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The real estate firm has signed on to sponsor the Property Council of Australia’s diversity, equity and inclusion events across NSW for the next two years.
The partnership will enable the council to continue the events it has established to champion women in the property sector, while also expanding its Pride in Property event, held for the first time last year.
Knight Frank Australia’s CEO, James Patterson, explained that the company was thrilled to sign on to partner on the initiatives upon learning that the opportunity had become available.
“This is an incredible chance for us to demonstrate our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion,” he said, noting that DEI plays a big role in how the company is planning for its future.
“We are building a workforce that reflects a balanced representation of our society and are creating a welcoming and respectful space where the goal is for all individuals to feel valued, be comfortable being themselves and feel they can bring their whole selves to work,” he said.
Mr Patterson also revealed that the firm has adopted a 40:40:20 commitment to gender representation, with a workforce of 40 per cent women, 40 per cent men, and 20 per cent constituted by workers of any gender.
“Our people are on board with our aspirations and are helping us to drive change with recently established employee advocacy groups across our four DEI pillars: gender, LQBTQIA+, ability and wellbeing, and race and faith,” he added.
The Property Council’s CEO, Mike Zorbas, expressed his delight at welcoming the new partner.
“Healthy, diverse and inclusive workplaces are something we have long championed through our advocacy, thought leadership and events, and I look forward to building on that work through this partnership,” Mr Zorbas said.
The organisation’s NSW executive director, Katie Stevenson, added that she hopes the alliance will contribute to furthering the cause across the field of property.
“Positive change in our sector is driven through alliances between industry leaders with shared values, which is why this partnership with Knight Frank is so exciting. I am looking forward to working together to achieve great things, starting with an annual calendar of events connecting people who want to contribute to a dynamic, inclusive industry,” Ms Stevenson said.
Those events will include an International Women’s Day Lunch in March, the council’s annual Women in Property Lunch which will take place in May, and the Pride in Property event slated for June.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Juliet Helmke
Based in Sydney, Juliet Helmke has a broad range of reporting and editorial experience across the areas of business, technology, entertainment and the arts. She was formerly Senior Editor at The New York Observer.
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