SGF launches first D&I Conference

The Scottish Grocer’s Federation is delighted to announce the launch of its first D&I Conference, which will be held on Thursday 3 April at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Glasgow. The conference will blend individuals lived experiences, thought leaders and allies to bring the most relevant and compelling information and ideas for retailers to take back to their business.

The event is free to attend for all independent retailers, which Booker Wholesale is supporting as Headline Partner, with additional sponsorship from Mondelez and Heineken. The conference has been created to provide insights, awareness and learnings, coupled with practical advice, tools and take-aways for independent retailers to help them embrace a diverse and inclusive culture in their organisations and start to implement impactful change. The real, tangible benefits to businesses that embrace a truly diverse and inclusive culture for their colleagues and customer, will also be shared.

“SGF believes a truly diverse and inclusive workplace stems from individual knowledge and awareness and we are confident that this event will improve understanding and allow retailers to implement best practice towards a more inclusive workplace environment," said Pete Cheema, CEO of SGF.

"I am very thankful to Booker Wholesale, who is supporting as Headline Partner, with additional sponsorship from Mondelez and Heineken. The conference has been created to provide insights, awareness and learnings, coupled with practical advice, tools and take aways for independent retailers to help them embrace a diverse and inclusive culture in their organisations and start to implement impactful change. The real, tangible benefits to businesses that embrace a truly diverse and inclusive culture for their colleagues and customer, will also be shared.”

Attendees will hear from some wide and varied sponsors and speakers including:

Headline Partner

Colm Johnson, Managing Director, Booker Group – Retail, who will be sharing his experiences around colleague networks and building connections. Colm said: “It’s great news that the SGF is shining a light on diversity and starting to help independent retailers understand how they can build a more inclusive culture, for both their colleagues and customers alike. Everyone being more mindful can only bring positive change. Independent retailers are already at the heart of the communities they serve and helping them and their teams be at their best is really important to everyone at Booker.”

Supporting Partners

Alisdair Hamilton, Field Sales & Sales Support Director at Mondelez said: “This is a welcome initiative by the SGF which reflects the changing requirements for retailers and distributors alike, namely that being thoughtful on inclusion is no longer a ‘nice to do’, more like a ‘need to do’. When we heard what the R4R group were trying to achieve we wanted straight away to give them this opportunity to get their name out using this new SGF platform. We, at Mondelez, are excited to discover where this initiative can take us all.”

Adam Shields, Senior Customer Manager at Heineken commented: “Inclusion and Diversity fosters a sense of true togetherness and drives us to seek deeper connection with our employees, consumers and customers. A diverse and inclusive workforce is good for our people and business as it sparks innovation and leads to better performance. Aligned with our core value of ‘care for people’, our aim is to ensure every HEINEKEN employee feels a strong sense of belonging. We also want them to feel safe to speak up and help shape the future of our organisation. This is why we use employee engagement to amplify the voices of our workforce and enable people to act as catalysts for positive change. We believe diversity of thoughts leads to greater innovation and better performance. Inclusion also starts with courageous leadership which is why we nurture bold and brave leaders who create space for everyone, equally.”

Also on stage will be Mandi Leonard, Welfare Director of GroceryAid, who will be highlighting to retailers the wealth of support that is available to them and their teams to provide relief during tough times, and Jamie Meechan, Senior Associate at Burness Paull who will discuss what the law says about equality, diversity, and inclusion in the UK and why it can be good for business to go beyond the legal minimum.

Any business who is interested in finding out more can visit the SGF’s website, where you can also register to attend the event can register free of charge.