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April 2026
EUA ED&I Roundup: Insights and Highlights
In this issue, we’re proud to feature contributions from two of our member companies. A special thank you to newly appointed CEO at Worcester Bosch, Jo Shepherd and Christina Savvas, Head of Audience Engagement at Skewb, for their contribution and support - and for showcasing the practical steps their organisations are taking to create more inclusive workplaces.
Our aim is to support each of you on your own Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) journey - whether you are just getting started or looking to embed ED&I more deeply across your culture, policies and everyday practices. We remain committed to collaborating, learning from others, building new ED&I partnerships, and sharing insights into the inspiring work taking place across our member companies, networks and wider industries.
Building on our own commitment to ED&I - in 2026 we're highlighting and encouraging members from all EUA specialist groups to promote relevant sessions such as our Low Carbon Energy Forum (April 16) to graduates and apprentices.
We’re keen to hear what your company is doing around ED&I - what’s working well, what you’ve learned along the way, and (just as importantly) what hasn’t worked so others can benefit from your insights. If you have initiatives, progress updates, events, employee-network stories, or practical resources to share, we’d be thrilled to include your ED&I news in our next edition. Please get in touch with ana@eua.org.uk.
I hope you enjoy this issue (and please feel free to share it with colleagues).
Read on for our ED&I news roundup!
Debbie Mitchell, EUA Utility Networks Director
Jo Shepherd explains how inclusive leadership boosts performance and innovation, especially in historically less-diverse engineering and heating sectors.
For me, inclusion is about creating an environment where people feel able to contribute fully, challenge ideas and bring their whole selves to work. In leadership roles it’s easy to focus purely on results, strategy and performance metrics, but the reality is that sustainable performance always comes from people. When individuals feel respected and heard, teams become stronger, more innovative and far better equipped to solve complex problems.
This is particularly important in industries like engineering, construction and heating, where leadership teams have historically lacked diversity. Over the course of my career, I’ve seen first-hand how bringing together people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives leads to better decision-making and ultimately better outcomes for customers and businesses.
At a time when our sector is navigating huge change, from the transition to lower-carbon technologies to the need for new skills across the workforce, diversity of thinking is more important than ever. The challenges we face cannot be solved by a single perspective. We need teams that reflect the diversity of the customers and communities we serve.
One of the most positive impacts I’ve seen comes through mentoring and development programmes. At Bosch UK, I sponsor initiatives such as the Inspiring Women programme, which helps develop the next generation of leaders across both technical and commercial roles. These initiatives are not about quotas or favouritism; they are about ensuring talented people have visibility, opportunity and the confidence to progress.
Creating inclusive cultures also requires intentional leadership. Managers play a critical role in encouraging open dialogue, listening to different perspectives and ensuring opportunities are accessible to everyone.
Ultimately, inclusive leadership is about curiosity, humility and accountability. Leaders don’t need to have all the answers, but they do need to create environments where people feel safe to challenge thinking and contribute new ideas. In a rapidly evolving energy landscape, organisations that harness the full potential of their people will be the ones that succeed.
Skewb has launched Built By Difference, a podcast hosted by Head of Audience Engagement Christina Savvas featuring candid conversations that explore the experiences shaping Skewb’s people and culture.
At Skewb, our strength comes from our people - their experiences, their perspectives, and the journeys that have shaped who they are today. In 2026, we’re proud to bring those stories to life through our new podcast series, Built By Difference.
Hosted by Skewb’s Head of Audience Engagement, Christina Savvas, the series shines a light on the voices behind Skewb’s culture, innovation and ambition. Each episode invites a member of our team to open up about the moments - unexpected, challenging or transformative - that have influenced how they lead, collaborate and make an impact.
From the first episode, the tone is set through a candid conversation with Co‑founder Indu Seshadri, who reflects on her early years in India, the influence of education and resilience on her leadership, and her journey across continents and career chapters. It’s a deeply human story, touching on identity, ambition and belonging - themes that resonate throughout the entire series.
As the podcast unfolds, those themes are picked up and developed by colleagues from across Skewb. The series also features guests who have collaborated with Skewbers, adding fresh perspectives to each conversation.
🔗Read in full here 🎙️
Reach all Skewb podcasts here
NGN Women’s Community Hosts Inspirational Session on Menopause Awareness
As part of this year’s International Women’s Month celebrations, colleagues from across Northern Gas Networks (NGN) came together at their Leeds head office for an inspiring and thought‑provoking session with Sharon MacArthur, better known as Miss Menopause.
The event was organised by NGN's Women’s Community, one of five colleague communities. These communities are committed to strengthening inclusion and belonging across the business. With 18 percent of NGN’s workforce being female, the community members play a crucial role in shaping the company's culture, policies and support systems to ensure everyone feels valued and heard. Read in full here
Meet the Women in Leadership Powering the Future of Gas Distribution
Gas distribution has traditionally been a male-dominated space, especially in operational and engineering roles. Yet across the UK, more women are entering the field. From technical apprentices and engineers to community leads, data specialists, sustainability experts and senior leaders.
NGN is embedding inclusion into everyday culture, modelling allyship, and helping colleagues feel confident, heard and supported. This starts from the top down.
Leadership representation matters. At NGN, three talented female directors are helping shape the organisation’s culture, strategy and customer experience. 🔗Read more here
Evidence over ideology: Alex Edmans challenges EDI assumptions in Parliament
Professor Edmans calls for evidence-based EDI focused on cognitive diversity and inclusion Held in the Houses of Parliament, Alex Edmans, Professor of Finance at London Business School, was invited to provide evidence to the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee (25 March), on the effectiveness of equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Professor Edmans was one of four other witnesses that included: Dr Louise Ashley (Queen Mary University London), Peter Cheese (Chief Executive of CIPD), Iain Mansfield (Director of Research at Policy Exchange) and Dr Zoe Young (Founder and Director at Half the Sky).
David Burton-Sampson MP opened the session by asking the panel what the drivers are that have caused a change in public attitudes towards EDI initiatives and how best to regain public support. Professor Edmans stated, “we need to take an evidence-based approach. Some widely circulated studies on demographic diversity have been shown to be flawed. However, cognitive diversity is correlated with performance, as is equity and inclusion.”
The Professor also touched on the importance of a holistic approach to EDI, along two key grounds. The first being to extend from demographic diversity to cognitive diversity, which is the range of experiences, expertise and thinking styles people bring to a team environment. 🔗Find out more here
Don’t miss out – Free tickets for WUN Events!
✳️14th April 5:30pm Shaping the Future of Energy: Strategy, Skills and Leadership in a Transforming Sector, London - Limited tickets remaining
✳️29th April 2026 12pm Making data human – the opportunities & pitfalls of smart metering (Virtual)
✳️19-20th May 2026 Utility Week Live, NEC, Birmingham, Keynote event Leading the Way: Role modelling for gender balance and real change plus in person #IAR workshop & Networking event
🔗https://thewun.co.uk/wun-events/
📄Read the WUN March Roundup here
The workforce of the future is neurodiverse. Is your office ready?
Most offices weren’t designed with neurodiversity in mind, and it’s starting to show. While modern office spaces work brilliantly for some people, for others they are noisy, distracting and overwhelming.
Employees increasingly want spaces that are tailored to their needs, so they can do their best work. That expectation is only growing as Gen Z takes its place in the workforce.
More than half of Gen Z self-identifies as neurodivergent. And by 2040, about 40% of the total workforce will be made up of people whose brains function, learn and process information differently. Employers are feeling this shift.
Leaders are thinking more seriously about how to support neurodivergent employees. They want to attract and retain diverse talent. They want their staff to succeed. And they know that inclusive teams have better ideas, stronger performance and more engagement. Read more here
Paul Asquith, Regional Director at Selco Builders Warehouse, reflections from Men as Allies – Driving Inclusive Leadership Workshop
Attending the pilot Men as Allies – Driving Inclusive Leadership workshop was a genuinely eye-opening experience for me. One of the biggest takeaways was gaining a deeper understanding of our industry diversity statistics and the lived experience gap – data that really highlighted for me the difference between what organisations believe they’re doing against individuals actual experience in the workplace.
I was also struck by how others outside our industry may perceive the environment we work in, as well as the barriers some colleagues face that I may never personally experience. This gave me a new perspective on the importance of listening, learning, and actively challenging assumptions. The workshop also helped me reflect on what we currently have in place within Selco and where we still have opportunities to learn and grow.
The content was extremely thought-provoking, particularly for me the “What is your destiny?” exercise, encouraged real self-reflection and throughout the entire day, the passion shown by the facilitator made the session engaging and impactful. Read in full here
Bridging industry insight and real-world connections, we’re committed to supporting your graduates and apprentices in their next steps.
We run a vibrant mix of forums and events that give graduates and apprentices the chance to connect with senior leaders, industry specialists and key stakeholders across the low‑carbon energy landscape. Our sessions are designed to spark curiosity, inspire new ideas and help graduates stay ahead of the latest developments, emerging technologies and the direction of the UK's low‑carbon transition.
This initiative is all about supporting graduates and apprentices as they take their first steps into the energy sector, helping them build confidence, knowledge and meaningful connections.
Our forums aim to:
- Boost understanding of the energy sector and low‑carbon innovation
- Open doors to thought leaders and subject‑matter experts
- Encourage professional growth through lively, collaborative knowledge‑sharing
- Create opportunities for cross‑team networking and building lasting relationships
All forums and meetings are free to attend (coming up is our Low Carbon Energy Forum in April), and graduates and apprentices can join any sessions that match their interests and development goals.
If you or a colleague would like to know more or discuss, please contact ana@eua.org.uk.