WHAT IS THE FRAMEWORK?

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION FRAMEWORK

MISSION STATEMENT

"At Proxima, we value equality, authenticity, and inclusion and actively encourage the sharing of different perspectives. We foster belonging, acceptance, and mutual respect through open communication and the celebration of diversity.

We are committed to removing barriers and equitably empowering all Proximites to thrive and develop in a safe and welcoming environment. Our commitment is unwavering, central to the strength of our business, and at the heart of who we are."

Proxima’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Framework is an ever-evolving collection of initiatives which ensures we hold ourselves accountable for driving progress and change that positively champions and celebrates diversity in all forms, facilitates equity, and enables all Proximites to be their authentic selves.

Our mission statement lies at the heart of our framework and underpins each of our initiatives:

Watch: DEI at Proxima

WHY WE DO IT

Diversity challenges us to think differently, and we become better people and better businesses as a result. There are significant benefits to having a diverse workforce, from increased creativity and innovation to happier and more productive employees.

Recent studies have found that companies with more than 30% female executives are 48% more likely to outperform the least gender-diverse companies. Similarly, in the case of ethnic and cultural diversity, top-quartile companies outperform those in the fourth-quartile by 36%.

Procurement, like many other careers, has not been the most diverse of professions in the past and we recognize that we have work to do to attract a more diverse workforce.

Diversity comes in a wide variety of forms, such as ethnic and gender-based diversity, but also in other forms such as disability, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, religion, and age. It is important that all aspects of diversity are considered to ensure we are creating an inclusive working environment for everyone.

As well as creating a diverse team, we need to ensure our behaviors enable all Proximites to feel welcomed, included, and equitably supported in the business throughout their entire career.

THE PILLARS

Our framework has been created around 4 central pillars to help focus transformational change within all aspects of Proxima:

ATTRACTION

Our goal is that Proxima is viewed as a welcoming employer to all individuals interested in joining our business. Ensuring we are attractive and inclusive to potential employees of all backgrounds and cultures is essential to building a diverse workforce.

DEVELOPMENT

We want to equitably empower our employees to grow in their careers and have the opportunity to achieve their aspirations. Enabling all Proximites to develop their knowledge and skillsets is vital to building a high-performing team culture with the ability to serve our clients at the highest level.

CULTURE

We want to foster a working environment that allows everyone to thrive and feel valued and accepted for their differences.

Education of, and celebrating diversity within, Proxima is vital to enabling all Proximites to be their unique and authentic selves and know their contributions are valued.

COMMITMENT

Driving commitment and ownership of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion agenda is critical to the success of our mission statement and culture. Our senior leadership team is accountable for embedding this change into the business and driving this framework forward.

All employees have roles and responsibilities to drive this commitment across all levels in the business to ensure we are promoting a culture of belonging and inclusion for everyone.

HOLDING OURSELVES TO ACCOUNT

Every year our Pulse survey asks all employees to provide anonymous feedback on their perception of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion within Proxima.

Governance, and more information on holding ourselves to account, can be found within our Commitment pillar.

PROXIMA WITH PURPOSE

Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Framework sits as part of Proxima with Purpose. Proxima with Purpose ensures we operate in a way that positively and responsibly impacts society, the economy, and the environment.

At its core, it’s about who we are and who we aim to be, bringing together company initiatives that create our culture, help our employees to develop, and demonstrate our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

As part of this commitment, we are actively championing 3 UN SDG goals - Goal 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, Goal 4: Quality Education, and Goal 5: Gender Equality.