Newsletter 27th March

Thank you to all those who attended the WiHTL & DiR Employee Network Groups (ENG) Conference last week, it was a fabulous event!?

Special thanks to our fantastic speakers and panellists Carly Tait , Christina Lewis , Dominique Sidley , Fraser Longden , Hawa Newell-Sydique , Lee Dasilva , Matthew Case , Nicholas Tatum , Taks N. and Tieran Bhuhi-Siva for sharing some inspirational insights and practical ideas for attendees to take away and enhance their own ENG journeys.

One attendee said:?“I attended the Employee Networks Groups Conference – I really got a lot from it so thank you to the team who hosted. Looking forward to future sessions!”

We will be releasing an updated version of our ENG toolkit later this month to amplify the sharing of best practice from the conference.?

In the latest episode of the Fireside Chat Series, our Founder & Chair Tea Colaianni speaks to Simon Roberts , CEO at Sainsbury's and a DiR Advisory Board Member, about ensuring EDI is embedded into the overall business strategy, the impact that this is already having within the business and his views on being an ally. To read the article click here or to watch the recording click here.

Congratulations to the graduates of our 2nd Ethnic Senior Leaders (ESL) Programme. Your dedication and hard work have paid off, and you are now equipped with the knowledge and skills to lead with excellence. We are proud to have supported you on this journey, and we can't wait to see the positive impact you will make.

“I have become comfortable being me. Don’t be an imposter to fit in”

“I’ve taken the leap to apply for a bigger role as a result of the ESL Programme”

Paul Flaum ?CEO at? Bourne Leisure Ltd joined us for the graduation and shared his powerful life and leadership reflections. Paul said:?“It’s amazing to see how much strength there is in your own uniqueness”.

Supported by? Odgers Berndtson ?our unique Ethnic Senior Leaders programme is designed to support and prepare delegates for promotion to Executive Board level within Hospitality, Travel, Leisure and Retail sectors.

Women executives looking to break through the career glass ceiling are discovering new and exciting opportunities through Non-Executive Director (NED) roles. However, it can be a challenging undertaking. As Kelly L. Kuhn , Independent Non-Executive Director, Strategic Advisor and C-Suite Executive observed: "How do women get Board experience if people don't put them on their Boards?"

Whether becoming a NED within their current organisation or building a portfolio, this article explains the key steps to take in order to make the journey to a first-time NED role as simple and straightforward as possible.

To read the article click here.

Member and News from the Hospitality, Travel, Leisure and Retail Sectors

• It is great to see Women continue to progress to the most senior roles in our sector.?Congratulations to Rebecca Passmore on being promoted to Group Managing Director of PureGym ,? Heather Wood on her appointment as Chief Financial Officer EMEA of 洲际酒店集团 and? Kate Ferry on her new appointment as Chief Financial Officer at Burberry .?
• Greene King has announced that their?'Releasing Potential'?programme aims to recruit 300 more prison leavers by 2025 and will work with the Ministry of Justice UK to offer a sustainable career in Hospitality for those looking to start over.
• We want to congratulate members of our Collaboration Community who were recently recognized at the British Diversity Awards . Virgin Atlantic won two awards.?The company was recognised for their achievements in promoting Equity through its 'Passport to Change' initiative, which won the 'Social Mobility Initiative of the Year' award. The Virgin Atlantic team’s 'Gender Identity Policy Campaign,' also won the 'Marketing Campaign of the Year' category. Well done to all involved.?
• We would like to offer our congratulations to Sharlene John , Head of Recruitment at Selfridges , for receiving the ‘HR Champion of the Year’ Award. Sharlene also featured in our Role Models for Inclusion Index in 2022.?We are delighted to see her receive this award and continued recognition of her work to make meaningful change.?

Inclusion Tip