More than 2000 Diageo employees are taking part in series of events across Scotland this week to champion inclusion and diversity as part of INC Week.
Created in 2017 to accelerate an inclusive culture, the 2020 INC Week programme includes engaging workshops, compelling panel discussions and TED-style talks which are taking place at various company locations, including Diageo’s Scottish HQ at Edinburgh Park, the Global Supply Centres at Shieldhall and Leven, and the Blackgrange Bonds in Alloa.
Focusing on a broad range of themes, from gender, sexuality and ethnicity, to disabilities and wellness in the workplace, highlights include inspiring keynote speaker Gail Porter’s session on Dealing with Mental Health. Drawing from her own experience, Gail will talk about her own struggles with depression, alopecia, drug addiction and homelessness.
Employees will also take part in a progressive training workshop on Neatebox’s Welcome app – pioneering software aimed at enhancing the quality of customer service available for visitors with specific accessibility requirements. The app is being trialled in Diageo’s new Scottish HQ throughout 2020.
INC Week continues until Thursday (16 January) with sessions on dementia, LGBT+ and cultural diversity, as well as fundraising events for local charities, to celebrate the company’s commitment to inclusion and diversity.
Gail Porter
Ewan Andrew, President of Global Supply and Procurement at Diageo, said: ‘At Diageo, we’re hugely proud of our record on inclusion and diversity. We know that, in order for our business to thrive and meet the needs of our international consumers, we depend on the diverse talent of our employees who represent a wide range of backgrounds, skills and capabilities in each of the 180 countries in which we operate.’
Guest speaker Gail Porter said: ‘It was fantastic to play a part in INC Week at Diageo’s Scotland HQ. I hope that sharing my experiences of mental health, homelessness, alopecia and bereavement with employees in Scotland and across the world will encourage them to talk about these issues, and reassure them that things can get better over time and with the right support.’
Gavin Neate, CEO and founder of Neatebox, said: ‘I’m really pleased to have been able to share our new customer service solution with the team at Diageo and ultimately launch it with them as part of INC Week. We all expect to receive the very best customer service but sadly for many disabled people this isn’t always the case. Working with Diageo is a great opportunity to increase our reach across the UK and Ireland and enhance the experience many people with a disability can have when visiting a Diageo venue. We are excited to see our ‘Welcome’ app trialled at Diageo’s Scottish HQ over the coming months.’
In 2019, Diageo was recognised as the number one business globally for gender equality in the Equileap 2019 Global Gender Equality Report and Ranking, and the focus on strengthening their work to create an environment that embraces difference and enables people to reach their full potential is supported by Diageo’s INC Week programme which is celebrated across Diageo offices and sites around the world.
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