President’s Group launched in London
30th January 2007
Employers' Forum on Disability (EFD) launched its president's group on 25 January 2007.
It is the only senior leadership body focused on repositioning disabled people as employees, customers and valued stakeholders. The group has been established under the direction of John Varley, Group Chief Executive, Barclays PLC and EFD President.
John Varley
John Varley said: "The formation of the president's group will demonstrate to colleagues, to customers, and to the Government that making it easier for customers with disabilities to do business with us, and making it easier for employees with disabilities to work with us, is a strategic priority.
"We want Employers' Forum on Disability to help us align the needs of disabled colleagues and customers with the business priorities of our organisations."
This is the first time that senior leaders from the UK and global business community - and from the public sector - have come together to announce that disability must now be positioned as an economic and societal priority.
Speakers at the event, hosted by Barclays at its global headquarters in Canary Wharf, included disabled associates of the EFD: Phil Friend, Director of disability consultancy Churchill, Minty and Friend, and Chair of RADAR; and Dr James Partridge, Chief Executive of Changing Faces.
Susan Scott-Parker, Chief Executive of Employers' Forum on Disability also spoke at the launch.
Phil Friend
Phil Friend said: "I think the formation of the president's group sends a very powerful message to other UK corporate leaders that becoming skilled and confident in dealing with disability at all levels is a vitally important part of corporate life.
"Having the support of such senior people will also make it easier for EFD and those of us working in this field to get the message across."
Susan Scott-Parker
Susan Scott-Parker said: "Disability confident organisations understand how disability affects every aspect of their business.
"The formation of the president's group is a testimony to how far the UK has travelled on this journey.
"It demonstrates the need for business-to-business collaboration, and partnership with disabled people, in order to realise the potential of some 15-20 per cent of the world's population."
The president's group will meet on a regular basis to mobilise stakeholder engagement at the most senior levels across UK and global business.
Ends
Notes to editors
Members of the president's group
The president's group is made up of senior representatives from Barclays Plc, B&Q, BUPA, Cisco Systems, Goldman Sachs International, HBOS, InterContinental, Interserve, Johnson Controls, Land Securities, Merrill Lynch International, Motability, Netcare Healthcare UK, PWC, Rockpools, Royal Bank of Scotland, and JGP as well as senior counterparts in the following public sector organisations: BBC, CBI, Department for Transport, Department for Work and Pensions, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, Jobcentre Plus, London Development Agency, Ministry of Defence, Royal Mail, SOCA, Transport for London, TUC, NHS Employers and NHS Scotland.
Barclays Plc
Barclays PLC is a major global financial services provider engaged in retail and commercial banking, credit cards, investment banking, wealth management and investment management services. We are one of the largest financial services companies in the world by market capitalisation. Operating in over 60 countries and employing over 118,000 people, we move, lend, invest and protect money for over 25 million customers and clients worldwide. With over 300 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays PLC has six major businesses.
Media enquiries, please contact:
Liz Nightingale, Communications Manager
Employers' Forum on Disability
Email: liz.nightingale@efd.org.uk
Telephone: 020 7403 3020
About Employers' Forum on Disability
Employers' Forum on Disability is the employers' organisation focused on disability as it affects employers and service providers. With over 400 members, EFD represents organisations that employ around 20 per cent of the UK workforce.Since its establishment in 1991, EFD has worked closely with government and other stakeholders, sharing best practice to make it easier to employ disabled people and serve disabled customers.