Latest news with #ParkerReview
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Britain should ‘continue to do what's right' on diversity, says Microsoft executive
Pamela Maynard won the Black British Business Person of the Year award last year. She has gone on to become Microsoft's Chief AI Transformation Officer, having worked at a range of tech and consultancy groups from Oracle to EY. Nominations are open for the 12th year of the awards. You can submit yours here. There was an expectation coming from a West Indian family that I would become something professional like a lawyer, a doctor or an accountant. I was set to go down the path of doing a law degree at Leeds University Then, just as I finished my A-Levels, I walked into the house and I remember having a conversation with my mum. She said: 'Why do you look so glum?' And I said: 'Because I'm not really sure what I want to do. I hope I'm not going to disappoint you by saying I don't want to do law. What I actually enjoy is business studies'. I'd done business studies as an A-Level. And she said: 'Follow your instinct.' My career has been characterised by not always knowing where I am going to end up, following my instinct and using mentors to help me to navigate some of those tougher decisions. I think about my mum as being one of my greatest mentors. My parents were of the Windrush generation. They came to the UK in the Sixties, which was a big change. They were both from Barbados. They actually met in London. My dad was a teenager, my mum was in her early 20s. They both had that courage to continue to push forward, to go into situations where you don't really know what the outcome is going to be. They instilled that courage in us - I'm one of three siblings - and my passion comes from them. In the latest Parker Review report [a Government-commissioned study of representation on boards of directors] we now see 95pc of FTSE 100 boards with an ethnic minority board member. And so there is progress. But one of the challenges that I see is that when you look at the senior manager layer, there's still only 1.2pc of those who are Black. I've been asking that question recently of peers: are we seeing the same impact in the UK as in the US? I would definitely say there's a nervousness. But what people are saying to me is that they're not yet seeing the same sort of actions being taken as in the US. I think it's really important in the UK that we continue to do what's right. And what's right is that we have the right level of representation in leadership positions. I learned a lot from employee networks in terms of how to create a more inclusive environment. So ensuring that you've got somewhere safe for people to go to connect with others and learning from those networks is incredibly important. I still talk to my leadership team today and ask: what can we do to mentor up-and-coming talent? Sponsorship [supporting others' career advancement] is just as important: how are we representing people when they're not in the room? While I eventually had a really successful career, there weren't many people who looked like me. What the awards do is help you to see others who look like you. It's incredibly inspiring. In terms of the winners, the judges are looking for what contribution you're making - what's the journey of impact that you've had. The Telegraph is the national media partner of The Black British Business Awards. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Sign in to access your portfolio
Telegraph
26-03-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Britain should ‘continue to do what's right' on diversity, says Microsoft executive
Pamela Maynard won the Black British Business Person of the Year award last year. She has gone on to become Microsoft's Chief AI Transformation Officer, having worked at a range of tech and consultancy groups from Oracle to EY. Nominations are open for the 12th year of the awards. You can submit yours here. How did you end up in the technology industry? There was an expectation coming from a West Indian family that I would become something professional like a lawyer, a doctor or an accountant. I was set to go down the path of doing a law degree at Leeds University Then, just as I finished my A-Levels, I walked into the house and I remember having a conversation with my mum. She said: 'Why do you look so glum?' And I said: 'Because I'm not really sure what I want to do. I hope I'm not going to disappoint you by saying I don't want to do law. What I actually enjoy is business studies'. I'd done business studies as an A-Level. And she said: 'Follow your instinct.' My career has been characterised by not always knowing where I am going to end up, following my instinct and using mentors to help me to navigate some of those tougher decisions. I think about my mum as being one of my greatest mentors. What has inspired you in your career? My parents were of the Windrush generation. They came to the UK in the Sixties, which was a big change. They were both from Barbados. They actually met in London. My dad was a teenager, my mum was in her early 20s. They both had that courage to continue to push forward, to go into situations where you don't really know what the outcome is going to be. They instilled that courage in us - I'm one of three siblings - and my passion comes from them. What progress has been made with representation of Black professionals? In the latest Parker Review report [a Government-commissioned study of representation on boards of directors] we now see 95pc of FTSE 100 boards with an ethnic minority board member. And so there is progress. But one of the challenges that I see is that when you look at the senior manager layer, there's still only 1.2pc of those who are Black. Is the UK seeing the same backlash against initiatives to boost representation as in the US? I've been asking that question recently of peers: are we seeing the same impact in the UK as in the US? I would definitely say there's a nervousness. But what people are saying to me is that they're not yet seeing the same sort of actions being taken as in the US. I think it's really important in the UK that we continue to do what's right. And what's right is that we have the right level of representation in leadership positions. I learned a lot from employee networks in terms of how to create a more inclusive environment. So ensuring that you've got somewhere safe for people to go to connect with others and learning from those networks is incredibly important. I still talk to my leadership team today and ask: what can we do to mentor up-and-coming talent? Sponsorship [supporting others' career advancement] is just as important: how are we representing people when they're not in the room? What is the significance of the Black British Business Awards to Black professionals? While I eventually had a really successful career, there weren't many people who looked like me. What the awards do is help you to see others who look like you. It's incredibly inspiring. In terms of the winners, the judges are looking for what contribution you're making - what's the journey of impact that you've had.
The Independent
11-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
UK companies ‘quieter' about diversity targets amid US pressure
UK companies may be starting to be 'quieter' about their diversity initiatives amid pressure to scale back targets coming from the US, the chair of a Government-backed review has said, despite the number of ethnic minority leaders increasing. The latest report from the Parker Review found that 13 chief executives on the UK's FTSE 100 were of an ethnic minority background at the end of 2024, up from 12 in 2023. Nearly all – 95 out of 100 – companies listed on the FTSE 100 have at least one ethnic minority director on their board. However, this was lower for mid-sized companies listed on the FTSE 250, of which 82% met the target last year. The rest – amounting to 46 businesses – either still had all-white boardrooms, or did not supply data for the survey – therefore missing the voluntary diversity target set by the review. David Tyler, chair of the Parker Review, which is backed by the Government, said he does not see a 'one and done attitude' when it comes to meeting targets – with most companies 'recruiting on merit, and time and time again they're recruiting people from ethnic minorities'. He added that the review had some concerns over a slower rate of progress in the recruitment of black senior managers – who made up about 1.2% of all FTSE 100 positions, lower than their 3.9% share of the wider UK population. Meanwhile, Mr Tyler said there had not been much change among UK firms in response to a cultural shift happening in the US, but that some firms may be 'being a bit quieter' about their initiatives. He told the PA news agency: 'If you are a company that sells in the US, and a lot of FTSE 350 and private companies do… you are naturally thinking about this, and thinking: 'Do I need to change?' 'If you felt that just by having a diversity target you would be barred from bidding for US government contracts, you would be thinking a bit more about what you do. 'The sense I've got so far is that companies don't want to change, because they feel it is a good thing to do to have diversity, equality of opportunity for everybody, to run inclusive companies. 'But what they are perhaps doing is talking a bit less about it, or re-badging some of the names of the departments … or they might simply put it into the HR department.' He added that it is 'still fairly early on and there are some grey clouds on the horizon' when it comes to a potential shift in attitudes to diversity, equality and inclusion.
Bloomberg
11-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Nearly 20% of FTSE 250 Have All-White Boards, Missing Target
Nearly one-fifth of Britain's mid-sized listed companies missed a deadline to have at least one ethnic minority director on their boards, according to a government-backed report. The Parker Review set a voluntary target for companies in the FTSE 250 to have at least one non-White director by Dec. 31. While 82% met the criteria, the rest failed to do so or did not provide demographic data.
