Our Leadership
GDP is led by Farrah Qureshi, a globally recognised expert on diversity and inclusion.
Our Story
Global Diversity Practice was one of the first consultancies to be wholly focused on how diversity and inclusion can impact business performance
In 2009, businesses were just starting to understand the meaning of diversity and inclusion and how it could increase business performance. Today, more and more organisations are starting their D&I journey – and we have been the expert partner that helped deliver change for many of the world’s leading organisations.
It was only in 2011 that Lord Davies launched his independent review into women on boards in the UK’s FTSE listed businesses. This made businesses sit up and take notice of D&I more widely.
Over the past 10 years, we have successfully spread the message of diversity and inclusion at business events and conferences in almost every corner of the world.
From its operational hub in Bradford, our award-winning virtual network of consultants and experts has helped individual organisations to achieve their own positive D&I transformation – and as a result, a more diverse and inclusive society.
With billions of people employed in public, private and third sector organisations and businesses across the globe, influencing corporate behaviour has tremendous power to improve the lives of both individuals and communities.
As organisations begin to understand how inclusion and diversity can make a positive difference, it is important to ensure you don’t focus on the visible difference between people, such as gender and race, as this approach can be viewed as a box ticking exercise. This is where Farrah Qureshi and Global Diversity Practice has helped Brambles ensure we create an inclusive culture to promote awareness, understanding and appreciation of diversity.
Our D&I Proposition
Our belief is that when every person involved with an organisation feels engaged and valued as part of that team, that organisation unleashes an irresistible power and potential.
This means that diversity and inclusive thinking has to embrace both an organisation’s internal structure in every department and division, and also beyond, to its supply chain, customers and stakeholders.
Shifting demographics, disruptive technology, societal shifts, globalisation, continuous migration as people from around the world seek for better opportunities means an ever-growing diverse population in terms of ethnicity, language, religion and culture.
D&I training can help create more productive work environments that will attract a better workforce and retain existing staff.
Training is an excellent starting point that needs to be combined with a strategic focus on the goals, mission and values of the business. It is this far-reaching analytical approach, when D&I addresses the core issues that are blocking employee potential that delivers a system wide paradigm shift. This is where the transformation happens.
Top echelons of management must show clear leadership, commitment and accountability to succeed in implementing and sustaining diversity solutions that satisfy stakeholders and also create harmony and loyalty in a diverse and talented workforce.
Such commitment and leadership must be matched by a clear and actionable plan with defined goals, tools, methodologies and timescales to engage the organisation as a whole.
Diversity and Inclusion does not happen overnight. It is a progressive process that must be carefully embedded in all aspects of the business to become a coherent part of the organisation’s ‘machine’.
It is only effective when the working environment and culture are ready to accept change by acknowledging and embracing diversity.
Why GDP?
Farrah Qureshi, GDP’s founder, encountered discrimination first hand as an Asian woman growing up in Bradford. These experiences shaped her determination to build a fairer world, and now underline the approach and passion that the Global Diversity Practice team brings to achieve change and enable organisations to become more diverse and inclusive places for everyone.
Our D&I consultancy and learning solutions are firmly grounded in evidence and research.
GDP has delivered D&I consultancy and training to many world-leading brands across almost every sector. To view example from our client portfolio, see our case studies section.
Measurable returns
We focus on helping you reap measurable returns from good diversity and inclusion practice across the business:
- coaching and upskilling your CEO and the leadership team on unconscious bias
- developing the competence and confidence of your middle managers
- benchmarking diversity performance against peer group organisations
- providing expert research on social policy as it affects diversity in the workplace
- interfacing with your clients and customers to create more inclusive sales and marketing programmes
- running cross-cultural or gender equity workshops
Farrah is very committed to providing the best possible product to clients and has worked hard to understand the intricacies of working in DFID to put together a very relevant and successful programme; not an easy task with a workforce of over 2,500 spread across the world. Farrah has excelled in each area. She has shown a true sense of commitment and conviction on what she delivers.