Podcast: Leaders in EDI – Building an impactful EDI strategy (Part 1 – Defining strategy, pitching & planning)

The first episode in a new series in which a Premier league PLEDIS Panel Member, the ECB’s EDI Director and Liverpool FC’s Senior Manager of EDI offer a step-by-step guide on how to build an EDI strategy.

Leaders in EDI shines a light on the progress being made and the challenges being faced in the equity, diversity and inclusion space across sport and other industries. 

This first episode of our series on EDI strategy focuses on inception and planning. What exactly is a strategy, and how does it differ from an action plan? How do you identify your need for a strategy in EDI? How do you present your case to key stakeholders, and how do you set targets that are both realistic but will have real impact? 

We hear from: 

• Chris Paouros, consultant, advisor, charity trustee and non-exec director for various organisations including the Premier League, the FA, Kick it Out and the Women’s Equality Party. 
• Kate Aldridge, EDI Director at the England & Wales Cricket Board, whose educational background was in STEM before moving into a career in business strategy. 
• Rishi Jain, Senior Manager of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Liverpool F.C, who has nearly 20 years of experience in the EDI space in football. 

Key takeaways from the episode: 1) You cannot commit to driving proper change without having a strategy and understanding how to execute it; 2) Your EDI strategy should be tied into and ensure the success of your overall business strategy; 3) You can and should look to other organisations and industries for inspiration on what makes a successful EDI strategy, but you also must ensure its specifically tailored to your organisation; and 4) When setting targets, you need to evaluate internal and external data to measure the pace of change. 

The Leaders Meet: Diversity Series highlights news, views, comments and debates happening across the EDI space in our monthly ‘Spotlight on EDI’ segment on Leaders Live. Click here to watch our latest edition. 

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• Podcast: Leaders in EDI – Wasserman’s Mary Pryor

On 30th March, we are hosting a pop-up event at Meta’s offices in London to mark International Women’s Day. To find out more and register your interest, please click here.

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