Chanelle Gray joined Savills in March 2022 as their first Head of D&I. Since 2022, Chanelle has built a D&I team at Savills. The D&I team at Savills consists of:
– Meredith Fowler, D&I Partner for Property Management – Merry looks after all property management and SMR D&I support. This includes: site based training; reports to the board; managing PM networks; analysis of PM data; working with PM HR and connecting PM and Savills together on D&I.
– Jess Lee, D&I Project Manager – Jess looks after D&I for Savills, with her work including: ownership of D&I projects; diversity talent development; D&I presentations; index and benchmark reporting; management of D&I groups and networks; and event calendar management.
– Josi Kohlik, D&I Administrator – Josi looks after all administrative duties for the D&I team.
Industry diversity is a huge priority for Savills. For a long time, there hasn’t been enough representation at senior levels across the D&I characteristics while ensuring the culture in our industry is inclusive in order to retain and progress those from underrepresented groups. We understand the social responsibility we have, but also the benefit this brings to business, and have been taking a leading approach to changing the industry for the better, starting from within.
We started this journey by launching a D&I strategy, focusing on three pillars:
• Attract the most diverse talent, at all stages of their career, from all backgrounds.
• Develop our diverse talent, ensuring clear career paths, with no glass ceilings.
• Lead by example, with our most senior leaders setting an inclusive culture.
We recognise that this requires an industry strategy as well as organisational. Our Head of D&I has created and organises a working group with other companies in the industry to do just this. These are our direct competitors, but we believe that to make real change in the industry, we must collaborate and work together. This working group is made up of c.15 heads of D&I, who put our competition aside and focus purely on making the industry a more diverse place to work. Savills has made significant strides in promoting D&I within the company and within the industry as a whole. We have seen measurable impacts and success, with increased representation of ethnicity and women, and a rise in engagement with D&I.
The D&I team at Savills have been key drivers in creating community and belonging at Savills. The D&I team oversees six working groups. Made up of highly motivated volunteers, these strategic working groups support the business with our D&I agenda. With clear deliverables, they ensure we continue to move forward, driving relevant change. They are supported by 8 staff networks who focus on creating safe spaces, a sense of community and celebration moments. Currently 1 in 10 employees are a part of our networks or groups, it is a team aim to increase this in 2025.
Overall, the Savills D&I team has demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion, and has made significant progress in achieving its goals.
