critical that our sector reflects – at every level of seniority – the diversity of the customers they serve, and the communities in which they work. Until we do this we will not be credible”

Kate Davies, chief executive of Notting Hill Genesis, said: “We live in an unequal society and all of us feel the effect of this inequality in different ways throughout our lives. It impacts our educational and employment opportunities, how we see people from our backgrounds represented in the media and the assumptions people make about us.

“That’s why the G15 pledge is so important. Committing to support our Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic talent to fulfil their potential and take up senior leadership and board positions will improve our diversity throughout the organisation and help us better understand and reflect our residents and communities.

“At all levels of NHG we are whole-heartedly behind this programme and look forward to seeing the positive changes it will produce over the coming years.”

The full list of signatories is: Helen Evans of Network Homes, Darrell Mercer of A2Domininon, David Montague of L&Q, Brendan Sarsfield of Peabody, Geeta Nanda OBE of Metropolitan Thames Valley, Kate Davies of Notting Hill Genesis, Ian McDermott of Catalyst Housing, Clare Miller of Clarion Housing Group, Peter Denton of Hyde Housing, Richard Hill of One Housing, Alan Townshend of Southern Housing Group and Paul Hackett of Optivo.

Photo was taken and pledge signed before coronavirus lockdown measures were introduced.