10 big conversations from FAIRER Conference London 2025

At FAIRER, our mission is simple yet powerful: to build a fairer world of work for everyone. That’s why we brought together over 150 DEI and HR leaders who share this vision at FAIRER Conference London: ‘Creating a FAIRER world of work - Today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities’.

Something extraordinary happens when people with shared values come together: curiosity sparks collaboration, ideas turn into action and we move one step closer to our collective goal. As Julie Thomas, Director of Inclusion, Diversity & Equity at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners stated after the conference: “Grateful for spaces like this that fuel connection, courage, and collective action.”

Our video captures the passion and energy of the day:

In this article, we share key themes from the conference, recount the important ideas discussed, and explore some of the most bold insights from the day. To promote psychological safety, our event was conducted under the Chatham House Rule. Any direct quotation, name or otherwise identifying details included in this article have been included with permission or have already been made publicly available elsewhere.

1. A conversation about fairness is critical

In his opening address, MD of FAIRER Consulting Dan Robertson underscored the importance of maintaining fairness in the workplace. “Language determines the policies that affect people’s outcomes in life,” stated Dan, acknowledging the critical need to maintain conversations about diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace.

“There is a move from strategic noise to strategic silence from corporate leaders”, he explained, warning businesses to speak up and advocate for inclusion rather than retreating back into complicit silence, as many organisations, he says, have been doing in light of recent political backlash.

2. Balancing global ambitions within local contexts

This panel discussion explored how global businesses can remain aligned with their core values while flexing to local cultures and laws. Despite challenges like clashing time zones and differing data regulations, international roles offer valuable opportunities for learning and connection.

The panel addressed the common misconception that fairness means special treatment, reminding us that it simply exists to level the playing field. While it’s not always possible (or wise) to have a universal approach to DEI and fairness, organisations can still act with honesty and purpose, explain decisions, tailor their approaches to local markets, and ensure that global initiatives are executed with respect.

On our panel:

• Julie Thomas, Director of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners
• Pauline Miller, Chief Diversity Officer, EMEA at Dentsu
• Helen Ousley, Global Head of Culture and Community at Freshfields
• Priscilla Baffour, Global Head of DEI at Unilever

Key takeaways:

1. Businesses must balance global strategies while also remaining sensitive to local cultures, languages and legal regulations.
2. Despite these challenges, operating internationally provides learning opportunities, cross-cultural connection and drives innovation.
3. It’s essential to remain resilient when navigating disruptions like AI, demographic shifts, and evolving labour markets.
4. Inclusion and wellbeing are closely linked, and high-performing teams thrive when employees feel a sense of belonging and psychological safety.

3. Inclusion with impact: case studies on actions

Disability inclusion at Volkswagen

Our first of three case studies spotlighted Volkswagen’s disability inclusion journey, shared by Aman Sidhu, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Business Partner, and Louisa Hughes, Head of Engagement and Inclusivity at VW Group.

This session outlined how Volkswagen boosted disability disclosure by cultivating psychological safety in the workplace. Through a multi-targeted approach, Volkswagen was able to drive meaningful change across disability diagnosis, support and understanding, and workplace adjustments.

Key takeaways:

1. Volkswagen increased disability disclosure from under 2% to 16% by promoting psychological safety.
2. The ENABLE employee network provided safe spaces for sharing experiences and informing new disability initiatives.
3. Through neurodiversity training, reverse mentoring and leadership sharing their own personal experiences, Volkswagen was able to drive cultural change.
4. Accessibility audits and guest speakers helped normalise conversations around disability.

Defining inclusion in practice at Kearney

Our second case study was led by Neil Griffiths, Global and Europe Diversity Inclusion Director at Kearney. Neil explored how organisations can embed inclusion into the way they operate, through systems, policies, processes, tools and everyday communication.

Key takeaways:

1. Kearney identified a gap in understanding around what inclusion truly means and saw an opportunity to define it clearly.
2. The company introduced ‘bold champions’ to lead by example and model inclusive behaviours.
3. It created a comprehensive guide to define inclusion and outline good and bad practices, using a A top-down, bottom-up approach was used to engage both leadership and employees in driving inclusion.
4. Inclusion surveys and team conversations helped embed inclusive practices into everyday work.
5. Shared accountability and a unified understanding of inclusion boosted awareness and impact across the organisation.
   
   

The power of listening, with Ofcom

Our third case study was presented by Annisha Taylor, Head of EDI at Ofcom. Sometimes, in order to embed inclusion at every level of a business, organisations need to scrap their existing initiatives and rebuild their DEI strategies from a blank canvas.

Key takeaways:

1. You risk excluding others if you attempt to tackle DEI with a personal agenda. Listening, collaborating and asking questions are essential.
2. Inclusion means different things to different people, so defining it clearly is key to embedding it in practice. Don’t assume everyone has a shared understanding.
3. Organisations should collaborate with individual teams to identify challenges and tailor inclusive approaches accordingly.
4. Review the entire employee lifecycle to identify where diverse talent might drop off (such as at interview stage) and improve inclusion in those areas.
   
   

4. Taking D&I to the next level with data

In this thought-provoking fireside chat, FAIRER’s Dan Robertson and Arun Batra, Global Senior DEI Director at Uber, discussed the power of leveraging data to inform business decisions and ensure stakeholders and target audiences and effectively included. The discussion also addressed the politicisation of DEI and reinforced the importance of staying true to values while adapting to legal and cultural contexts.

Key takeaways:

1. Organisations need to use data to spot inclusion gaps and respond accordingly.
2. Tailor inclusion initiatives across different markets by aligning conversations to what matters to each audience.
3. By analysing user data, Uber identified a gap in the market and implemented its Women Drivers, Uber for Teens, and Uber for Seniors programmes in response.
4. DEI is increasingly politicised, and global organisations must balance their values with differing legal and political contexts.
5. True inclusion starts with connection. Organisations should ditch the jargon, ask people what matters to them, and adapt their approaches accordingly.

5. Roundtable discussions: learnings so far

In an interactive and energising roundtable, FAIRER Consultant Alice MacDonald invited delegates to flip the narrative on DEI. Instead of dwelling on recent negative headlines, participants were challenged to craft bold, optimistic ones inspired by what they had heard throughout the conference.

The importance of language and data were key themes within the headlines, some of which included:

• “We belong on this journey and we all choose the direction together”
• “Data is king, queen and everything in between”
• “There is strength in the collective”
• “When we back things up with data, we get better engagement with c-suite.”
• “Whatever you call it – the language may change but the business of fairer is here to stay”
• “We all believe the same but some people believe more than others”

 
To close the discussion, Alice suggested that we view these headlines as our ‘north star’, reminding us to “think about what actions we can take to get there”. When our work is driven by purpose and possibility, we can start building a fairer world of work together.

6. Future think: What’s next on the D&I agenda?

This forward-looking conversation, led by FAIRER Consultant Barry Boffy, focused on the future of DEI and how inclusion must be integrated as a fundamental part of business health, not as a standalone initiative. Organisations have spent too long focusing on identity-led initiatives that attempt to fix people, and must shift towards initiative-led systems.

On our panel:

• Simon Blake, CEO at Stonewall
• Lutfur Ali, Senior Policy Advisor at CIPD
• Emma Palmer, Inclusion Leader at National Trust

Key takeaways:

1. Resistance to DEI should not be seen as total opposition, but an opportunity for deeper engagement.
2. Psychological safety is key. While many businesses promote ‘bringing your whole self to work’, they don’t always clearly define what this means. People won’t show their full selves if they don’t feel safe.
3. 82% of managers become managers by accident, highlighting the need to better equip leaders with the skills to lead with fairness.
4. We need to start integrating DEI into the mainstream of business. After all, DEI should be the baseline – not the end result.
5. 80% of respondents to Race Equality Matters’ recent poll said their organisations remained silent about the recent anti-immigration protests. Silence is a choice and suggests complicity – we must speak up and let our stance be known.

7. Leveraging the expertise of employee resource groups when creating fairer workplaces

This panel discussion, led by Barry, explored how employee resource groups (ERGs) can be used to promote inclusion, fairness and psychological safety. It’s not always possible to verbally respond to social and political headlines, for example, due to remaining mindful of stakeholders. However, organisations can respond with actions – if not words – as actions carry the most weight.

On our panel:

• Char Erskine, Diversity and Talent Senior Manager at Osborne Clarke
• Keiren Sharman, Co-Chair Rainbow LGBTQ+ Network at Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets
• Helen Robinson, Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement Manager at Autotrader
• Charis Baines, Global ERG & Inclusion Manager at Imperial Brands

Key takeaways:

1. ERGs should align with wider business goals and be included in broader company initiatives.
2. Safe spaces must focus on joy, success and wellbeing – not reinforce a victim mentality.
3. ERG leads are prone to burnout. Mental health and wellbeing should be built into ERG structures, with trained advocates to support.
4. Business leaders must take responsibility for action rather than relying on ERG members.
5. Global ERG strategies must adapt to language, cultural expectations and legal regulations within local markets.
6. Storytelling helps senior leaders become allies through coaching, mentoring and direct communication.

8. Pivoting our actions on inclusion

This discussion, hosted by FAIRER Consultant Anisha Doshi, urged us to move inclusion beyond siloed initiatives. Instead of inclusion being something we do, it should become something we are. True inclusion must be embedded within policy, decision processes and everyday interactions. It should shape how colleagues, customers and clients feel – do they feel seen, heard and valued?

On our panel:

• Hannah Pearsall, Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Wellbeing at Hays
• Emrean Kandola, Consultant at Yorkshire Water

Key takeaways:

1. Inclusion should be viewed through the lens of the employee value proposition (EVP).
2. Wellbeing initiatives must be designed with a DEI lens, as mental health can be affected by protected characteristics, socioeconomic status, etcetera. 
3. Policies should be reviewed for their impact on wellbeing, assessing factors such as fair pay, goals, and how people are treated.
4. Strategies must evolve over time. If we’re not constantly adapting, we risk reinforcing barriers.
5. When measuring wellbeing and inclusion, there is value in qualitative data: candid conversations, listening groups and employee feedback.
   
   

9. Roundtable discussion: practical actions to integrate DEI and dismantle hurdles

In this quick-fire roundtable, FAIRER's Anisha invited participants to think boldly and practically: where could DEI go next in their organisations? Delegates identified untouched business areas, suggested real-world actions they could take, and addressed the possible hurdles.

Some examples included:

This action-based session challenged participants to turn ideas into practical next steps. A recurring theme was the challenge of securing leadership buy-in, but data emerged as the most powerful tool to overcome it.

10. A view from the top: a CEO’s perspective

The final session of the day wrapped things up with an inspirational take from a CEO’s perspective. In a fireside chat with FAIRER’s Dan Robertson, Tom Way, CEO of Hays UK & IE, explored the impact of authentic leadership, living by organisational values, and being creative with resources to push forward the DEI agenda.

Key takeaways:

1. Authentic leadership means standing by your values, being visible and available to colleagues, and carving out space for meaningful conversations.
2. AI is becoming a ubiquitous force in the workplace. A quick poll of the room showed that majority of our attendees are already using AI at least once a week. Organisations must adapt quickly or risk stagnation.
3. Leaders should focus on what they can control and be creative with limited resources.
4. Campaigns like Hays’ Neighbourly saw 1,900 employees donate their time and skills across 282 volunteer events – an example of how impact can be achieved without major investment.
5. ‘Parenting loudly’ helps destigmatise flexible working and supports a culture of openness – a sentiment which was well received, as Aman Sidhu later shared: “A real highlight was seeing male leaders 'parenting out loud' on stage, openly sharing and weaving parenting into conversations on workplace cultures...so refreshing!”

In closing, Dan Robertson wrapped up the discussion by reiterating our collective goal: “Our mission is to create a FAIRER world of work for everyone”.

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