Morton fraser joins 30% Club in push for diversity

Maggie Moodie

The 30% Club sets targets for gender representation at board and executive committee levels amongst the FTSE 350 and asks all members to embrace fully inclusive cultures that consider ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background and beyond.

Morton Fraser’s own board is currently 60 per cent female and 52 per cent of senior management roles are occupied by women. However, the firm has put diversity and inclusion at the heart of its growth strategy and is committed to encouraging greater diversity in the Scottish business community.

Maggie Moodie, chairman of Morton Fraser, said: “The 30% Club actively lobbies for improvements in female representation at executive level, which is in keeping with our own values. We passionately believe in encouraging a diverse set of experiences, perspectives and backgrounds in our firm.

“We are on our own journey in that respect. Law firms have a long way to go before they can call themselves truly diverse. While we may have outstanding female leadership in our firm, we cannot ignore the wider challenge our sector faces to encourage and retain members of BAME communities in the industry. It was important to us that the 30% Club recently updated its targets to include people of colour.”

Francoise Higson, Campaign Manager, 30% Club, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Morton Fraser to the 30% Club and encouraged by the level of gender representation that the firm has already achieved at Board and senior management level. Creating an inclusive culture and realising the potential of a diverse workforce is a continuous journey and we’re delighted to have CEO, Chris Harte, and Chair, Maggie Moodie, championing that from the very top.”

According to The 30% Club, the proportion of women in board positions in the FTSE 350 has increased from 9.5 per cent in 2010 to 32 per cent now.