The superyacht industry has been paying closer attention to diversity and inclusion, with a focus on equality and creating a more sustainable industry. We see roles such as 'chief diversity officer' or 'diversity and inclusion manager” in luxury retail, healthcare, private aviation or sport, yet few articles have reported about navigating the barriers and successes of building diversity and inclusion strategies into yachting companies.

Diversity includes but isn’t limited to age, disability, gender, race, religion or faith, sexual orientation, pregnancy and parental considerations, marriage and civil partnership or social status. Inclusivity is ensuring your employees feel accepted, valued and at ease to share their ideas and perspectives. For present purposes, diversity is the ‘what’ and inclusion is the ‘how’.

Corporate benefits of diversity and inclusion strategies include improved workplace culture, a wider talent pool and social cohesion that facilitates better communication, creativity and innovation.

According to a recent Facebook report of 1200 consumers, 71 per cent of respondents expect brands to promote diversity and inclusion in their online advertising and 59 per cent said they prefer to buy from brands that “stand for diversity and inclusion” in their ads.

Shifts in global sentiment will leave a mark on brand longevity and customer engagement. Isn’t it high time to uncover diversity and inclusion in the yachting industry and have honest discussions about something that impacts all of us?

Continue reading here.

Author: Rebecca Whitlocke