According to Emerald, Stride celebrates the different behaviours and personality traits of both genders, providing the right working environment for diversity to flourish.
Stride has been established to champion the different leadership styles of both genders through the implementation of networking events, keynote speaker presentations and mentoring. By unlocking the potential of all staff and overcoming challenges to any real or perceived barriers to progression, the members of the Stride group are spreading a positive message about diversity across the business.
This proactive approach to inclusivity has already attracted high profile speakers including Charlotte Armitage – Managing Director of Yorkshire Academy of Film and Television Acting - and, more recently, Diane Bartoli – General Manager of the Education Business at Amazon Kindle - who presented via video link from her office in Seattle to the Group’s global offices and subsidiaries.
During their presentations, both speakers described how they overcame challenges within their professional and personal lives and how they managed different personalities they encountered along the way – explaining how every experience has helped them progress their careers and helped them make steps towards achieving their ambitions.
Vicky Williams, Group HR Director said: “The Stride initiative is a really positive step forward for the Group, and somewhat unique for a set of businesses of our size. It is important that all of our employees feel they have the opportunity and environment in which they can develop both personally and professionally. The introduction of Stride provides the right tools for development for all our staff, with a particular focus on young women at the start of their careers. We want to make sure there is no real or perceived glass ceiling in the Group, and that our culture and policies support advancement for both genders.
“We are grateful to our first two influential speakers for having shared life lessons and advice that people can take away with them and use to progress their own careers and goals."
The Stride group is currently in the process of planning events for the rest of the year, which will include networking events, panel sessions, soft skill development sessions and mentoring, to name a few – all of which are set to take the Group in an exciting, positive direction throughout 2016, says the company.
