VIDEO
Diversity in Merchanting round table
SHARE

Builders’ Merchants News invited a group of leading players to discuss diversity in the merchant sector.

Builders’ Merchants News invited a group of leading players to discuss diversity in the merchant sector.

National Construction Week 2019 was the venue for the first ever Diversity in Merchanting Round Table held in October 2019.

BMN partnered with the Builders Merchant Federation and MRA Marketing to discuss a number of topics in a lively two hour debate.

Chaired by BMN Editor, Tim Wood, the ten panellists were:

• Shanker Patel, CEO of Lords BM

• Reina Reeves, Branch Manager at Lords BM

• Lynn Street, Sales & Marketing Manager for Midland Lead,

• Sheri Hughes, Diversity Inclusion Director for the Michael Page Group

• Kishor Harsiani, Strategy & Finance Director at IBC

• John Harkness, HR Director at TP Hire

• Andrew Harrison, CEO of Travis Perkins Plumbing & Heating Division,

• David Haydon, Managing Director at Wolseley

• Maria Lawless, Head of Human Resources at Parker Building Supplies

• Imogen Howarth, HR Generalist

The panel discussed a wide range of issues linked to diversity and inclusion: from unconscious bias, to their own experience of prejudice in the workplace, disability, hiring ex-offenders, gender imbalance in the industry, and mental health.



Latest issue


March 2024