Much of the national economic and social outlook has been somewhat challenged over the past decade, yet Bristol and the wider South West has been one of the stalwarts of the UK. The region has a highly skilled workforce, an internationally recognised group of elite universities, and a cluster of some of the country’s most recognisable international companies. Indeed, it has become one of the fastest-growing regional economies in the UK.
At the same time, the benefits of Bristol’s economic progress have not been shared equally across its communities. With a complex history on race relations – from the city’s role in the Transatlantic slave trade and the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott to the toppling of the Edward Colston statue in 2020 at the peak of the Black Lives Matter movement.
This context made Bristol a fitting place for Change the Race Ratio to bring together business leaders to discuss how more inclusive leadership can support the region’s continued progress. Hosted by Moon Executive Search, VWV and Narrow Quay HR, the event explored how to accelerate ethnic minority representation in leadership teams and on boards across the South West. An engaging panel discussion included Darren Towers, Group Head of Inclusion, Wellbeing and Early Careers at Spirax Group, Salma Maqsood, Partner at Porter Dodson and President of the Bristol Law Society, and Nick Lee, Managing Director at Paragon Costs Solutions.
A city of two halves
This was how Nick Lee described Bristol, and the evidence suggests he’s right. In some areas of the city there are neighbourhoods among the lowest performing constituencies in the UK for social mobility and access to opportunities. In other quarters, record-level investment is being ploughed into areas of affluence. This juxtaposition, he says, is mirrored in the legal profession.
When looking at the proportion of university students who study law, around a third are from an ethnic minority population. But the data shows a near 50% drop in those numbers when looking at how many make it into the profession. And when those numbers are broken down by how many make it to partner level, that number drops again to 9%. This is strikingly similar theme across the wider private sector, where representation levels in early careers are relatively high and stable, with notable decreases in the more senior roles. As a response, Bristol law firms have made significant efforts to attract, retain and promote ethnic minority talent – from hosting events, engaging in outreach to schools, colleges and universities, and providing sponsorship and mentoring opportunities. Nick poignantly emphasised a central Change the Race Ratio campaign message: businesses and regions grow faster when they have inclusive growth.
Talent does not belong to one demographic
Talent is everywhere and organisations need to work harder and look further to find them, as some demographics do not have the opportunity to showcase them. This was the message from Darren Towers, whose role spans EDI and early careers pipeline building. He was honest in his evaluation that a more diverse team is perhaps a more challenging role for a line manager, but is ultimately more rewarding as the team benefits from a genuine range of opinions and perspectives.
Diversity, he said, is not just important for today, but is an important signaller to the pipeline of talent. If individuals from different backgrounds see themselves in organisations, they are more likely to feel they too can succeed there. This fosters a sense of belonging, which research says is vital if organisations not only want to attract talent, but to retain them. This was a key point Darren reiterated – that businesses need diversity with inclusion, because if colleagues do not feel psychologically safe or respected, organisations will not benefit from the diverse range of talent.
The burden of representation
Salma Maqsood shared her experience working her way through the legal sector right up to Partner level and became the first ethnic minority President of the Bristol Law Society in its 256-year history. But she recalled that when accepting the position, it was not to further her career, especially considering her seniority, but so she can be an example to all the other aspiring lawyers who come from an ethnic minority background. For Salma, it was a signal that leadership positions in Bristol can belong to ethnic minorities and the weight of being the “first” was one she was willing to carry for that reason.
She also spoke about the business case for diversity and inclusion too. Increasingly, as firms tender for contracts, clients have an interest in the firm’s EDI policy, with questions such as: Can we look at your inclusion policy? Can we see your data? What are the demographics on your boards? This adds an extra layer of importance as to why organisations should be taking their approach to EDI seriously, as it can be the difference between winning business and losing to competitors.
Concluding thoughts
What emerged from the panel was an insight into a region at a crossroads. On the one hand experiencing economic momentum not matched anywhere else in the UK, while on the other, wresting with its deeply historic structural inequalities. The speakers were unequivocal in their message that amid Bristol’s economic bounce, inclusive leadership is a strategic necessity to ensure everyone benefits. Growth on this scale is a generational opportunity and will only become shared prosperity if firms continue to collaborate, leaders continue to listen, and individuals – like Salma, Nick and Darren – use their personal agency to create ground-breaking impact.
