Access Financial Services, where nine in every 10 advisers come from minority backgrounds, has announced the eight staff and advisers who will form its new Equality Council.
The brokerage said five members of staff will sit on the council: head of operations Amrit Bahee; Adrian Brewer, head of later life and the Access All Areas referral scheme; business quality assurance manager Kamelia Azaad; operations coordinator Megan Hind; and protection admin supervisor Adam Niedzielski.
They will be joined by mortgage division brokers Rakhi Wojkowska and Areeb Jalali, as well as protection advisers Farhan Ali and Anita Wokomah.
The council has been created to promote an inclusive culture by highlighting underrepresented voices, tackling structural barriers and ensuring equitable opportunities across the business.
It will review internal policies, advocate inclusive practices and monitor progress against Access FS’s diversity and inclusion commitments.
Nick Jones, mortgage sales and marketing director at Access FS, said: “By engaging with employees and advisers, the Equality Council seeks to identify challenges, propose solutions, and drive cultural change, ensuring we reflect the diverse communities we serve.
“Through regular feedback and transparent reporting, the Council is going to help embed D&I into our core operations, setting a benchmark for the industry.
“Given nine in every 10 of Access FS’s advisers are from minority background – and are drawn from 23 different national communities, it was really important that we launched the council with a strong team. With these such a strong Access FS team on board, it’s off to a great start.”
The Council was introduced at the firm’s annual conference in October and Access FS has since invited applications from its two hundred mortgage and protection brokers.
Adrian Brewer said: “The role of the Equality Council is to scrutinise what Access does, how we do it, and how we can improve to better embrace difference.
“By fostering open dialogue and actionable change, we want to ensure we represent marginalised groups and actively champion their voices. I feel very lucky to have so many passionate colleagues join me as we try to shape a fairer, more equitable future for Access FS and the wider industry.”
The announcement follows Access FS’s recent agreement of a new 100% referral fee deal with Broker Conveyancing and SortRefer.
