Britvic blog: Leading with passion - Cindy Tervoort on empowering change at Britvic

After joining Britvic as Chief Marketing Officer last July, I have recently begun my work as the company's equity, diversity and inclusion executive sponsor. As part of this additional responsibility, I've been reflecting on the work we are doing as a company to drive change in this area. I've been impressed by the warmth and inclusiveness of our Britvic community, which is a direct result of our commitment to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued and empowered.

Our equity, diversity and inclusion efforts have set an industry standard that's truly remarkable, especially through our vibrant network groups like B-Diverse, B-Empowered, B-Proud, B-Seen, and B-Well. These groups not only raise awareness of the important issues that matter most to our employees, but actively connects people and engages allies, helping to make Britvic a special place to work.

Since joining Britvic, many of my colleagues have expressed to me how Britvic's approach to equity, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing influenced their decision to join the company. It's clear that our commitment to these values resonates deeply, helping to both attract and retain talented people who are proud to be part of our journey.

From a personal standpoint, my passion for equity, diversity and inclusion is rooted deeply in my background and experiences. Growing up in the Netherlands as the daughter of a Chinese Indonesian immigrant, I witnessed firsthand the challenges and opportunities of my grandparents and mother that come with embracing a new culture. My career has been shaped by these early experiences, driving my commitment to foster an inclusive environment wherever I am.

I've been fortunate with great role models in my mother and and strong female leaders in my early career and worked in very in diverse teams, which taught me the importance of varied perspectives and inclusive practices. These experiences have shown me that when everyone is included and valued, we all thrive.

Looking ahead, the focus now has to be on moving from raising awareness to bringing about meaningful, measurable change that benefits our people. At Britvic, we've made great strides in evolving our HR practices and workplace policies to be more inclusive and family friendly. For instance, updates to our paternity policy and offering the flexibility to swap Bank Holidays for days that hold personal cultural significance, are small changes that make a big difference.

But there's more we can do. Using feedback from our anonymous annual employee survey - Employee Heartbeat, we will continue to work to develop a better understand of our people's needs and drive meaningful change. As a leader within the business, I recognise my role in encouraging more open and honest conversations between our team members. I will continue to work hard to ensure that everyone feels supported and empowered to bring their true selves to work, both personally and professionally.

Cindy Tervoort | Chief Marketing Officer