Nick Hampton
A CEO’s perspective

I’m driven by our purpose of Transforming Lives through the Science of Food, which we live by supporting healthy living, building thriving communities, and caring for our planet. To do this effectively, we must understand and represent the diversity of the communities we serve, and I’m proud of the work we continue to do to ensure that our workforce represents the diversity of our customers, consumers, and broader society.

When I first started at Tate & Lyle, our leadership team looked very different to today, and we have purposefully worked to correct that through considered hiring practices, leadership development, focus on creating a more inclusive culture, and employee support through our policies and employee resource groups.  We now have a Board that is 50% women, an Executive Committee where women make up 56% of the team and are on track to meet our 2025 target for gender parity in all leadership roles.

In my experience, having visible leadership that represents our employee population is not just good for engagement, it also drives performance and fuels innovation, and it demonstrates to our people that there is opportunity for everyone to realise their potential in our organisation.

Through our expertise in sweetening, fortification, and mouthfeel, we develop ingredient solutions which reduce sugar, calories, and fat, add fibre and protein, and provide texture and stability in food and beverages. This puts us right at the centre of the future of food – creating sustainable, affordable, and nutritious products to meet the needs of today and tomorrow. A purpose of this significance requires diverse perspectives and experiences to ensure that we are meeting the needs of both consumers and the planet.

Grounded in the success of our progress in gender representation, we are now applying what we have learned to increasing representation across other dimensions, starting with ethnicity and race.

My perspective on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion is grounded in my own experience as a father of three girls and wanting to ensure they can thrive without barriers as they go out into the world. All parents should be able to feel that their children will have access to opportunities that help them fulfil their true potential.

For now, I continue to try to shape an organisation where this is the case, and I will continue to fight to ensure we progress true inclusion in its broadest sense both here at Tate & Lyle but also with our partners across the world.

There is no doubt that empowering women and girls leads to wider economic growth and more prosperous local communities around the world.  It’s not only the right thing to do, it also makes us stronger. I’m so proud of our collective work to make Tate & Lyle a more gender balanced workplace. Our unique differences generate better ideas and deeper insights, empowering us to lead the next food revolution for and with our customers.

February 2024