pladis, one of the world’s leading snacking companies, has convened a global advisory board made up of established leaders in the field of inclusion and diversity to support pladis’ journey to create a vibrant, inclusive and diverse workforce.

Together the board will bring a wealth of experience and a variety of perspectives. Advisers joining the board are:

• Dame Kelly Holmes: British Olympic, Commonwealth and European champion, who won 19 medals for Great Britain throughout her career.
• Ade Adepitan MBE: Paralympic medalist and TV presenter.
• Alastair Campbell: Best-selling writer, communicator, strategist and mental health campaigner.
• Stevie Spring CBE: Chairman of Mental Health Charity, Mind and board member of the world’s largest cooperative, the Coop Group.

Advisory board members will work with senior pladis leaders to provide strategic counsel and advice, accelerating pladis on its journey to building an inclusive and diverse business globally. Specifically, they will be tasked with sharing best practices and learnings to build the right roadmap to success for pladis.

“We are thrilled to be announcing our Inclusion and Diversity Advisory Board, made up of prominent experts in this field,” said Anisa Missaghi, Global Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications, pladis. “Bringing external thinking into the organisation is critical for us if we are to make a difference.  If we want to make real change, we must push ourselves further and by convening these minds and listening to their outside perspectives, we will be able to do just that.”

Speaking on the appointment of the Inclusion and Diversity Advisory Board, pladis CEO Salman Amin said: “Inclusion and diversity is a cause that I care deeply about but it’s not enough just to consider the problem. As a global business, with global brands loved by millions of consumers in the markets we serve, it is so important our workforce reflects that customer base. My mission is to ensure pladis is a place where diverse, bright, ambitious and passionate people come and thrive.

“As we continue to build a culture that celebrates our differences and values inclusion, we must be challenged by both our colleagues and by external voices. That is one of the key reasons for setting up this board. I am truly excited about how Dame Kelly, Ade, Alastair and Stevie will help us on our critical journey to being a more inclusive and diverse workplace.”

Commitments already undertaken by pladis include becoming signatories of The Valuable 500, BITC: Race at Work Charter and working in partnership with MSDUK to ensure greater representation of ethnic minority businesses throughout the supply chain. Additionally, McVitie’s has been a corporate partner for Mental Health charity, Mind since 2017.