Palatine opens second Impact Fund and takes stake in expanding consultancy
PE firm Palatine has made its first investment from its Impact Fund II by taking a significant stake in membership organisation focused on creating inclusive workplaces.
Inclusive Employers, which has a Northern office in Leeds, works with more than 500 major businesses, organisations and sporting associations, providing consultancy, training, advice and learning resources through a membership model.
It helps create workplaces where ‘all employees are valued and can contribute fully to their success.’
This is supported by the Inclusive Employers Standard which measures clients against best practice and informs their ongoing strategy
Inclusive Employers also founded and organises National Inclusion Week, a week-long programme of events dedicated to celebrating inclusion and taking action to create inclusive workplaces.
With a team of around 35, Inclusive Employers was founded by Richard McKenna, currently the company’s Chair, Managing Director Claire Williams and Rupert Moyne, MD of Corporate Services.
Having led the business as it has scaled quickly since its inception, Richard will be exiting the business over the coming weeks while experienced non-executive director John Zafar will be joining the board as Chair.
Palatine’s Impact Fund was created to invest in firms that are tackling some of the biggest issues facing society including inequalities in education and jobs across UK regions, access to healthcare and climate change.
Working with Palatine’s Impact team Inclusive Employers will look to accelerate its membership growth by scaling its teams, investing in its business development capability and building on its programme of market leading materials, training, consultancy and events.
Matt Coles, Impact Investment Director at Palatine, said: “Inclusive Employers is at the forefront of a mission to help businesses thrive by attracting and retaining the best available talent and creating a truly inclusive culture.
“We are excited to be working with the team, with whom we share so many common values and look forward to using our experience in helping similar-sized organisations scale-up, establish the necessary systems and to also identify potential opportunities in what is a fast-growing and very fragmented sector.”
Claire Williams, Managing Director of Inclusive Employers, said: “There is compelling evidence that organisations committed to building a more inclusive culture attract and retain a wider diversity of talent, which when nurtured is a key driver for greater innovation, development and engagement.
“We are incredibly passionate about what we do and are thrilled to have found an investment partner with the same passion and that has a track record of both impact investing and a deep commitment to ESG over many years.”
