Inclusion & diversity
We believe that for Actis, and for the businesses we invest in, a diverse team operating in an inclusive culture makes better decisions.
Diverse groups make better decisions. We lead with inclusion at Actis because we recognise it is the best way to attract and retain people.
The decisions we make and the actions we take, mean we deliver superior financial performance for our investors and positive impacts for the countries, cities and communities in which we operate.
“Diverse groups make better decisions. We lead with inclusion at Actis because we recognise it is the best way to attract and retain people. Having multiple perspectives around the table ensures that every angle is covered, that value creation is as creative as it can be and that Actis is an enjoyable, stimulating place to work.”
Torbjorn Caesar
, Actis Senior Partner
Actis’ Inclusion and Diversity Initiatives
Actis is responsible for creating and nurturing an inclusive culture within the firm and our portfolio companies. Some of our initiatives which we are proud of include:
- Engaging employees through our Actis Female Network
- Broadening recruitment channels
- Creating a platform for minority role models
- Developing a mentoring programme for African portfolio companies
- Initiatives dedicated to advancing equity and inclusion for our LGBT+ community
Inclusion & Diversity at Actis
Spotlight on
Hear from minority leaders within Actis and our portfolio companies through our Spotlight series.
View all series
Promoting development
With a strategic focus on creating a diverse and inclusive workplace for our employees, Actis is in a strong position to support our portfolio companies in doing the same.
Actis established a portfolio company mentoring programme that matches talented people in middle management positions, with experienced senior leaders from Actis and other portfolio companies. “We wanted to find a way of supporting our companies in their inclusion and diversity efforts. Mentoring can be a really powerful tool to enable diverse talent to thrive,” says Shami Nissan, Head of Sustainability at Actis and a member of the firm’s inclusion and diversity working group. “Many of our companies are too small to have formal mentoring programmes – this initiative leverages the combined scale of our portfolio and our firm.”
“The programme is designed to focus on diverse individuals as mentees – that could be females or people who are under-represented in senior roles in a given market,” says Nissan. “They are high-performing individuals, who have not yet reached C-suite, but have the potential to be future leaders given the right support and conditions.”
So far, the results have been encouraging. Many have said they too have learned a lot from their work with mentees. “We’re seeing reverse mentoring coming through,” says Lucy Heintz, Energy Partner at Actis and a member of the firm’s inclusion and diversity working group. “We made a deliberate attempt to establish the programme so that mentors could really understand the perspectives of junior members of staff. The feedback we’ve had suggests this is really happening.”
Indeed, Nissan sees the programme as offering benefits to all sides. “For individuals – both mentors and mentees – it provides a learning experience that they can take through their professional life.”
Diversity in our portfolio
As we drive our inclusion and diversity agenda, we recognise our impact can extend beyond the firm and across our portfolio companies.
Initiatives we are driving include:
- Collecting data to establish a baseline on diversity metrics
- Identifying best practice at portfolio companies and driving targeted initiatives
- Showcasing success stories of diverse people from our portfolio companies
- Establishing a mentoring program for a subset of colleagues from portfolio companies
Promoting Development
Actis recognises that people capability is a cornerstone to competitive advantage. See stories from people within the firm.
Recruitment & Talent
We are focused on widening our channels through initiatives such as blind CV screening and improving diversity metrics with the process.