During the month of March we explore the important role of Executive Sponsors/Senior Disability Champions and how ERG/Network leaders can maximise this important relationship.

We hear time and again that an Executive Sponsor can make all the difference when it comes to driving internal cultural change and helping an ERG/Network achieve its objectives. Just like no ERG/Network is exactly the same, neither is an Executive Sponsor or the role they occupy – great Executive Sponsors are ones who can bring their different strengths to the fore according to what the ERG/Network needs in order to deliver its disability change programme. We see Executive Sponsors who fulfil varying roles of senior ‘ambassador’; customer; mentee; door opener; agitator and strategic ‘outsider’.

In their senior position within the organisation, Executive Sponsors are uniquely placed to:

• make sure internal cultural change goals are aligned with overall company strategy;
• secure buy-in of other executives and overcome resistance to change; and
• provide ongoing direction as the work unfolds.

Through our meaty resources and peer engagement opportunities (listed below) we will support you to feed your Executive Sponsor ideas for engagement and tips from other great Executive Sponsors; and provide you with know-how on what you could or should be asking of your Executive Sponsors, how you can 'speak truth to power’ and golden rules on nurturing this important relationship.

March learning & development opportunities

Connect with your peers at one of this month’s peer group learning sessions – these small, interactive one-hour sessions for ERG/Network leaders and those working towards disability inclusion are a great way to share good practice, swap ideas, share challenges and opportunities and build your leadership capabilities.

We have four sessions to choose from:

• Wednesday, 9th March at 08:00 – 09:00 (GMT)
• Tuesday, 15th March at 11:00 – 12:00 (GMT)
• Thursday, 24th March at 13:00 – 14:00 (GMT)
• Tuesday, 29th March at 16:00 – 17:00 (BST)

Further reading & helpful resources

Our extensive Resource Library has a number of resources to support you in embedding this month’s theme, including:

• Purple Champion Leadership Model: Describing the essential leadership attributes that enable a Disability Champion/Executive Sponsor to drive disability cultural change within the workplace. 
• What Makes a Great Disability Champion: Webinar featuring Executive Sponsors from Fujitsu, Serco, the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and GCHQ sharing their top tips.
• Securing an Executive Sponsor/ Champion: Webinar featuring GSK on how to secure an Executive Sponsor/Champion and the 9 golden rules for nurturing that relationship.
• Purple Champions & Allies Leaders’ Guide: Practical advice to help Sponsors, Champions and allies to support the disability inclusion agenda in your place of work, with tips on how to move from a ‘good’ to ‘great’ Champion.
• Priceless: 
• Spotlight On … Alia Cooper and Ian Stuart, HSBC: Video interview with Alia Cooper, chair of HSBC’s Ability Network, and Ian Stuart, Sponsor for the network and CEO of HSBC UK.