GENUINELY INCLUSIVE REFRESHINGLY NEWTON

A message from
Kate Mills,
PEOPLE DIRECTOR

We believe that every organisation can be better and Newton is no exception, particularly when it comes to diversity and inclusivity.  We see the strengths and benefits of having truly diverse teams to challenge our thinking and improve our performance; alongside this, a sense of belonging and care for others is at the heart of our values.

We know we have a long way to go to become a truly diverse and inclusive organisation. But we have taken a big step forward on that journey by formulating a compelling vision for the future of Newton:

We want to create a culture that thrives on prioritising a sense of belonging, treating people fairly and committing to diversity. 

Realising our vision will be no easy feat but the key to success will be the same driver of all our achievements - our incredibly intelligent, enthusiastic and passionate people, who can combine a rigorous evidence-based approach with real empathy for others.

Our Targets

We’re all about implementation at Newton and as such it’s not enough to just set out a vision – we have to make it a reality. In that spirit, we have set ourselves four targets, which will ensure that we reflect society more broadly and the clients we work with. 

INCLUSION

We will increase our ‘sense of belonging’ measure overall to 90% with consistency between all diverse groups

Ethnicity

10%

Ethnic Minority representation in the leadership team by 2023

15%

Ethnic Minority representation below leadership level in Newton

LGBTQ+

Top 100

To be listed in the Stonewall Top 100 Companies Index

Gender

30%

female representation in the leadership team by 2023

50%

female representation below leadership level in Newton

Our vision
Building a better newton

Building a better Newton, where all of our people feel a sense of belonging and inclusion, is down to each and every one of our people. There are a variety of internal, grassroots initiatives, such as N-Clude, Wom-N, N-Pride, the Newton Foundation and the Ethnicity Network which give a voice to all our people and support a more inclusive environment.

N-Clude exists to ensure everyone at Newton feels welcome, is included, and is enabled to succeed, whatever their gender, ethnicity, faith or background. It co-ordinates the annual inclusion survey and organises initiatives to build awareness of and celebrate the things that make us all different. 

Zoe Sciver, Principal Consultant and N-Clude Chair

I value fairness and so have always been passionate about equality of opportunities and treatment. The data never fails to shock me - did you know that globally only 28% of managerial positions are women and 18% CEOs? For me and many others in Newton, getting involved in N-Clude has been a way to channel our passion and energy. 

We are on a journey when it comes to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. In the time I’ve been here, it has gone from something that a handful of people really cared about, to one of the strategic priorities set by the leadership team, with ambitious targets for the next few years. N-Clude has played an important part in that change. This year, the Inclusion Survey, which we launched in 2019, highlighted Newton’s strong desire for our focus to shift from building awareness to taking action. Looking to the future, N-Clude will focus on improving everyone’s sense of belonging and making sure that it is the same across all groups.

– Zoe Sciver, Principal Consultant and N-Clude Chair

N-Pride is a forum open to all LGBT+ Newtons and allies. As well as being a support network, it organises a range of events throughout the year, including during Pride Month,

Jazz Swift, Principal Consultant and Co-Founder of N-Pride

When I joined Newton, I could have easily been part of the 41% of LGBT+ people – surveyed across 15 countries - who go back into the closet in their first graduate job. I didn't stand up on my first Review Day, when you introduce yourself to everyone at Newton, and say, ‘By the way, I'm gay'. I didn't have a partner at the time, and so it was easy not mention it.  However for a while I felt like I was almost having to come out every time I joined a new project team.

I formed N-Pride with a couple of colleagues because we thought it was a bit odd there wasn’t a space where we could talk to each other about what we were experiencing. When we set it up, I immediately felt more of a sense of community.

At Newton, if you've got something that you want to drive forward or make better, there's a platform for you to do it on and people will always back you. With N-Pride, there's a bunch of us who are really passionate about LGBT+ diversity and inclusion, who are driving that forward in the company because we think it can be better, and we are backed 100% by the leadership.

– Jazz Swift, Principal Consultant and Co-Founder of N-Pride

Wom-N plays a vital role in creating an environment at Newton where women can succeed and realise their full potential. It facilitates events and networking, offers peer-to-peer support and mentoring, and provides a platform for female role models.

Amy Elias, Senior Consultant and Co-Founder of Wom-N

While there had been many great initiatives organised by and for women at Newton in the past, we felt we could have a bigger and more sustainable impact through a formal group. When I organised a workshop in early 2020 to discuss this idea, I was really overwhelmed by the number who came and said they wanted just that. Since setting up Wom-N, it’s been really awesome to see so many wanting to get involved and really putting in a lot of effort.

As well as connecting women, there has been an emphasis on action right from the beginning. One key focus is supporting the culture which underpins Newton’s target that 30% of the leadership and 50% of the whole company will be made up by women within three years. I think this is a really important role for Wom-N to play as it’s not enough just to have 50% of Newton as women - we want to ensure those women have the equal opportunities to thrive and be valued at Newton.

– Amy Elias, Senior Consultant and Co-Founder of Wom-N

The Ethnicity Network works to create an environment at Newton in which Ethnic Minority talent feel comfortable to be themselves, feel included in the company culture, and can envision a long term future at Newton. Moreover, the network is supporting efforts to build a visibly more diverse senior leadership and to make Newton an industry leader for Ethnic Minority representation at all levels.

Junaid Mujaver, Director and Co-Founder of the Ethnicity Network

We created the Ethnicity Network to enable Newtons from ethnic minority backgrounds to talk and connect, but also as a means to drive action on improving representation, especially in leadership. To give a sense of just how much this issue means to people, when I asked in our inaugural meeting how many had counted the ethnic minority Newtons in the employee guide when they first joined the company, everyone put their hand up. 

At Newton, there’s a genuine desire in the leadership and throughout the company to get behind the Ethnicity Network and not simply treat it as a tick box exercise, but rather as a way for us to show the wider world that we’re committed to making a sustainable impact. There is an open and passionate conversation in Newton about how we can genuinely get better in terms of ethnic minority inclusion and representation, with really enthusiastic top-level support, and I don’t think that zeal is universal across other organisations. 

My vision for Newton’s future is that I can look around the room at Review Day – when the whole company comes together every two weeks – and see a much more diverse crowd and be able to look at the leadership team and see diverse representation and role models from all ethnic minorities, genders and backgrounds.

– Junaid Mujaver, Director and Co-Founder of the Ethnicity Network

The Newton Foundation’s mission is to make it as easy as possible for Newton people to maximise their positive impact on the world, over and above client work. The flagship cause is Social Mobility, however people at Newton can seek support from the Foundation for any cause close to their heart.

Mandeep Mohan, Principal Consultant, Projects of Passion Lead

I first got involved in the Newton Foundation because social mobility is something I am incredibly passionate about, having personally felt like I had managed to break through the obstacles that society puts up around social mobility. Many of my friends, didn't make it to University, not because they weren't talented, but as a result of the fact that opportunity isn't equal and circumstances are unfair.

People at Newton want to have an impact with the work they do, and the Newton Foundation provides a way to have an impact above and beyond our day-to-day client work. From my experience working with The Elephant Group (TEG) over the past couple of years, helping disadvantaged children to get a place in one of the top third universities, I’ve not only been able to make an impact in an area I care deeply about, but the personal development opportunities have been huge and absolutely rapid too. I and other Newtons have had the chance to contribute to TEG in so many different formats, from setting up the first ever Summer School, to supporting individual students with how confident they feel in their applications through to supporting the organisation in their growth strategy. 

– Mandeep Mohan, Principal Consultant, Projects of Passion Lead

David Murphy, Principal Consultant, Newton Foundation Chair

One of the things I love most about the Newton Foundation is that it’s an umbrella for supporting enthusiastic and passionate Newton employees who are driven by their desire to make a difference. It's not a top down directive, with the leadership deciding the causes we're going to support and telling you what you can get involved in. Anyone at Newton who has a cause that they care about and wants to make a difference can get some support, whether that’s help with fundraising, taking off days to volunteer or getting more people from across the business involved.

Ultimately, CSR happens at Newton because there are individuals in the business who care enough to make it happen.

– David Murphy, Principal Consultant, Newton Foundation Chair

WHAT'S GOING ON?

  • International Women's Day
    March 8. 2023

    International Women's Day

    We’re very excited for International Women’s Day this year because tomorrow we’ll be holding our first ever all-day event hosted by our Women’s Network (Wom-N) for women and minority genders in the company. To mark International Women’s Day today and introduce our event tomorrow, we’ve been speaking with Newton consultant and co-founder of Wom-N, Amy Elias. Read on to discover more.

  • The Grocer Female Power List
    February 21. 2023

    The Grocer Female Power List

    "It's no secret that diversity drives better decision-making and more successful teams and companies. So, focusing on equality and diversity isn't just the right thing to do morally, but the right thing to do to drive commercial advantage." - Emily Deer, Director at Newton Europe.

    We are delighted to be partnering with The Grocer on this years Female Power List which starts with a look at where the discounters stack against the 'big four' when it comes to female representation in top paid roles, and celebrates the 10 most influential women who are leading the sector.

  • Ethnicity Month: A Personal Reflection
    May 6. 2022

    Ethnicity Month: A Personal Reflection

    April marked our Ethnicity Month, where we hosted a series of events to better understand how matters of race, ethnicity and culture impact those working at Newton. This personal reflection from Agnes Fung, Consultant, gives a first-hand perspective on what it's like to be a Hong Kong national living in the UK, and how it felt moving country to start at a new job during the height of the pandemic.

  • Implementing Reverse Mentoring to Become an Inclusive Leader
    February 22. 2022

    Implementing Reverse Mentoring to Become an Inclusive Leader

    Hear from Newton Founder Andy Hawes as he reflects on his conversation with reverse mentoring guru Patrice Gordon.

  • 2022, The Year of Intersectionality at Newton
    February 7. 2022

    2022, The Year of Intersectionality at Newton

    Welcome to Inside Newton, our new blog series which will be giving an insight into the lives, work and experiences of people from across the business. We’re thrilled to be kicking off with an introduction to Intersectionality from Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) manager, Sandra Masiliso

  • GEN certification for workplace equity
    November 25. 2021

    GEN certification for workplace equity

    Newton becomes the first UK company to work toward earning the GEN Certification, a data-driven accreditation that recognises organisations for excellence in workplace equity.

  • Ethnicity month
    October 29. 2021

    Ethnicity month

    Each month we celebrate a theme from our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion calendar and this October was ethnicity month.

    Organised by the Ethnicity Network, it was a great chance to have fun and learn from our colleagues about what it means to be from a minority ethnic background here at Newton.

    At an away day, we got a chance to hear from some of the Network what the group means to them and further explore the network’s key focus areas.

  • Celebrating Black History Month
    October 28. 2021

    Celebrating Black History Month

    October is Black History Month in the UK, so we took the opportunity to explore the stories and expand our knowledge more. Amongst other activities, we hosted internal and external guest panel discussions which celebrated the multifaceted, lived experiences of those within the Black community at Newton and across various industries.

    Take a look at our introductory blog that kick started the launch of our Black History Month campaign series.

  • Black voices
    October 27. 2021

    Black voices

    As part of our celebration of Black History Month, we launched our ‘Black Voices’ blog post campaign, where we heard from some of our people about their experiences of living and growing up as a black person in the UK.

    With the theme for Black History Month UK this year being #proudtobe, our blog post series, gave us great insight into what #proudtobe really means to them.