IT/AV distributor Exertis has appointed leads for its newly founded Employee Resource Groups. The ERGs consist of three divisions – women, people from ethnic minorities, and LGBTQIA+ communities.
Gemma Walters chairs the ERG division for women; Manpreet Bath is leading the ERG for people from ethnic minorities; while Holly Chatton (pictured above) leads efforts to support LGBTQIA+ colleagues.
The purpose of an ERG is to create a safe, supportive space for employees who share a common identity, where underrepresented employees support one another in building their community. The objectives of the group include providing support and a safe space for communities within Exertis; as well as to educate the whole business about each communities’ lived experiences and how to work with their members more effectively; and to increase the amount of talent from each of the three focal communities at all levels of the business.
Exertis’s ERGs have been formed to actively promote inclusivity and to ensure everybody is given a fair chance to succeed and flourish in their chosen path within Exertis – regardless of their background. The ERGs commit to champion, mentor and coach individuals from all genders, ethnic backgrounds, and sexualities, as well as celebrating major events and driving policy changes within the company.
Exertis intends the ERGs to help drive forward its policies on inclusivity in line with the company’s belief that diverse and inclusive organisations are successful ones.