Burberry Scraps Head Of Diversity Role Amid Company Reshuffle
Burberry, a British fashion house, has cut Geoffrey Williams, the head of diversity, from his role. “As part of a wider restructure, Burberry has chosen to integrate responsibility for diversity, equity, and inclusion across the organization,” Williams wrote in a LinkedIn post.
He continued: “This reflects a belief that DEI should be embedded throughout the culture and owned by leaders across the business. The successful transition from a centralised function to a shared responsibility will help ensure long-term sustainability.”
Burberry scrapping diversity role
Burberry is currently in the midst of a turnaround plan, which involves cutting programs that could result in the elimination of 1,700 roles by 2027, representing approximately a fifth of its workforce, according to The Times. This includes cutting William’s head of diversity role, which could be seen as a sign that the company is rolling back its DEI efforts.
On Monday, January 20, his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order terminating any diversity and inclusion actions in the federal government. Since then, major companies have rolled back their DEI efforts to comply with Trump’s executive orders.
The UK and DEI
While most companies in the UK have not made significant changes to their DEI efforts, some businesses have implemented minor adjustments.
References to DEI on annual reports of FTSE 100 companies in the UK have declined, according to The Observer. Mentions of DEI, as well as the number of pages containing the phrase and revisions on it, fell by more than 16% compared to the annual reports for 85 companies in 2023 and 2024.
However, UK lawmakers are being urged to pass legislation that would protect whistleblowers who expose employers violating DEI laws. The proposal was made by the Black Equity Organisation (BEO), a civil rights group, as it awaits the publication of the Equality, Race and Disability Bill, which is expected later this year.
Image: Thompson Reuters
