Employer Heineken UK has held an event for its 2,100 staff called ‘Brewing inclusion’ to highlight the business benefits of embracing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and encourage greater allyship.
The event, held in Brighton on the eve of Brighton & Hove Pride, was also broadcast live and included presentations from the diversity team at premier league football club Brighton & Hove Albion, and disability-led and disability-focused marketing agency Purple Goat.
Leads from Heineken’s colleague networks, which cover race and ethnicity, gender, age, LGBTQIA+ and disability, also took to stage to highlight DEI successes. They emphasised the importance of working together because no one belongs to just one group.
Jacquie Sutherland, Heineken UK DEI, health and wellbeing consultant, explained that companies that embrace DEI can be up to 36 percent more successful, as she cited McKinsey research.
The research from 2018 shows that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams are 21 percent more likely to outperform on profitability and 27 percent more likely to have superior value creation. McKinsey research also showed that companies in the top quartile for ethnic and racial diversity are 36 percent more likely to experience higher profitability compared to those in the bottom quartile.
Sutherland told attendees that this data demonstrates that being inclusive is not just common sense, it’s business sense.
Rose Read, head of people and culture at the premier league club and its EDI manager Sarah Gould outlined the how the club includes fans with dementia, is building a top-class women’s and girls’ team and engages with the travelling community.
Marta Martins Pinto, people director at Heineken UK, said: “Over the last few years we have made huge steps forward as we strive to be the most inclusive pub, beer and cider company. Our colleague networks have done fantastic work in helping to bring all our colleagues on our journey and what better way to take stock of everything that’s been achieved and look to the future than to celebrate with a show dedicated to DEI.
“The relaxed and engaging approach of the townhall meant it was easy for people to watch, and hopefully reflect on what we can all do to be better allies.”
More than 70 Heineken UK colleagues took part in the Brighton & Hove Pride parade as part of the employer’s ‘pouring with love’ float (pictured).
