Membership to the group will give Pladis access to a network of more than 2,000 ethnic minority businesses.
MSDUK’s hoped that access to this network, coupled with its experience and insight, would help to provide greater knowledge and understanding of Pladis’ suppliers to ensure a greater representation of ethnic minority businesses.
Pladis chief executive Salman Amin said: “We are on a journey at Pladis to improve our own inclusion and diversity practises and to make meaningful and impactful change. But I know that to have real impact, it takes an entire community standing and working shoulder-to-shoulder.
‘True diversity’
“That is why we must not only look within our business but also consider our relationships and partnerships across all of our operations to ensure true diversity in our supply chain. We are delighted to be joining MSDUK who we believe are the right partner to guide and support us on this journey.”
MSDUK will also work with the manufacturer’s procurement teams to help ensure an increased understanding of the importance and benefits of a diverse supply chain and provide guidance with respect to supplier engagement.
Mayank Shah, chief executive and founder of MSDUK, added: “From the workforce to the supply chain, diversity and inclusion of people and ideas are critical drivers for further growth.
‘Unlocking further innovation’
“As Pladis continues to look at inclusion and diversity practises, ensuring a greater representation of ethnic minority suppliers will help to unlock further innovation and drive greater success. We look forward to supporting Pladis to create genuine and effective change as part of this.”
Meanwhile, food and drink firms have remained “behind the curve” on diversity and inclusion in the workplace, despite recent improvements across the industry, according to a report from research and training charity IGD.
Drawing on data captured from 200 companies and conversations with more than 100 chair, chief executives and human resources directors, the report found that less than half of businesses have adopted a co0ordinated strategy on the topic.
