Stonewall admits Wood Mackenzie to Diversity Champions programme

Wood Mackenzie has become the latest consulting industry player to align itself with the Stonewall Diversity Champions programme. The programme, consisting of some 750 businesses, aims at supporting employers looking to create an inclusive atmosphere free of intimidation for LGBT staff.

Stonewall is Europe's largest lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) charity, founded in 1989, and named after the famous Stonewall riots in 1969, in New York, following a campaign of persecution of the LGBT community by the police. While the rights of the community have improved substantially over the following five decades, groups are still engaged in pushing for governments and private entities alike to support LGBT individuals in areas where they have traditionally encountered hostility.

Stonewall’s Diversity Champions initiative is just one of many programmes the charity has established in this regard, calling on leading employers to ensure all LGBT staff are accepted without exception in the workplace, aiming to provide a framework for creating a workplace that enables LGBT staff to reach their full potential. More than 750 organisations in the UK are part of the Diversity Champions programme, with over 50 of these representing the professional services arena. These include the entirety of the Big Four, Accenture, BDO, IBM, PA Consulting, Mercer, Willis Towers Watson, and many more.

With London’s world famous Pride event in two weeks, the latest company to join the list is Wood Mackenzie. The global energy, chemicals, renewables, metals and mining research and consultancy has joined Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme following the successful launch of the 'Pride Wood Mackenzie' employee resource group in 2017.

Wai-Fung Thompson, European Vice President for Human Resources at Wood Mackenzie, said, “We welcome ideas and unique contributions from every team member, and we consciously seek out diverse perspectives and experiences. This makes our company stronger - diversity provides different views on our business, leading to greater innovation and creativity, more effective decision-making and deeper client understanding".

Related: Seven leading consulting firms among LGBT+ coalition Open For Business.