To round off each issue, we ask our contributing business leaders for their views on the same question, “How do you encourage diversity in the workplace?”
Melanie Chambers, COO – Asia Pacific, Hilton Foods
“One of the most important parts of my role is people leadership. Since 2018, Hilton Foods has continued to implement and embed a company-wide approach to succession and capability which supports the development of talent across the business regardless of gender or background. I am committed to people leadership and the journey of supporting our people to be the best they can be, whoever they are.”
Frank Seeley, Executive Chairman, Seeley International
“We do not discriminate against anyone. We employ people based on two criteria: character and work ethic. Whoever qualifies on those two measures is welcome, regardless of race, gender or creed.”
Jamie Bennett, Managing Director, Berton Vineyards
“To build a successful company, diversity in the workplace is crucial, especially when it comes to employee engagement. This is because every team member—from upper management to the frontline staff —brings their own distinct backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to the table, so workplace diversity fosters creativity and innovation. We need to create more inclusive workplace policies and educate managers about the advantages of diversity in the workplace in order to support this.”
David Morris, Practice Director, PMDL Architecture + Design
“At PMDL, we don’t need to encourage diversity as it is simply accepted as the norm. Our endeavour to find the right fits for our practice – those with integrity that bring a broad range of experiences, skills, perspectives, and expertise – seamlessly and unassumingly builds diversity in our team. We are gender diverse but can also boast a diverse range of cultural and religious backgrounds amongst our team members, which directly aligns with the diverse range of cultural backgrounds our clients have.”
Robbie McGillivray, Co-Founder, Taco Medic
“Having a diverse and engaged team is one of our top priorities. We hire for passion and attitude first, to ensure we are fostering the right team culture with those team members that are positive and engaged in our brand. We also encourage them to express their personalities while at work as we are not trying to create robots who operate from scripts. Diversity and uniqueness are what assist us to create memorable experiences for our customers.”
