Why inclusive leadership is important to Stanton Chase
Most organisations believe they hire on merit. Most don't. The problem is rarely intent, it is the quiet pull towards candidates who look, sound and think like the people already in charge. Executive search sits right at that pressure point, because every shortlist we present either widens or narrows the path to the boardroom.
Stanton Chase is a global executive search and leadership advisory firm with 70+ offices across 45 countries. Our Inclusive Leadership & Culture practice exists to make sure the best person gets the role, and that the organisation is ready for them when they arrive. We work with boards and executive teams across five areas: board/leadership composition and renewal, leadership assessment, succession planning, inclusive culture advisory and executive onboarding.
“The leadership gap will remain unless we take action. In creating diverse and sustainable boards it is vital that we understand the critical relationship between good governance and belonging.”
Eleri Dodsworth, Partner and Global Leader, Inclusive Leadership & Culture
Why Change the Race Ratio is important to Stanton Chase
Racial and ethnic minority talent is still badly under-represented at board and executive level in UK business. Good intentions have not closed that gap. Measurable commitments will. Change the Race Ratio holds us to the same standard we ask of our clients. It also puts us alongside organisations doing the hard work of building ethnically diverse pipelines into the boardroom, at executive level and in the minus-one tier beneath it.
Our commitment to racial equity is long-standing. Stanton Chase helped draft the AESC Pledge Against Racial and Social Injustice, committing the search profession to action on racism and discrimination.
Progress we are making towards our commitments
Inclusion is built into every stage of our search process, not added on at the end:
- The brief. We challenge clients for an unbiased, inclusive brief and ask what diversity means for each role.
- The search. We source beyond the usual networks, using channels that reach overlooked and under-represented groups, and we can anonymise candidate information to reduce bias.
- The long list. We test whether it has actually delivered diversity before it reaches the client.
- The assessment. Every candidate is interviewed the same way, against the same criteria and the same measure of success.
- The offer. We review offer negotiations to make sure no biased pay decisions are made.
The results show. 30% of our global placements are diverse hires. Internally, 11% of our workforce and 15% of recent hires identify as diverse beyond gender. We know there is more to do, and membership keeps us accountable for doing it.
Read more about the actions Stanton Chase has taken:
Our Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy
Inclusive Leadership & Culture practice
Responsible Business Report 2026
