At Altus Partners we are firm believers in the importance of diversity and inclusion within the workplace. In order to start this conversation in the private equity and venture capital sector, we are delighted to announce that we organised Empower for Change: this series of events will feature inspiring panels of changemakers and offer valuable networking opportunities. We are thrilled to introduce it to you all, telling you a bit more about the ethos behind it and what you can expect from it.
The first event of this three-part programme will take place at Harvey Nichols in London on Wednesday 11th March. The date and the ‘Each for Equal’ part are not coincidental: given its focus on gender equality, we decided to schedule the event around International Women’s Day—which falls on the previous Sunday—and embrace its empowering slogan.
The current situation and what we want to achieve
We were saddened to find out that only 5.2% of board seats in private equity are occupied by women, and that less than 4% of all firms in this sector are owned by minorities. Smaller companies, in particular, seem to be struggling with diversity and inclusion.
This needs to change.
We believe that the private equity sector should be a sought-after career of choice for BAME, minorities, male and female talent without distinctions. Not only is it important to attract professionals from different backgrounds and make them feel welcome in the industry: we also want to encourage other companies to understand the benefits of retaining a gender-diverse workforce, creating the right company infrastructure and culture to enable success from every individual regardless of their gender. This will help them develop their full potential and reach leadership roles instead of leaving after a couple of years.
We organised Empower for Change to offer solutions, inspired by the work of proactive organizations such as Level 20, PEWIN, AAAIM and BVCA.
How?
Our mission is ‘To Inspire, Elevate and Support’. We brought together a stimulating panel of Level 20 members who cannot wait to share their experience with diversity in the workplace and the successful policies put in place by their companies. We will introduce each of them in the next few weeks, so don’t forget to check our blog and social media.
Empower for Change will not be a vague motivational talk detached from reality: we will offer simple, actionable ideas that can help you bring positive change within your organisation. You will leave with a clear vision of how to integrate them, as well as a deeper understanding of the current reality regarding diversity and inclusion in this sector. We will also talk about the connection between gender and issues such as imposter syndrome, perfectionism and bias, and we are excited to share our research papers on gender diversity. In the meantime, you can discover the results of our diversity and inclusion survey here.
Who should attend?
Empower for Change will be extremely beneficial to professionals working in private equity, those with hiring capacity, and anyone who is interested in understanding the subject of diversity and inclusion, being ready to inspire change.
At Altus Partners we believe that everyone should feel welcome to enter the private equity sector and pursue a rewarding career, feeling valued and encouraged to develop their full potential. We are confident that small changes can make a big difference: by gaining a better understanding of this issue and learning what steps we can take to tackle it, everyone can start implementing them. Empower for Change will give you the tools to do that.
Find out more about it and reserve your place please contact us at amy.robson@altus-partners.com or call us on 0203 854 2681.
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