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Sign upMarking Black History Month 2024 with Sodexo and our members
Seminar / 02 October 2024
Professionals from real estate and its associated sectors recently joined us at Real Estate Balance member Sodexo to mark Black History Month and celebrate the contributions of Black colleagues to our industry.
The panellists, listed below, also discussed their career experiences and how individuals and organisations can help to elevate professionals from Black and other ethnic minority backgrounds at the event at Sodexo’s London office.
- Natasha Cooke - PMO and Transformation for Europe President, Sodexo (Chair)
- Georgina Anderson - Asset Management Analyst, DWS
- Hannah Awonuga - Partner, Group Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Knight Frank
- Jean Renton – Chief Financial Officer, Sodexo
- Alicia Sterling - Head of Resourcing, Black Professionals In Construction Network
Natasha started the discussion with a safety moment where she introduced the company’s Let’s Talk About Race toolkit, which is currently under development.
She asked the panellists what allyship means to them, and for Hannah an effective ally considers how they can utilise their position, privilege and power to help others and also what they can do to drive representation.
Alicia agreed and added that allyship is about actively driving change rather than just passive support. She also expressed her belief that allyship is not just about furthering representation but also about fostering a culture of belonging.
Jean discussed the personal pleasure she takes from being a good ally and how going out of her way to raise colleagues and teams was also an important part of being an effective and modern leader.
Georgina secured her role after completing an internship programme with 10,000 Black Interns, which arranges work experience placements and provides support for Black students and graduates across the UK.
She said that allyship for her meant being offered chances, whether that means leading a meeting, being invited to have her say around senior colleagues or being offered guidance with developing soft and hard skills to progress her career.
Natasha also asked the panellists what companies should do to address the underrepresentation of Black professionals in our industry, particularly at senior levels.
Hannah cited her own experience of moving to Knight Frank following a career up until then primarily spent in financial services, and encouraged other organisations to seek talent outside of traditional real estate companies while also placing a higher premium on transferable skills.
She also suggested that instead of looking for “fit”, companies would be far better served seeking “value add”, as diversity of ideas, experiences and backgrounds would only enhance what they are able to offer to customers and could also differentiate themselves from competitors.
Jean agreed, saying that diversity was a richness in of itself. She also highlighted how Sodexo was focussing on recruiting with gender and ethnicity in mind immediately below its executives to develop a diverse and talented pipeline to its most senior levels.
Sodexo is also a supporter of 10,000 Black Interns; as well as having a number of staff members who had undertaken the programme, it facilitates an alumni group for those who have taken part in the initiative at the company.
Natasha urged attendees, especially those at the early stages of their careers, to make sure that they valued the power of connections and networks and were working to ensure they were in a position to benefit from those relationships.
It isn’t the job of ethnic minorities to teach people about racism or microaggressions. It is our responsibility as individuals to do the work and do the learning ourselves. In the case of our inherent biases which we all have, an ally will want to un-learn certain things too.
Hannah Awonuga
The panellists also discussed the value of sponsorship or, as Hannah put it, “spending personal and professional capital” to help someone progress. They all agreed on the role sponsorship can play to close the representation gap at senior leadership levels and Jean advocated for it to be introduced thoughtfully and deliberately.
Natasha asked about the barriers for Black people accessing roles in UK real estate and its associated sectors and Alicia made the case that organisations do not always know where to access Black talent and that even when they do, sometimes their recruitment processes prevented them from benefitting from it.
She put forward blind recruitment practices as simple solution to challenge underrepresentation.
Georgina suggested that many young people were unaware of the variety of roles and opportunities our industry offers, pointing to her own experience of being allocated to a real estate-related role rather than seeking one out.
Many of the leaders she had spoken to also fell into the industry through chance or by an existing connection, she added.
The panellists closed the conversation with their views on what attendees could do to make our workplaces more inclusive for Black professionals.
For Alicia, people could recommend organisations like BPIC Network which represent Black professionals but also celebrate Black excellence, such as through the Network’s annual awards ceremony.
She said: "BPIC Network strive to accelerate careers and is highly recommended as an inclusive hub who go beyond advocacy. Promoting strategies and solutions to attract diverse workforces dedicated to reshaping the industry narrative and driving a more equitable and vibrant future for all. We empower professionals on their journey from early careers to senior level."
Georgina urged people in senior leadership positions to be more aware of their power to include junior colleagues in discussions, which can have a significant impact on their confidence and feeling of belonging.
Attendees also had the opportunity to ask questions, including on practical examples of allyship, which included calling out inappropriate attitudes and behaviours when we see them, and combatting imposter syndrome, with one remedy posited including talking it through with friends and colleagues.
The formal part of the event concluded with a short presentation on Sodexo’s aim to tackle nutritional inequality through its work with charity Stop Hunger. Attendees were asked prior to the event to contribute essential household and hygiene items and non-perishable foods to the company’s collection.
All of us at Real Estate Balance are thankful to Alicia, Georgina, Hannah, Jean and Natasha, Marc Vincent at Sodexo and to all who attended and participated in this enjoyable and enlightening event.