Board Diversity Policy
The Board Diversity Policy sets out the Board of Entain plc’s (“the Board”) approach to diversity and inclusion. It further provides an overview of the Board’s approach to diversity and inclusion in senior management roles which is governed through the Group’s policies.
Purpose
1. The Board believes an inclusive and diverse membership results in optimal decision-making and assists in the development and execution of a strategy which promotes the success of Entain plc (“Entain”) for the benefit of its stakeholders.
2. Valuing inclusion and diversity is one of the core principles of Entain’s Global Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy which applies to everyone who works for us or does business with us and which has been implemented as part of Entain’s Code of Conduct. This Board Diversity Policy is applicable to the Board only but sits alongside Entain’s Code of Conduct and the Group’s policies, which set out Entain’s broader commitment to inclusion and diversity. Other details of Entain’s practices, initiatives and balance in relation to inclusion and diversity are disclosed in Entain’s Annual Report.
Policy Statement
3. The Board believes that:
a. membership of the Board should include a diverse mixture of skills, professional and industry backgrounds, geographical experience and expertise, gender, tenure, demographics, disability, ethnicity and diversity of thought;
b. a diverse Board with a range of views, insights, perspectives and opinions will improve its decision making and be of benefit to Entain’s shareholders, customers and other stakeholders; and
c. a culture of inclusion and diversity is promoted by a clear tone from the top, with the Board and Executive Committee championing diversity and inclusion in support of Entain’s values.
Objectives
4. Objectives for achieving Board diversity will be reviewed on a regular basis while recognising that periods of change in Board composition may result in temporary periods when this balance is not achieved.
5. On gender diversity, the Board aims that there should be no less than 40% female representation on the Board.
6. On ethnic diversity, the Board aims that at least one director is from an ethnic minority background.1
7. The Board supports the recommendations set out in the Hampton-Alexander Review on gender diversity and the Parker Review on ethnic diversity.
8. The Board supports and monitors management’s actions to increase the proportion of senior leadership roles held by women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds and other under-represented groups across Entain in support of the Hampton-Alexander Review and Parker Review recommendations.
Monitoring and Reporting
9. The Nomination Committee is responsible for ensuring that the Board has the right balance of skills, experience and knowledge and, in accordance with its terms of reference, shall:
a. regularly review Board composition, succession planning, talent development and the broader aspects of diversity;
b. work with executive search firms who understand Entain’s values and approach to diversity, including this Board Diversity Policy, and will comply with those values and approach in identifying and proposing suitable candidates for appointment to the Board;
c. identify suitable candidates for appointment to the Board on merit against an objective criteria having regard to:
i. the benefits of diversity in promoting the success of Entain for the benefit of its stakeholders as a whole; and
ii. the skills, experience, background, independence and expertise of current members of the Board;
d. report annually in the corporate governance section of the Annual Report on the implementation of the Board Diversity Policy and other matters as required by the UK Corporate Governance Code and other regulatory and statutory requirements; and
e. review the Board Diversity Policy regularly and recommend any revisions to the Board.
10. The Chairman is responsible for ensuring that Board diversity is considered as part of the annual evaluation of the Board’s effectiveness.
Approved by the Board of Entain plc on 5th August 2021.
Download this policy as a PDF
1As defined by the Parker Review