At Aviva Investors, we're proud to be part of The Diversity Project, which aims to create a truly diverse and inclusive UK investment and savings industry. Find out more about the mission, vision and strategy here.
The mission
The Diversity Project was launched in early 2016, when Aviva Investors and other leaders in our industry decided to act to accelerate progress towards a more inclusive culture. We believe we have an extraordinary opportunity to press the reset button in our industry: to recruit, nurture and retain the first truly diverse generation of Savings and Investment professionals.
The Project is founded on the principle that an inclusive culture across all levels supports more effective teamwork, gives wider perspectives, better investment decisions, improved results for our clients and ultimately more sustainable businesses.
The strategy
Development of the Project’s strategy is led by a CEO and Chair Advisory Council and implemented through a Steering Committee. Further volunteers from all levels of our industry help drive change through their individual engagement.
Members of The Diversity Project believe that recognisable and measurable progress can be achieved over a 5 year timeframe. The aim is to achieve diversity across all dimensions, including gender, ethnicity, socio-economic background, LGBTI+, age and disability, measuring and publishing progress as the Project continues. Equally, the Project spans the whole range of the profession: asset owners, fund managers, fund selectors, pension consultants, actuaries, trustees, wealth managers and the professional standards and trade bodies.
Members share and help amplify best practice, and where there are gaps, establish new initiatives to help create a more diverse industry at all levels - from intake to senior leadership and the board - with a real sense of urgency.
You can find out more about this initiative on the Diversity Project website.
Culture in action
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Equal parental leave programme
2 Apr 2019
We believe that unconscious hiring and promotional bias is inevitable in any system that treats men and women differently when they become parents. We also know that parenting is seen as equally important no matter people’s gender.
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Women in leadership programme
2 Apr 2019
Our success as a business — now and in the future — will only be possible with a diverse senior leadership team. However, as with the industry as a whole, we still see too much imbalance.
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Career returners programme
22 Nov 2022
We know that more work needs to be done to improve the number of women in senior roles in Finance. One way we are addressing the imbalance is to remove any barriers when returning to work after an extended break.
