By Denis Sheehan MIH, Publisher, H&C News: IoH announces Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Lead appointment.
The IoH has appointed Dorothea Jones as their inaugural Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Lead and will act as the primary point of contact for the global hospitality sector on this pivotal subject.
“I am absolutely delighted that Dorothea is joining us” confirmed IoH CEO Robert Richardson FIH MI. “This is a key appointment for the IoH and the industry. Dorothea has worked extensively in EDI and will be a huge asset to the IoH as we push forward our own EDI strategy and submit our Chartered Status application in Q1.”
Richardson continued: “EDI is a subject that comes up almost daily across the industry from SMEs to FTSE 100 businesses. Dorothea will be a valuable EDI resource to our members and wider hospitality family.”
The role which has been made possible thanks to the funding secured by the IoH last Autumn, from the Savoy Educational Trust (SET), sees Dorothea taking up her IoH role on Monday 30th January 2023.
Commenting on her appointment Jones said: “I am honoured to be joining the IoH and excited about what can and will be achieved.
“The IoH has an impressive global reputation, and, alongside my colleagues, I relish the opportunity to build on this. I have worked and researched equalities for over 15 years and am keen to partner with the IoH’s members creating an equalities model which can be replicated throughout the hospitality sector. The aim of the role is to help bring the industry closer together through several initiatives including education, mentorship, advice, research and best practice.”
She continued: “There are some amazing benefits to embracing equality in the workplace. A healthy workplace is driven by collaboration and teamwork. When you create a culture where people from all backgrounds have equal access to opportunity, it enhances collaboration and improves wellbeing. I am looking forward to working in an environment where equity, diversity and inclusion can thrive.”
At a time when the industry needs to attract new talent, this new role will be working across the LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, supporting people from disadvantaged backgrounds, gender reassignment, age, disability, religious beliefs, and other equally important groups and communities.
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