Diversity, equity & inclusion
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:
Socio-economic diversity taskforce in financial and professional services, commissioned by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and HM Treasury aims to boost socio-economic diversity at senior levels within the UK financial and professional service industry. Peel Hunt are proud to be part of the taskforce. | 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. |
The Brokerage improves social mobility through access to professional career opportunities, offering a number of mentoring and masterclass sessions. We have been working with The Brokerage for the past two years to help disadvantaged young people fulfil their potential in financial services careers.
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