Gender Diversity

As the UK’s largest food producer we are a significant employer within the UK. We currently employ around 9,000 people operating from over 40 sites across the UK.

We are committed to a fair approach to equal opportunities in all areas of our business, with people gaining promotion on merit. We recruit, train, promote and retain skilled and motivated people irrespective of gender, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, race, religion, ethnic or national origin. In line with this commitment we also promote a culture of openness and responsibility within our business.

Lord Davies Report on boardroom diversity

The Board has reviewed and discussed the recommendations of the Lord Davies Report on boardroom diversity and is supportive of the need to increase female representation at board level. As a result, the Board has agreed to adopt as policy an aim to have at least two female board directors by 2015.

The Board believes in the importance of diversity (in its widest sense) and the benefits that it can bring to the operation of an effective board. This is taken into account whenever a new appointment is undertaken with the aim to have individuals with a broad range of skills, backgrounds and experience reflecting both the type of industry and the geographical locations in which we operate.

Set out below is the current proportion of women on the board, within management and within the organisation as a whole. In line with the recommendations of the UK Corporate Governance Code, we now report on diversity within the governance report of the annual report.

Workforce Diversity

As well as driving diversity within the Board, we believe the real opportunity to drive gender diversity lies below this level, both within the organisation as a whole and particularly within senior management. We intend to focus on understanding how best to develop and retain women through all levels of the organisation and to identify and understand where potential blocks exist. By raising the issue of gender diversity up the agenda and reporting against progress we hope that a greater balance can be achieved over the medium-term.

Gender diversity within the Premier Foods Group - as at December 2012