PRESS RELEASE: 11th May 2026
The leading accreditation body for workplace inclusion has appointed eight new assessors to its independent panel, as demand increases for EDI accreditation and inclusive talent retention strategies, with new data from Oxford Economics and Unum estimating the cost of replacing an employee in the UK at over £30,000 on average.
Diversity Mark’s newly expanded panel of 23 independent sector experts, chaired by Judith Gillespie CBE, former Deputy Chief Constable of the PSNI; Kieran Harding, Acting Chief Executive at Business in the Community UK; and Deborah Lange, former Oracle Executive, recently came together for a dedicated team day at Invest NI, focused on collaboration, consistency and strengthening the assessment approach across the panel.
The session was hosted at Invest NI, where Chair John Healy OBE took time at the start of the day to welcome the panel and the newly appointed assessors.
Commenting, Diversity Mark Director Christine White said:
“As organisations here face increasing pressures to attract and retain key talent, having access to a dedicated panel of independent specialists ensures local leaders are best placed to embed inclusivity into the bedrock of their workplaces. In doing so, these businesses are better equipped to innovate and succeed, which in turn has a positive ripple effect on the wider economy. I encourage organisations across Northern Ireland serious about future-proofing their workforce to reach out to the Diversity Mark team today and take the next step in their inclusion journey.”
Part of The WiB Group, Diversity Mark has recently invested £90,000 to enhance its digital infrastructure and enable employers to understand and grow their workforce using EDI insights not previously available at a region-wide scale.
Please CLICK HERE to book a call to find out more about joining Diversity Mark.
