It’s official! Our brand-new collaboration space is open for business. Most of the time we’ll be using it for user testing. But it’s also a fitting space to run events that bring clients together.

We’re keen to contribute to the discussion on how innovative thinking can achieve solutions for clients, so we’ve come up with a speaker series designed to raise important issues affecting New Zealand businesses, called Live at the Studio.

We had the privilege of having Aleisha Coote, Programme Manager for Champions for Change as our keynote speaker for the inaugural Live at the Studio event.

Aleisha spoke to around 60 guests, including key business decision-makers from large organisations such as ANZ, Vodafone, Datacom, and NZTE, about the social and economic benefits of diversity.

This was a real eye-opener packed with interesting facts about the difference diversity can make in the workplace.

Did you know…

  • Companies in the top 25% of gender diversity are 15% more likely to financially outperform their industry.
  • Companies in the top 25% of ethnic diversity are 35% more likely to financially outperform their industry.
  • The highest rated companies for LGBTI inclusion consistently outperform the stock market.

The impressive statistics don’t stop there. A recent study of CEOs who have led strategies to promote diversity and inclusion found that…

  • 90% say they are better at attracting top talent.
  • 78% say they are better at innovating.
  • 77% say they have enhanced customer satisfaction.

For several years now, there’s been a standard in the NZX listing rules which requires NZX-listed companies to provide commentary on how diversity and inclusion of their board and senior executive teams have been selected and considered. Yet, as Aleisha points out, in 2018, 19% of the NZX top 100 companies have no female directors, so there is a lot more work to be done.

We’re proud to say Champions for Change is one of our clients, having recently completed a brand refresh and launched a new website.

Aleisha noted in her presentation how each of the Champions started to really step-up and own the initiative as the brand evolved to become more impressive. Now that’s the power of good design.

With 56 CEOs and chairs across 44 organisations representing more than 100,000 people, Champions for Change has the reach to make a positive dent in Kiwi business attitudes.

Christine Yuen worked in the business development team at Dave Clark Design.

Photographer: Michael Frogley, Auckland studio.