Marks & Spencer chief executive Steve Rowe has made a personal commitment to staff to take “urgent action” to address racism and diversity in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement.
In a message to staff, Rowe said the actions taken by the retailer so far were not good enough and the issues would be considered as part of a “much overdue review of our approach to diversity and inclusion”.
Rowe added: “I will be putting my personal weight behind this.” As part of the drive M&S has brought new inclusion charities under the umbrella of its Sparks loyalty scheme through which customers can donate.
Following the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in the US that sparked BLM demonstrations internationally, Rowe told employees that he hoped the incident would be “a catalyst for the world to face into the challenge of systemic racism and take meaningful action”.
He wrote: “As a privileged white man, and as the CEO of a business of 78,000 colleagues – with different backgrounds, beliefs and ambitions – I’ve been reflecting a lot on what has happened and what we need to do at M&S.”
Rowe said that for M&S to be able to say it was “truly diverse and inclusive” it needed to reflect that as an employer, including how and where it recruits; as a retailer, including the ranges it carries and store layouts; and as a business with stores in many communities.
As part of its ambitions to be an active participant in the neighbourhoods where it trades, M&S has expanded the range of organisations it supports through the Sparks loyalty programme. M&S it to back the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, which works to improve the life chnaces of young people, and The Black Curriculum, which aims to address the lack of black British history in education. Rowe said the partnerships are being starting with a direct donation.
Rowe said: “We are committed to being with our customers all the way as the country faces into a challenging future. That commitment is for our colleagues too.
“To all of our black colleagues and to any colleague who has faced prejudice, ignorance or injustice, I may not always get it right but I am with you all the way in mind and in heart.”
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