Grocery conference seeks a more inclusive industry

The second annual Diversity and Inclusion in Grocery conference will see industry giants and founders of the event including Tesco, P&G, Coca-Cola European Partners, Mondelez International and Accenture joining forces with industry charity GroceryAid.

To be held at Wembley Stadium on March 12, the conference invites participants from across the consumer goods and grocery sector to come together with a shared purpose to learn from each other and inspire change, to create a successful and inclusive environment where everyone feels welcome and can thrive.

This years’ event will see over 1000 people from more than 150 companies learn about topics such as gender equality, disability, LGBTQ+ and cultural inclusion, flexible working, mental well-being, unconscious bias and mentoring.

Alex Scott MBE, former Arsenal captain and England centurion, who made 140 appearances for the Lionesses, has joined the lineup of speakers. She was the first female pundit on a Sky Sports’ Super Sunday, commentated on the BBC for the Men’s World Cup and is a passionate champion for diversity and inclusion.

Grocery suppliers set to be represented at the conference include Heineken, KP Snacks, KraftHeinz, Mars, Premier Foods and Colgate.

Attendees can learn and share through panel discussions, learnings labs and networking.
Tickets for the event are priced deliberately to make the opportunity to learn accessible to everyone in the industry, in all roles and at all levels.

All proceeds raised from this event go to Groceryaid, the charity for the grocery industry – to see the full agenda or book tickets visit here.

Commenting on her expectation for this years’ event, Tesco’s Chief Customer Officer Alessandra Bellini said: “The outstanding feedback we received from last years’ event proved there is appetite to learn from each other how we can collectively make the grocery and consumer goods industry a more welcoming and inclusive place to work. We know that when people feel able to bring their whole selves to work it has a huge impact on their wellbeing, productivity and ultimately their businesses. I am looking forward to sharing the day with allies from across the industry as we engage in open and authentic dialogue that helps move us further to our goals.”

Louise Stigant, MD, Mondeléz International said: “I am a passionate believer that when someone is in an environment where they feel they belong, they can focus their energy on being their best and unlock a sense of possibilities they may not have even dreamt of. By collectively standing together as an industry to promote diversity and inclusion, we are opening up opportunities for everyone to succeed. The conference last year was the beginning of our journey and I am excited to take the next step, with the event this year welcoming more companies and individuals with a passion to learn and share experiences, so that we can collectively achieve our goals.”

Ian Morley, Sales Director P&G Northern Europe, commented: “I was blown away last year by the sheer scale of learning opportunities on offer. It’s the most insightful day I have spent working on my own self-development to be a more inclusive leader and enabling my team to benefit from the tools and discussions that were shared throughout the day. I would encourage anyone to make the most of this unique opportunity to learn from such a wealth of experience.”