Speaking at Opportunity Now's 2009 Awards, Guardian Media Group chief executive Carolyn McCall said: "This is an opportunity to put current working practices under the microscope. Our working environment is based on a mid 20th century world. We can challenge the status quo more than we have ever done in the past 10 years. The business case for diversity is inarguable."
Baroness Margaret Prosser, deputy chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, echoed her words. "We must keep our foot on the equality pedal. The recession is not going to last for ever. We will need good people in work when it finishes."
Opportunity Now, which works with employers to accelerate change for women in the workplace and which is part of Business in the Community, gave awards in 10 categories at the event in London's The Brewery. The cream of the industry was there to see Marjorie Scardino, chief executive of media company Pearson, pick up the award for FTSE Executive Women, recognising the fact that Pearson has two executive directors among the 23% of women who are on its board. Katherine Garrett-Cox, chief executive of investment company Alliance Trust, won the Female FTSE 100 award thanks to the company having the highest number of women on its board, at 43%, including Garrett-Cox and a female chairman.
Other winners included chief superintendent Phil Kay, head of operations at West Midlands Police, who picked up the diversity Champion award and Margaret Gildea, former executive VP of HR at Rolls-Royce, who won the Directing Diverse Talent award.
Exclusive: Business leaders warn HR directors to keep their foot on the "equality pedal" during recession
Companies must ensure equality does not "slide down the top table agenda" during the recession, HR directors and diversity champions were warned yesterday.
