Diversity, equity & inclusion
Becoming a truly diverse and inclusive company is not only the right thing to do, it is crucial to helping us grow our business.
Our Commitment
Our people are our greatest asset. They are the heart of our business and what makes our collaborative culture so successful. We are proud of the way we act together, as one Peel Hunt; and that sense of unity is extremely important. We continue to work on our diversity, equity and inclusion agenda that now includes our first diversity target.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Target
Our company’s culture sets the tone every day, acting as a compass point to guide each of us at every level of the business.
Peel Hunt is committed to further improving attitudes to diversity, wellbeing and the broader ESG agenda by responding to issues raised by our people in meetings, our employee suggestion box, 'culture jam' focus groups and in our regular, anonymous employee surveys.
We know that our sector suffers from a lack of diversity – be it gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or socio-economic background and we have a duty to use our position to support meaningful change.
We already have good gender representation at Board level – 42% of our Board members are women – but we have some way to go across the rest of Peel Hunt. We want to change that and have set the target to have women represent at least 40% of all employees by 2035.
At an industry level, our CFOO, Sunil Dhall, has been part of a UK Government-commissioned taskforce to boost socio-economic diversity at senior levels across UK financial and professional services. We have committed to adopt its five-point diversity pathway and have already completed the first two.
Our DE&I Forum is made up of a diverse range of employees who come together monthly to deliver recommendations to the Board. The Forum ensures we continue to monitor and enhance existing policies and procedures whilst promoting new initiatives.
Our mission is to foster an inclusive environment, that attracts all candidates and demonstrates our commitment to celebrate and promote diversity. We are committed to cultivating a diverse, balanced and inclusive recruitment process. One that embraces different abilities, genders, ethnicities, skills and people of all identities.
We support the development and aspirations of all our people through a variety of programmes. These include 1-1 coaching, mentoring, external courses, expert training, and wellbeing sessions. We also provide mandatory annual training on Diversity & Inclusion for the whole business.
Employee-led networks are an important way our people gain a sense of belonging. Our first employee-led network – Connect Women – unites colleagues and clients from different backgrounds, experiences and business areas across the firm to foster greater interaction and ultimately create a more inclusive workplace for everyone. The network hosts events, topical discussions, learning & development opportunities and networking forums intended to inspire, connect and develop all professionals with a focus on gender parity related topics.
We’ve since established Connect Parents and Carers in February 2023 to help anyone caring for a child or other family member. The network provides opportunities for people to share their experiences, tips and support in an informal environment. The network has also shared useful resources on children’s numeracy and practical tips on children’s mental health.
External commitment
Telling the world – We are also working with a number of external organisations to further our Diversity & Inclusion capabilities:
| Uptree are a social mobility organisation dedicated to bridging the gap between education and employment for young people from underrepresented backgrounds. Their mission is to ensure that no student is left behind on their journey from education to employment. | Women On Boards is a 30,000-strong network that promotes women’s Board careers and delivers a range of other Diversity & Inclusion-related services. We have corporate membership and host events with Women On Boards to educate employees and clients on spotting Board potential and building a portfolio career. |
Broadgate Community Fund is a collaborative initiative led by British Land to drive meaningful social impact in East London. The Fund connects businesses based at Broadgate with grassroots charities operating in Tower Hamlets and Hackney, helping to address local challenges through targeted funding and partnership. |
 |
 |
 |
The Brokerage Insiders Career Conference
This Careers Conference was delivered in collaboration with our former Social Mobility Partner, The Brokerage. While Uptree is now our current partner in this space, we continue to celebrate the impact of previous initiatives. Split across two sessions, the event allowed candidates to put into practice skills they had developed since being part of The Brokerage—showcasing their CV and cover letter skills, as well as participating in mock interviews. The sessions concluded with an insightful panel discussion featuring representatives from varied departments within Peel Hunt, including Investment Banking, Research and HR.
