Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Our Approach

• We host mandatory diversity and inclusion training
• We also provide unconscious bias training for all managers
• We have established an optional mentoring programme to help develop skills and talents, build confidence, assist in career development planning and provide a different, objective perspective so the mentee can achieve their best at work
• We have rolled out the “Count Me In” initiative, which aims to improve the diversity data that our staff share with us. This will help us to make meaningful commitments for our business and staff long-term

We understand that providing support internally will result in positive effects externally.

As a people-led firm, promoting gender diversity is a priority for us and we have pledged to the following:

• Having a member of the senior executive team responsible and accountable for diversity and inclusion
• Setting internal targets for gender diversity among our senior management
• Publishing progress annually against these targets in a report on our website
• Having an intention to link the pay of the senior executive team to the delivery of internal targets on gender diversity
• Reviewing our recruitment processes to ensure we attract more applications from women and people of diverse backgrounds
• Maintaining gender equality in our remuneration, promotion, and development practices

In 2018, we became a signatory of HM Treasury’s Women in Finance Charter and pledged our support for gender balance across financial services. We are on track to meet our five-year target of 30% women in senior management roles. For 2023, we have reported 26%.

We are a part of a cross-company initiative championing a more inclusive culture within the investment management industry - The Diversity Project.

We believe that an empowered workforce is at the heart of a sustainable business and that we are responsible for inspiring a generation of workers. We can shape our workplaces, and industry, to be more accessible to diverse talent, and ultimately more representative of the societies we operate in.

We know an inclusive business system is good for all in society, which is why we are a signatory to the Investing in Women Code. Together, we are working towards creating an entrepreneurial ecosystem where women have the necessary tools and resources to successfully grow businesses. As part of this, we are committed to the following:

• A senior member of our leadership team being responsible for supporting equality in all interactions with entrepreneurs
• We provide data on financing entrepreneurs - disaggregated by gender – for an annual report by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
• Adopting, and championing, internal practices that improve the potential for female entrepreneurs to successfully access the tools, resources, investment and finance they need to build and grow their businesses

Flexibility is not a set number of days in the office, or at home. It is about trust and communication between individuals, teams, and team heads, all working together to ensure work is carried out in the best way for the business and individuals.

We empower all our people to manage their work commitments to suit their personal situations and equip our managers to lead a flexible and adaptive workforce.

What wellbeing means to us

As a society, we are on a journey to normalising mental health, which involves challenging the stigma attached to it. Hopefully, these are no longer conversations that people shy away from in the workplace. To us, engaging with our people openly about mental health and wellbeing is central to a healthier working environment: we work with our staff to ensure that there are things we can do to navigate through lows and build resilience.

From outlining what wellbeing actually means to those in the company, to understanding ways of supporting others through challenging times, our direct engagement with themes that resonate with our people allows us to be better equipped as we go forward. Through our Wellbeing podcast and webcast series, we focus on theories around wellbeing and discuss practical advice on how to actually be well, in the context of the workplace and our rapidly changing society.

Access to additional contact points for staff who would like to discuss their wellbeing is crucial and we are continually training our colleagues to become Mental Health First Aiders.

We adopt a transparent, open and honest approach to diversity and inclusion, and report openly on Foresight's gender pay gap. We are working hard to establish an ecosystem that prioritises equal opportunities and the advancement of talent in the workplace without systemic barriers.

We have published data on our gender pay in Foresight Group Holding Limited's Annual Report. It shows the gender split across four equally sized quartiles of the business, dividing our colleagues into four groups, from the lowest to the highest-paid.

All UK employing entities with over 250 members in their workforce are required to make this disclosure.

We are committed to activities that have a positive impact at a local level and look to engage with social initiatives in our own communities - those related to our assets, investee companies, and our office locations. Some examples of how we employ the expertise and passion of our workforce to be a force for good are:

Future VC

In 2021, we partnered with Diversity VC on their Future VC programme to offer paid internships to talented individuals from diverse backgrounds and provide them with hands-on experience that will help them succeed in their chosen careers.

Sacred Heart High School

We host a Careers Day for 30 A-Level business students from Sacred Heart High School, a local school to London Bridge, where students spent a day in our London offices and take part in departmental talks/Q&As, mock interviews and CV writing activities. Our staff have also visited the school for business and careers talks.