Through Thatcham Research’s membership of the Automotive 30% Club, we are demonstrating our support for change across the industry. I am excited to see where this new chapter takes us on our journey to become a more diverse and inclusive organisation. We acknowledge that there is a gender imbalance within the automotive industry, and we wholeheartedly support the objectives of the Club. We look forward to paving the way for change. 

I see this membership as an extension of our requirement to support diversity and inclusion across our sectors. At Thatcham Research, we are taking great strides towards a workforce that is reflective of society. Our current organisational structure already represents cognitive diversity, due to the breadth of roles we have. From repair technicians, data analysts, and crash test engineers, to communications specialists, cyber security gurus, and vehicle technology experts, the foundations of the organisation are diverse by nature and bring many different perspectives and thought processes to our daily problem-solving activities.

This is something that we celebrate everyday as our contribution to the automotive and insurance industries is widely recognised and could not be achieved without our talented team. But we know that diversity and inclusion extend far beyond this.

We live and breathe our company values: Trusted, Resourceful, Inquisitive, Fearless and Supportive. These can be applied in many different areas of our lives and are closely aligned with the objectives of the Automotive 30% Club. In many ways, ‘Inquisitive’ relies on diversity. If we all think alike, we will come up with similar solutions and miss the slightly left-field or breakthrough idea that could make a real difference. We want to make sure every view counts and working with the Automotive 30% Club will help us realise the potential that diversity can bring to help us achieve and exceed our goals as a business.

This is not a ‘badge’ for us to wear; this is an important direction of travel. The overall benefit for the organisation is huge. The more diverse the workforce, the higher the positive outcomes for the industry. We are committed to promoting the Club’s objectives through our own activities with the sectors we support.

There is still a long way to go, but through our pledge to and support of the Automotive 30% Club, we look forward to seeing changes across our industry, and to reaching ’30 by 30’.