Bosses of Co-op, Unilever take diversity pledge

CEOs from the Co-operative Group, Marks and Spencer and Unilever are among the business leaders who have signed a diversity pledge with the aim of inspiring others to do the same.

The CEO Activist & Moving the Dial on Diversity Pledge, which has been supported by some of the UK’s best-known companies, encourages business leaders to put diversity and inclusion at the top of the corporate agenda this year.

Steve Murrells, group CEO of the Co-operative Group, Steve Rowe, CEO of Marks and Spencer and Steve Ingham, CEO of PageGroup signed the agreement in partnership with DIAL Global – a diversity and inclusion accelerator that powers business growth through specialist knowledge, advice and expertise.

The campaign has also been backed by the leaders of Alfa Financial Software, Fresenius Kabi, HH Global, IPSOS, Lexis Nexis, Lucky Generals, Rugby League World Cup and Superdrug.

The campaign focuses on four areas:

• Ensuring workplaces are inclusive with clear steps to ensure current and future leadership team diversity
• A commitment to measure progress annually against 10 areas of diversity and inclusion, which were first introduced in 2020 through an inaugural report from the McKenzie-Delis Foundation
• A promise to implement strategic diversity plans with clear accountability for CEOs and their leadership teams
• A commitment for each CEO to share their learnings and strategic plans for the future

Leila McKenzie-Delis, founder of DIAL Global and The McKenzie Delis Foundation, said: “We are delighted to have these three remarkable and high-profile CEOs on board with us as founding partners.

“This is a vital step in the direction of creating various and inclusive workplaces for all our colleagues, the place they really feel a real sense of belonging,” reports quoted Murrells as saying.

“Collectively, as CEOs and management groups, we all know that extra has to be carried out and every of us has a duty to be function fashions and brokers of change to drive true inclusion all through our organisations, our services and the communities we serve.”