The targets focus on ensuring that a diverse group of people have access to senior management roles within the business. DWF meets the voluntary target of having at least 33% of women on its plc Board as set out in the Hampton-Alexander Review in respect of gender balance and aims to at least maintain its current gender diversity, having no fewer than three women on the Board.
DWF is targeting female representation on its Executive Board to be at least 33% by 2022 (an increase from 27% currently) and for women to hold at least 30% of other senior leadership positions* (an increase from 27% currently).
The business also targets to achieve at least 10% BAME representation across senior leadership positions*, inclusive of the Board membership by 2022 and the Board plans to initiate BAME pay gap reporting by the end of 2020.
Shiraz Sethi, DWF's Managing Partner in the Middle East said:-:
"We believe that inclusion, diversion and equality are central to our continued growth here in the region, I am pleased to add that five of our key business areas have female executives in leadership positions, with 63% of our Partners being millennials across a workforce which consists of 14 nationalities with 10 languages spoken. There is still more work to do and we are committed to improving diversity on our main Board, Executive Board and across our wider senior leadership teams. These are exciting times for our Middle East business as we continue to recruit diverse talent and drive growth”.
Seema Bains, Partner and Head of the Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Group at DWF, said: "Becoming diverse rarely happens by accident. Real diversity and inclusion require change and commitment. We are serious about recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce as well as ensuring our colleagues have access to opportunities to grow and progress."
To achieve the targets, DWF has already kicked off various activities to accomplish these, including: the appointment of Diversity & Inclusion Executive Sponsors (including Race & Ethnicity and Gender sponsors) tasked to provide regular progress updates to the Board, the provision of unconscious bias and inclusive leadership training, reverse mentoring and meaningful engagement with DWF's affinity networks.
