Diversity & Inclusion

At Moon Executive Search, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) is not a standalone initiative — it is embedded in how we think, advise and deliver.

We believe that better leadership decisions are made when organisations draw from the widest possible talent pool with a range of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds. Boards with diverse leadership are consistently shown to perform better.

The UK Context: Progress & Remaining Gaps

The UK has made meaningful progress in improving board diversity, but significant gaps remain - particularly within executive leadership.

According to the FTSE Women Leaders Review (2026):
• Women now hold 43% of FTSE 350 board roles
• Only around 16–17% of Chair and Executive Director roles
• Fewer than 20 female CEOs across the FTSE 350

According to the Parker Review (March 2026):
• 98 of the FTSE 100 companies have at least one ethnic minority director
• Ethnic diversity in executive pipelines remains significantly lower

These findings highlight that progress at board level is not yet translating into succession planning. Moon Consultancy has supported clients in delivering this change.

Our Approach to Inclusive Search

Our approach is grounded in fairness, rigour and accountability. We do not see inclusion as being in tension with merit - rather, we see inclusive search as essential to identifying the very best leadership talent.

We focus on:

• Expanding access to diverse talent pools

• Challenging assumptions within role briefs

• Applying structured, bias-aware assessment

• Ensuring transparent and equitable processes

This enables our clients to make well-informed, high-quality appointments.

Equity and fairness is in our DNA, for further information see our candidate charter our client charter, and our social responsibility, we are fully committed to inclusive requirement and hiring diverse and untapped talent.

Inclusive Culture

We actively engage with evolving best practice across diversity and inclusion, ensuring our methods remain current and effective.

In executive search, the challenge is achieving balance whilst maintaining rigorous and objective selection standards. Occasionally we receive requests for positive discrimination at shortlist stage however Moon consistently advocates for appointments to be based on merit and tailored to the specific client brief: qualifications (where relevant to the role), experience and skills.

At the same time, organisations continue to face the challenge of bringing together individuals with diverse backgrounds, perspectives and lived experiences. The evolution of hybrid and remote working has reshaped how teams collaborate and create new opportunities. Greater workplace flexibility, alongside a stronger focus on wellbeing, psychological safety and inclusive leadership, has helped break down many traditional barriers to participation.

Our Clients

Many of our clients consider it crucial to improve their board membership and with that grow and enrich their business. A greater diversity of people brings a variety of skills and experience, which can deliver richer creativity, better problem solving and increased flexibility.

Clients fall into two camps; those that are acting on D&I for the first time and those that are increasing the pace of what they are already doing. Our clients have found that the applicant pool has widened due to fewer geographical restrictions which should also help with D&I agenda.

Our clients want to establish a robust succession plan that will provide them with the right leaders to continue innovating and creating stable growth for the future. When hiring new board members, we advise that our clients select their candidate based on values alignment when selecting the right candidate for their situation.

We offer advice to our clients, helping them to better understand the impact of diversity and hiring individuals that will bring a fresh perspective to their company.

Our Commitments

Through our extensive network of connections and memberships covering all sectors we can source diverse shortlists that our clients demand to add value and strategic advantage to their organisations.

Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC)

A member for over 15 years of the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC), we adhere to recognised standards of professional excellence, ethical recruitment and inclusive practice including their nine principles on Good Recruitment Charter.

Through our membership we have got involved in projects to support social mobility, progression of low paid workers, disability employment, older workers and women in the workplace.

Change the Race Ratio

We support Change the Race Ratio, a UK-wide campaign focused on improving racial and ethnic representation in leadership.

Moon Executive Search became one of the First 50 signatories of Change the Race Ratio, a campaign to increase racial and ethnic participation in British businesses.

We believe in creating an inclusive culture in which talent from all diversities can thrive focusing on recruitment and talent development processes to drive a more diverse pipeline.

The latest Parker Review report into ethnic diversity in UK Boards shows progress has been made with 98% of FTSE 100 companies (81% in FTSE 250 companies) now meeting the 2024 target of having at least one Director from an Ethnic Minority on the board compared with 52% in 2019 (45% in FTSE 250 companies).

Other Memberships & Partnerships

We are part of Opening Doors – Business in the Community and Age-Friendly Employer. We are also supporters of the Good Employment Charter and received a Diversity Champion Award in 2025.

We actively engage with evolving best practice across diversity and inclusion, ensuring our methods remain current and effective.

Our Candidates

The senior candidates we engage with are increasingly discerning about organisational culture, leadership values and inclusion before committing to a role. For many, diversity and inclusion are not peripheral considerations, but indicators of how effectively an organisation is led and how decisions are made.

Board and executive diversity are strengthened by recognising different perspectives, experiences and approaches, and by creating environments where leaders and employees have a genuine voice and influence. When individuals can contribute authentically, trust is built, collaboration improves and organisations benefit from stronger engagement and performance.

Candidates consistently highlight the importance of visible board representation, diverse senior leadership, transparency around pay and reward, and a clear commitment to inclusive culture.

Gap Reporting

Gender pay gap reporting remains a key focus for organisations and boards. According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK gender pay gap for full time employees stood at 6.9% in April 2025, reflecting gradual but uneven progress.

Alongside gender, momentum continues to build around ethnicity pay gap reporting, with many organisations now voluntarily measuring and publishing data to improve transparency and accountability.

Increasingly, businesses are embedding clearer metrics, strengthening senior ownership and aligning reward, progression and succession planning. Flexible working, wellbeing initiatives, four day working patterns and family friendly policies continue to improve equality of access and participation.

Leadership & Advocacy

The diversity of our Board is our super-strength. As professional recruiters and experienced directors and senior managers, we enable our clients and candidates to benefit from our in-depth exposure to a broad range of business sectors. We have direct knowledge of the impact on organisations encountering growth or contraction due to the economic climate.

By actively enabling the perspectives of gender, heritage, geography and more in our recruitment processes, we unlock the talents that may arise anywhere and link them to the opportunities presented by the organisations we work with.

We would welcome the chance to discuss how our insights can help you find your next strategic hire.

Peaches Golding OBE CStJ

Lord Lieutenant & Non Executive Consultant

Peaches Golding OBE CStJ works as a Non Executive Consultant with Moon Executive Search and is His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Bristol. She was the first Black woman to be appointed as Lord-Lieutenant and has led on Diversity and Inclusion for decades, contributing her insight, empathy and leadership across public, private and voluntary life.

Since 1996, Peaches has worked closely with His Majesty King Charles III to highlight the opportunities that greater access to employment, stronger communities, integrated supply chains and more visible leadership from Black communities can bring to the country as a whole. Her work has always focused on connection — between people, organisations and communities — and on creating environments where opportunity is genuinely accessible.

Alongside her civic role, Peaches has held senior governance positions across healthcare, education and public life, including Non Executive Director roles within the NHS, Independent Governor at the University of the West of England, Pro Chancellor of the University of Bristol, Trustee of the SS Great Britain Trust, and board positions with ITV West, GWR West and the Avon & Somerset Police Authority. Peaches has also held senior governance positions in manufacturing and utilities. Across these roles, she has been a powerful advocate for fairness, accountability and inclusive leadership.

Peaches is a continuous source of energy, warmth and inspiration at Moon Executive Search, influencing the way we think about leadership, responsibility and impact, and inspiring countless community initiatives across the South West and beyond.

Simon Quinn

Director of Executive Search | Babassa

Simon Quinn is Director of Executive Search at Moon Executive Search and a former Chair of Babassa, the civic and social enterprise formed to support and empower young people from diverse and underrepresented communities.

Through his work with Babassa, Simon has been closely involved in initiatives aimed at improving employability, widening access to opportunity and addressing the root causes of youth unemployment.

This experience informs Simon’s contribution to Moon’s EDI work, particularly around access, potential and fair assessment. It reinforces the firm’s belief that inclusive leadership pipelines are built by recognising different starting points while maintaining high standards and merit based outcomes.

Vanessa Moon

Founding Director

As the founder of Moon Executive Search Vanessa established the firm’s core principles around integrity, fairness and merit based appointment.

Her approach is rooted in the belief that sustainable diversity and inclusion are achieved through rigorous, objective processes that remove bias and focus on capability, experience and potential rather than quotas or positive discrimination. These principles continue to underpin how Moon advises clients and assesses leadership at the most senior levels.