GENDER EQUALITY STATEMENT -

Within our Group we value gender equality not only because we believe women should achieve the same financial outcomes as men, but also because we understand inequality is a leading contributor to violence against women in our society. Equality in the workplace is a step we can take to address this crisis.

Our Gender Pay Gap (GPG) is 4% behind industry (Car Retailing), but closer to zero than the industry average for senior manager positions. This is reflective of the auto industry which has faced longstanding challenges regarding the attraction and retention of women into vehicle trade positions. A high proportion of our female staff work in administrative roles, and through our succession planning we identify and target potential female leaders for development. Additionally, we have developed a formal policy to support gender equality. With a disproportionate number of our women in part-time roles, we will look to embed the key values and principles of our policy to ensure there are no workplace barriers to women who wish to obtain full-time employment.

The key driver for the GPG within our operation is the lower rate of recruitment of women to traditionally male-dominated jobs, leading to a lower representation across all levels in the workforce. To address this we advertise a flexible working environment and invest strongly in the career development for our staff. Increasing female apprenticeships, and subsequent participation in trade roles and management will be a critical factor to close the GPG in our industry.