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Lane4 supports launch of Accelerate Mentoring Programme for leadership gender equality in food and drinks industry

Lane4 is proud to announce its partnership with Odgers Berndston, a Global Leadership Services, Executive Search and Talent Consultancy, to deliver the new Accelerate Mentoring Programme, to promote gender balance at board level in the UK food and drink industry.

Currently in the UK, only 28% of board roles in the sector are held by women or non-binary leaders. Odgers Bernstein, a leading global executive search firm, and Lane4 want to change this. The 12-month Accelerate Mentoring Programme matches senior leaders with mentors who hold board-level roles across over 40 companies. By providing women and non-binary leaders with the opportunity to share knowledge and experience, the mentorship aims to multiply opportunities and achieve gender parity in this male-dominated industry. The new programme launches in March 2020 and will roll out across the industry over the next 12 months.

As partners of Odgers Berndston, Lane4 has championed this initiative from the start, supporting the launch of programme goal setting and mentorship elements. Monica Relph, Client Solutions Coordinator at Lane4, will be chairing the panel of the Accelerate Mentoring Programme launch event on 25th March 2020.

Austin Swain, Business Development Director at Lane4, commented:

“I feel incredibly passionate about the Accelerate Mentoring Programme. Initiatives like this are vital if we’re going to reach that landmark goal of gender parity, but this isn’t just a moral issue: research has shown time and again that diversity in senior leadership leads to better decision making and stronger performance for organisations.

“At Lane4, one of our core values is being ‘people champions’, so supporting female and non-binary leaders to reach their full potential sits at the heart of Lane4’s purpose as an organisation. I wish all participants on the Accelerate Mentoring Programme the best of luck.”

For more information on the Accelerate Mentoring Programme, please click here.