Supporting Diversity & Inclusion

APR has always recognised the value of having as much diversity of backgrounds and thought as possible in the business.  Our efforts in achieving this aim are governed by a D&I Strategy Group, led by an Associate Partner (Sammy Ford) and sponsored by a Partner (Tim Nash). This group includes leaders of relevant functions (for example in staff management and recruitment) and is supported by a wider group of D&I Ambassadors from across the business.

Since inception the group has subsequently made improvements in the following areas:

• We participate in the Actuarial Mentoring Programme, which is the actuarial profession’s initiative to provide mentoring and support to female or minority groups in the profession.
• We have reviewed all our recruitment materials to ensure their language and imagery are inclusive.
• We carry out detailed analysis of our recruitment process. Here we analyse the success rate of each demographic group at each of the four stages of the assessment. Any learnings identified from our reporting feed into our action plans.
• We have changed our induction process to make sure we check for potential adaptations so that none of our people are avoidably disadvantaged.
• We are committed to making 2022 our baseline year for diversity measurement, including ethnic background, gender and disability where voluntarily disclosed.
• We have appointed a D&I lead, who sits on our Operational Management Group; this group routinely considers D&I impacts as part of its regular decision-making.
• We regularly measure and report internally on the diversity of our staff group. We have excellent engagement from our staff in support of this work, with 93% of staff sharing demographic data so that we can carry out this reporting. This includes analysis by business area and seniority level, diversity of our new hires, diversity of staff receiving APR Values Awards and other forms of recognition and reward.
• We have specified targets for D&I training for all staff, which vary depending on the individual’s role; we are working with D&I professionals to support us in delivering that training.
• We have expanded the level of support provided through our maternity and paternity leave policies and recently rolled out a new Working Practices policy which gives staff the opportunity for flexible arrangements. We recognise the benefit this can bring to working parents and some minority groups, but also the value it offers to APR through the ability to access larger talent pools and diverse skills. This positive impact extends to the wider sector by reducing the risk of talent being lost from the actuarial profession.

Despite our positive approach to diversity and inclusion, we recognise that we have some way to go before we can claim to reflect our communities in the way we would like.  In 2022, we set long-term targets in consultation with professional bodies, clients and others in our industry to make a positive impact in this area and ensure we are fully representative at all levels of the company.

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