Membership Directory - Individual
Alex Craven
Project Management Professional at Legal & General
About
Bio: Alex is a project management professional at Legal & General Retirement. As the LGBT network co-chair for L&G (Hove), as well as Diversity & Inclusion facilitator for LGR, he is responsible for contributing to the delivery of L&G's diversity and inclusion strategy. Previously, he graduated with an MSc in Global Supply Chain and Logistics Management from the University of Sussex where he published research in delivering social value through commissioning and procurement.
Alex believes that equality and inclusion is a critical success factor for high performing organisations. As a leading pensions, investments and insurance provider, "if we aren't actively promoting the necessity for diverse teams, then we would fail to represent and reflect the huge diversity of our customer base. We serve our customers better when we fully understand and reflect their experiences and needs."
Alex says "If people can be themselves at work, they perform better. When you start work each day, you bring a lot of 'you' with you. Some elements are authentic but we can often forget to let our whole self shine through. Your whole self brings alternative perspectives to problem solving, better questions and an enhanced understanding of what our customer needs are. As a graduate I felt the benefits of LGBT+ inclusion with a fantastic mentor from an internal diversity programme who helped me overcome some of the challenges faced by LGBT people. I now provide mentoring for LGBT+ colleagues and students sharing my lessons of overcoming barriers within the workplace."
While the commercial benefits are clear, Alex feels "it is also the right thing to do for broader society - ensuring diversity fosters social inclusion and creates a happier world. Business has a key part to play in civil society making social cohesion and a culture of active citizenship for all a reality."
Alex believes that equality and inclusion is a critical success factor for high performing organisations. As a leading pensions, investments and insurance provider, "if we aren't actively promoting the necessity for diverse teams, then we would fail to represent and reflect the huge diversity of our customer base. We serve our customers better when we fully understand and reflect their experiences and needs."
Alex says "If people can be themselves at work, they perform better. When you start work each day, you bring a lot of 'you' with you. Some elements are authentic but we can often forget to let our whole self shine through. Your whole self brings alternative perspectives to problem solving, better questions and an enhanced understanding of what our customer needs are. As a graduate I felt the benefits of LGBT+ inclusion with a fantastic mentor from an internal diversity programme who helped me overcome some of the challenges faced by LGBT people. I now provide mentoring for LGBT+ colleagues and students sharing my lessons of overcoming barriers within the workplace."
While the commercial benefits are clear, Alex feels "it is also the right thing to do for broader society - ensuring diversity fosters social inclusion and creates a happier world. Business has a key part to play in civil society making social cohesion and a culture of active citizenship for all a reality."