Celebrating diversity with inclusive groups and networks at Sopra Steria

Diversity and Inclusion is essential to our business, and to us it means celebrating real people, doing good for people and doing right by people. It means valuing difference, working with empathy, engaging with our communities and respecting each other. 

Listed in the 2025 UK’s Best Workplaces™ rankings by Great Places to Work® UK, we have inclusion in our DNA, believing in the creative impact and positive contribution a diverse workforce can bring.

Celebrating diversity by creating inclusive groups and networks enables people to share their experiences and perspectives freely. At Sopra Steria and across our family of businesses, we have a wide range of employee inclusion networks to help shape a more diverse and inclusive organisation and enable the voices of our business to be heard. Each network provides support, raises awareness and creates opportunities to share experiences and inspire change.

This article focuses on some of the people leading the way in our inclusion networks.

Women’s Inclusive Network (WIN)

Our Women’s Inclusive Network, established in 2016 was our first inclusion network and has grown to be our biggest group with over 800 members. The network supports members to expand their professional networks and achieve both their personal and career goals. The WIN on Tour initiative has seen committee members visiting offices across the UK to encourage women to think differently about their skills and the opportunities available to them in their careers. WIN also works closely with our leadership team to support gender diversity initiatives and strengthen engagement with female colleagues. A ‘Menopause Community’ and ‘Young Women’s Community’ have subsequently been set up to create safe spaces for peers to receive support and connection from those who can relate to their experiences.

Kerry Paylor, SSCL Synergy People Lead and Co-chair of WIN, says:

“I stepped up into a co-chairing role for the Women’s Inclusive Network as I’m passionate about all women feeling happy and confident in the workplace. I believe that a supportive and inclusive network will help us achieve this. One of our main focus areas is to ensure we’re inclusive to all women, recognising our differences as well as our similarities. I hope everyone feels like they get something from engaging with this community.”

PLUS Network

Celebrating Pride, Love, Unity and Support, PLUS supports people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. Our active PLUS network raises awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity in the workplace so that our LGBTQIA+ colleagues can feel comfortable, confident and able to thrive. From 70 founding members, the network has grown to over 500 (and counting!).

Last year, we sponsored and marched at Bristol Pride and the PLUS network arranged an inspiring talk in our London office with a visit from the amazing Dame Kelly Holmes! The PLUS network also collaborated with us to create our LGBTQIA+ Allies scheme, and they had a significant role in the creation of our Trans Inclusion policy, which was introduced in 2022.

Amanda Snee, Bid Lead and Co-chair of the PLUS network, says:

"I wanted to work within the PLUS network to enhance awareness of the LGBTQIA+ activities and to support colleagues who may have questions around policies, events, and the wider LGBTQIA+ community. Co-chairing the network community means I can share my knowledge, experience and passion, and hopefully we will have lots of fun along the way."

Race and Culture Network

This network includes our Black Employee Community and Multi-Faith Community, each providing a safe and supportive environment to connect and learn about the cultures and experiences of colleagues from different backgrounds. This year, the network has launched mentoring drop-in sessions to support people going through our Under-represented Ethnicities mentoring programme, providing a safe space for participants to discuss challenges, share experiences and learn from each other.

Jerry Seager, Oracle Practice Director and Chair of the Race and Culture network, says:

“I feel extremely honoured to have been given the opportunity to lead the Race and Culture network at Sopra Steria UK. In a world where exclusion, diversion and separation is on the rise, we need strong voices to remind us of the many similarities which bind us together."

Neurodiversity Network

Neurodivergence is estimated to account for 15% of the UK population. It encompasses many differences including Attention Deficit Hyperactivity, Autism, Dyslexia, Dyscalculia, Dysgraphia, Dyspraxia, and acquired neurodivergence. It's a natural difference in the way the brain and nervous system work which results in different ways of thinking. At Sopra Steria we believe this is something to be celebrated.

Our Neurodiversity network is a space for our neurodivergent colleagues, family members and allies to feel safe and learn more. We have monthly drop-in calls where we can talk about anything and this has fostered a sense of community, understanding and improved psychological safety for our neurodivergent colleagues. We have presentations throughout the year from members of our network and external speakers to promote understanding and inclusion of our colleagues. 

Kirsten Vandome, Senior Business Consultant and Chair of the Neurodiversity network says:

"I've been chairing the Neurodiversity network for 3 years, celebrating the unique skills and perspectives that Neurodivergence brings to the workplace. Supporting our community, helping individuals and our management teams understand Neurodivergence. I'm proud to be part of an organisation that supports our differences in bringing yourself to work every day."

Disability Network

Our Disability Network is passionate about influencing organisational change. The network wanted to improve accessibility for colleagues so launched a company-wide accessibility discovery survey to provide insight to address the barriers people faced at work, both physically and mentally. Using these results, the network held a workshop with senior leaders from across the business, sharing their own stories and experiences as part of the event. This led to the creation of a new dedicated Accessibility Subject Matter Expert role which focuses on our internal systems, processes, client solutions and business platforms to make sure both our internal and external solutions are accessible by design.

Brian Wall, Accessibility Subject Matter Expert and Chair of the Disability network, says:

“In my role, I help to ensure the access needs of all colleagues are met. I educate, challenge and engage my colleagues, helping to bring about positive change. As a disabled person, I have seen how committed Sopra Steria is to diversity and inclusion. And that’s why I’ve stayed with the organisation for so many years.”

We hope that this snapshot of our inclusive communities provides an opportunity to understand the extent of our commitment to fostering an inclusive culture, where every individual feels valued and can freely contribute their unique perspectives.

Read more about Diversity and Inclusion at Sopra Steria.