Occupier_News_Q1-2018_BR

SPOTLIGHT ON DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

This is the second year we are the Access & Inclusion Partner for Vivid Sydney. We are excited to play a small part in helping break the barriers of social exclusion by making Vivid Sydney 2018 a more inclusive event. This year Cushman & Wakefield is building a unique, inclusive play experience during the festival - a place where children no matter what their level of ability can experience the magic of Vivid Sydney. The experience will be created based on inclusive design principles that enable not only access but participation for all children. I am so excited to reveal this to the general public, our clients and our staff.

our people - we are launching an Indigenous employment strategy, an Indigenous procurement policy, have set gender diversity targets for the business of 40% female representation at the executive level and senior manager level by 2020 and now have five employees through our Job Support partnership, which places adults with mild intellectual disability into the workplace. Jacquie, Ben, Alex, Eddie and Michael (who we have employed through Job Support) are very much part of our Cushman & Wakefield team and culture. However, I am under no illusions that I can create this culture on my own or just with my leadership team. You can’t just flick a switch. We need every single person in the business engaged around inclusion. There are grass roots initiatives that are popping up spontaneously across the business all the time and that is really exciting for me and the team in Australia and New Zealand.

James with Digby Webster

Our diversity & inclusion committee was born out of the commitment of a number of our staff to having an employee network and has since grown to include more than 35 participants. Our first LBGTI+ committee has started in Melbourne out of the desire of a handful of passionate employees and is growing quickly. I think we have a responsibility as an industry to improve the diversity and inclusion agenda within the real estate sector. I am part of the Property Male Champions of Change and I sit with a number of my peers on the ‘Managers Championing Change – Cascading Our Commitment’ working group. Essentially our objective is to create a culture in all property organisations where leadership on gender equality is a behavioural norm, just like safety and sustainability. I want all Cushman & Wakefield managers to personally lead on gender equality and be accountable for delivering results and progressing gender equality. Together we can make inclusion a reality.

What steps are you taking to create this inclusive and diverse culture?

I passionately believe in an inclusive culture, as do my leadership team and a number of them have joined the business for that very reason. We have a range of programs in place for

James with Ignatius Jones, Creative Director of Vivid Sydney

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