Bristol24/7 Presents: How can we make Bristol's boardrooms more diverse? / Bristol247 Presents
‘Bristol is great at talking but bad at delivering when it comes to diversity’
Earlier this year, Bristol mayor Marvin Rees highlighted the need for a more diverse council. He was the first mayor of black African heritage in a major European city when elected back in 2016, however, little has since changed.
For Clayton Planter, CEO of Street2Boardroom, the intention for more representation and equality in the city is always there but people from ethnic minorities in Bristol continue to experience greater disadvantages in education and employment.
Looking at boardrooms in particular, data from Company Matters found that 96 per cent of the directors of firms listed on the AIM and 95 per cent of the FTSE 100 are white. When it comes to gender, the numbers aren’t much better. Of the FTSE 100, only eight per cent of CEOs are women.
is needed now More than ever
“People are always doing the same things but expecting different results. It made me frustrated with the society we live in and I wanted to do something that creates real change for the inner city,” he told Bristol24/7.
The social entrepreneur founded Street2Boardroom in 2016 to open up opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are being failed by a system that doesn’t allow them to reach their full potential.
Clayton Planter created Street2Boardroom to help disadvantaged young people reach their full potential and find positive role models
He’s growing Street2Boardroom from a workshop into a way of life, where young people will be able to access support at all angles, no matter what they hope to achieve. From workshops to networking events, board game collaborations with universities, and a recruitment agency that will be launching soon, Street2Boardroom champions young people from the South West disadvantaged communities in whatever path they hope to go down.
“It’s not just about a course. Anyone can put on a course and get people signed up. I want to make a cultural change – it’s harder to measure but it’s more rewarding as it’s a true change. We need to connect all elements to help people thrive,” says Clayton.
And it’s not just about getting people from disadvantaged backgrounds into employment or boardrooms – he wants to change the idea of professionalism and encourage young people to stay true to themselves. For true diverse leadership, we need to allow people to bring in their own clothing, background and language into business to be successful.
He adds: “As ethnic people, we’re fighting to be ourselves still. It’s assumed that if we make it into boardrooms we’ll have to leave behind our culture and adopt a white mentality.”
To hear more about Street2Boardroom from Clayton and other experts on how we can make Bristol’s boardrooms more diverse, sign up for our free online panel event here.
Main photo: Ellie Pipe
Read more: How diverse are Bristol’s boardrooms?
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