LBS Professor appointed to 'Lead the Change' Board

Government-backed initiative aims to encourage equality and diversity in business

Randall S Peterson, Professor of Organisational Behaviour and Academic Director of the Leadership Institute at London Business School (LBS), has been appointed to the UK Government-backed Men As Change Agents (MACA) ‘Lead the Change’ Board.

The initiative brings together some of the most experienced names in business to work with organisations across the country; it aims to encourage business leaders to act as change agents to promote diversity and inclusion in business, and achieve greater equality and opportunity at the top of companies.

Chairing the board are Emer Timmons and Denis Woulfe MBE.

As part of their work, the MACA ‘Lead the Change’ Board will support the Hampton-Alexander Review to help achieve the target of 33% of executive level FTSE 350 business leaders being women by the end of 2020.

Professor Peterson will also work with his fellow board members to increase the ethnic diversity in an effort to ensure that each FTSE 100 board should have at least one ethnic minority director by 2021, and each FTSE 250 board should have at least one ethnic minority director by 2024.

Professor Peterson said: “I am honoured to have been asked to join this select group of business leaders. I look forward to working with the 500 largest businesses in the UK to support them in ensuring a diverse pipeline of talent.”

Organisations in the top 25% for gender diversity on their executive teams are 21% more likely to have profits above their industry average

As part of the Men As Change Agents initiative, business leaders are invited to pledge to:

• to take personal responsibility for promoting better diversity and inclusion in your business and striving to achieve the targets set out by the Hampton-Alexander and Parker reviews;
• to promote better diversity and inclusion by sponsoring one to three individuals from an underrepresented group within your organisation who have the potential to secure an executive role within three years
• to be an active and visible Change Agent by being part of the wider business conversation and achieving better diversity and inclusion within your organisation as a result.