Networks

Empowering voices: Our diversity networks in action

Our diversity networks bring our ED&I strategy to life, creating communities where colleagues can connect, learn and be heard. Led by colleagues and supported by executive sponsors, the networks help us listen to lived experience, build allyship and improve everyday inclusion for all colleagues. This year we increased reach and participation by expanding network engagement through Viva Engage, enabling more colleagues to access support, share experiences and contribute to positive change.

Over the past 12 months the networks:

Created supportive communities where colleagues can connect, share experiences and access peer support
Amplified lived experience and strengthened colleague voice, using listening, storytelling and two-way dialogue to shape priorities and build understanding across the organisation
Built awareness and allyship through network-led ED&I flagship events and campaigns – for example, Enable on disability and neurodiversity inclusion, Proud to Be during Pride and LGBTQ+ History Month, and the CHORD race and ethnicity network through cultural moments including South Asian Heritage Month and Vaisakhi
Supported practical inclusion by helping to inform workplace adjustments and colleague support, including Enable raising awareness of reasonable adjustments and Parents & Carers spotlighting fertility and family-related support
Strengthened inclusive leadership and cross-network collaboration, supporting intersectionality and contributing to an environment where all colleagues, including the Armed Forces community, can thrive

1,500

All diversity networks achieved over 1,500 members in FY26

CHORD

Over the past 12 months, CHORD – led by Jags Dhanoa, Account Director – strengthened both its community and its influence, welcoming new members representing 60% growth compared with the previous year. CHORD launched a podcast series featuring colleagues’ perspectives and creating space for constructive conversations on race and culture in the workplace, with episodes including Intro to CHORD, Every Action Counts (Race Equality Week) and Reclaiming the Narrative (Black History Month).

This year’s CHORD flagship event, Now is the Time, focused on supporting the progression of racially diverse talent into mid-level and senior management roles. Opened by CEO Phil Bentley, the event featured a senior panel with Executive Committee members Kathryn Dolan, Cijo Joseph and Eustace Xavier alongside external guest Bally Bansal, Director of AI Solutions at Sand Technologies. More than 200 colleagues attended in person and online, with discussions covering career journeys, barriers to progression and practical guidance on routes into management. The event encouraged colleagues to review and update their diversity data, supporting progress in closing the ethnicity pay gap.

We champion equal opportunities for all races and ethnicities at Mitie. We provide a supportive space where colleagues from all backgrounds can connect, share experiences and drive systemic change.

Jags Dhanoa

Account Director

Phil Bentley

CEO

Eustance Xavier

Finance Director

Bally Bansal

Director of AI Solutions Sand Technologies

Cijo Joseph

Chief Technology & Digital Officer MGX Sponsor

Kathryn Dolan

Chief People Officer

Feedback from colleagues

Speaking up isn’t always easy, but it matters. By sharing my journey, I hope to encourage others to do the same. When we share our experiences, we create space for others to feel seen, heard and supported.

CHORD also strengthened its focus on intersectionality, partnering with Proud to Be during LGBTQ+ History Month to explore how LGBTQ+ and cultural identity can intersect and shape colleague experience. To mark South Asian Heritage Month, colleagues shared reflections on heritage and belonging, with one noting: “Heritage is about more than celebration; it is also about survival, strength and the stories we inherit.” During Black History Month, CHORD partnered with Co-op’s Rise network to highlight visible role modelling, career development and inclusive workplace cultures across both organisations.

Mitie has also joined the Race at Work Charter, aligned to its ED&I strategy targets of 20% racially diverse senior leadership and 27% racially diverse middle management by 2030. Mitie partners with MSDUK and Social Enterprise UK to promote inclusive practices and supplier diversity.

Proud to Be

Led by Gareth Sterry, Internal Communications Business Partner, the Proud to Be network continued to foster an inclusive, supportive environment for LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies. The network strengthened its external engagement by participating in London Pride and attending the inaugural Windsor and Eton Pride event alongside clients, reflecting its commitment to visibility and community impact beyond Mitie.

Membership increased to over 1,500 colleagues, with LGBTQ+ representation rising from 2.55% in FY25 to 3.8% in March 2026. The Viva Engage community expanded to over 500 members, providing an active platform for discussion and awareness. The network was named a finalist for Network of the Year at both the DIVA Awards and the British Diversity Awards, and the Executive Sponsor was shortlisted at the Diversity Network Awards.

We welcome all identities and orientations, educating, informing and inspiring our colleagues to be themselves by promoting an inclusive culture in the workplace, particularly around LGBTQ+.

Gareth Sterry

Internal Communications Business Partner

1,500

Membership increased to over 1,500 colleagues

500

Viva Engage community expanded to over 500 members

Mitie Women Can

Led by Sarah Baxter, Managing Director, Mitie Women Can maintained year-round engagement through Viva Engage, with posts reaching 91% of their active users. The network delivered its Critical Conversations series, including sessions on menopause and women’s health and on preventing and responding to violence against women.

To widen access to learning, the network launched the SHEnanigans of Change podcast series and refreshed its hub to make events and resources easier to find. The year culminated in the flagship International Women’s Day event (Give to Gain), hosted live from The Shard with online access and local watch parties, spotlighting role models, launching mentoring activity and celebrating colleagues through the Exceptional Women & Allies Awards.

Driving future growth with an elevated inclusive perspective, we want to help support women at Mitie, not only to feel safe but to thrive. To realise this, we need unreserved support from all our people.

Sarah Baxter

Managing Director

Parents & Carers

The Parents & Carers Network, led by Rachael Burn, Senior Sustainability Manager, and Louise Kennell, Head of Group Property, raised awareness of Mitie’s family-friendly and inclusive employment offer through expanded Viva Engage involvement and improved access to practical guidance. The network increased understanding of unpaid caring responsibilities through Carers Week and launched its Journeys to Parenthood podcast series, with the first episode focused on fostering and reflecting the experiences of Mitie’s 215 colleague foster carers.

During the year, Mitie joined the Fertility Matters at Work network and delivered the ‘Understanding fertility challenges and how we can better support colleagues’ webinar in collaboration with the organisation. The initiative created a platform to improve understanding of fertility treatment, loss, and workplace impact, supporting a more open and inclusive working environment. Through targeted engagement and leadership sponsorship, the webinar encouraged informed conversations, increased awareness of available support and strengthened psychological safety for colleagues experiencing fertility-related challenges.

Fertility is deeply personal and, for many, can be a lonely and emotionally demanding journey. As leaders, we have a responsibility to listen with empathy, take the time to understand individual experiences, and create workplaces where people feel genuinely cared for and supported.

Kevin Tyrrell

Chief Growth Officer and Executive Sponsor, Parents & Carers Network

Enable

Led by Richard Breach, Strategic Account Director, Enable strengthened disability and neurodiversity inclusion by combining awareness raising with practical guidance on workplace adjustments. The network’s flagship event, Understanding Disability Inclusion in the Workplace, was delivered live from The Shard, streamed via Teams and supported by local watch parties, bringing together internal leaders and external specialists to explore disability prevalence, societal attitudes and practical steps to support colleagues with visible and non-visible disabilities. Enable promoted disability and neurodiversity awareness throughout the year, including a neurodiversity learning session and the Sunflower Lanyard initiative to support colleagues with non-visible disabilities.

The network aligned its activity to the This is Me campaign, encouraging colleagues to share disability information confidentially so that support and adjustments can be better targeted. Through our partnership with Business Disability Forum, managers can draw on expert guidance to navigate disability inclusion, including how to approach adjustment conversations.

Mitie has been formally recognised as a Disability Confident Leader (Level 3), the highest accreditation under the UK Government’s scheme – reflecting sustained progress in disability inclusion, inclusive recruitment and workplace support. Through the Mitie Foundation’s Ready2Work programme, the business supports people facing barriers to employment, including those with disabilities and learning needs, into sustainable work.

Championing inclusive employment through partnership in Ireland

Mitie strengthened its commitment to inclusive employment through a partnership with Rehab Enterprises, supporting the creation of sustainable career opportunities for people with disabilities. The collaboration introduced the Work Ready Programme, designed to match individuals to roles aligned with their skills while providing tailored support, training and development to enable long-term employment. The first placement at Dublin Airport marked a key milestone, demonstrating the programme’s ability to deliver practical, real-world impact at site level and helping to build teams that better reflect the communities they serve.

We strive for an inclusive workplace by advocating for colleagues with disabilities, fostering awareness and providing a supportive space for connection, resource and growth. Proudly accredited as Disability Confident.

Richard Breach

Strategic Account Director

Being recognised as a Disability Confident Leader reflects how inclusion has become increasingly a central part of the way we operate as a business, from improving confidence around disclosure and access to reasonable adjustments, to strengthening the capability of managers and creating clearer pathways into work. This recognition builds on the meaningful progress we have already made and reflects a culture grounded in trust, action and a shared ambition to help people facing barriers build sustainable careers.

Sim Sian

Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Mitie Military

The Mitie Military Network, led by Tommy Marley, National Operations Manager, continued to strengthen support for veterans, reservists and cadet force adult volunteers, helping to build belonging, improve awareness of forces-friendly policies and support successful transition into civilian careers. The network broadened frontline reach through an expanded Viva Engage community and local engagement activity including coffee mornings. The flagship Remember Together Remembrance event brought colleagues together to recognise the contribution of the Armed Forces community, while Armed Forces Week and the Military Buddy Scheme provided structured peer support for new veteran hires.

Recognised Gold by MoD Employer Recognition Scheme

Mitie was revalidated as a Gold Award holder under the Ministry of Defence’s Employer Recognition Scheme for a further five years, recognising its sustained commitment to supporting the Armed Forces community. The Military Network supported colleagues through dedicated recruitment pathways, including alignment with the Career Transition Partnership. Support for reservists includes an additional 10 days’ paid leave each year, enabling continued service alongside employment.

We employ a large number of former Armed Forces personnel across Mitie, offering support and training for those looking for a career beyond military life.

Tommy Marley

National Operations Manager