Raising the ceiling on diversity and inclusion

In celebration of National Inclusion Week, we are delighted to invite you to the next event in the On Your Marks Networking Series, brought to you by the University of Leeds and Marks & Spencer.

This event is now fully booked

  • Host: Kerrie Unsworth, Chair in Organizational Behaviour and Head of Management Division, Leeds University Business School
  • Keynote speaker: Simmone Haywood, Head of Talent, Marks and Spencer
  • Professor Catherine Cassell, Dean of Birmingham Business School

Inclusion is about making sure that people feel valued, respected, listened to and able to challenge. It’s about recognising and valuing the differences we each bring to the workplace and creating an environment where everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources and can contribute to the organisations success.

M&S believes our differences make us stronger. With colleagues and customers that represent all walks of life, M&S wants to make sure it is a place where everyone feels included and can be themselves. Its current workforce is 72% female, 11% from ethnic minority backgrounds and 12% aged 60+, and with a customer population that represents all backgrounds, it is essential that M&S is an inclusive place for all to work and shop. M&S recently launched Plan A 2025, which included some ambitious commitments to develop a truly inclusive business and supply chain.

Join us to discuss M&S's diversity and inclusion journey to date, why this is important for bu      siness success and how exciting new research is helping M&S to ensure it is an inclusive employer for everyone.

Find out more about our research 'Raising the Ceiling on Diversity and Inclusion: A Corporate Retail Case Study'

Find out more about National Inclusion Week at the University of Leeds, taking place between 25 September and 1 October.

Event format

11.30 Registration, tea and coffee
12.00 Welcome and introduction: Professor Kerrie Unsworth
  Keynote speaker: Simmone Haywood
  Guest speaker: Professor Catherine Cassell
  Q&A
13.10 Refreshments and networking reception
14.00 Close