CMI’s new Patron, Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex, promoting gender equality in the workplace

Featured image: courtesy of CMI

On the 15th of May, Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex attended The Chartered Management Institute’s annual President’s Dinner at Kensington Palace. This event honours outstanding achievements by UK managers and was Her Royal Highness’s first event as Patron.

Courtesy of CMI – Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex

His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh handed over the Patronage of The Chartered Management Institute, the chartered professional body for management and leadership, to Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex. The Duke of Edinburgh has been associated with The Chartered Management Institute for 50 years, having become an Honorary Fellow in 1969, and subsequently Royal Patron in 1992. During The Duke of Edinburgh’s tenure as Patron, the CMI has led the debate on the future of management and leadership, the gender pay gap, employee well-being and engagement, as well as talent management and diversity.

On The Countess’s appointment, Bruce Carnegie-Brown, President of The Chartered Management Institute, said:

I would like to take this opportunity to thank The Duke of Edinburgh for his fifty years’ service to The Chartered Management Institute, both as an Honorary Fellow and as Royal Patron. During that time, with The Duke’s support, we have seen incredible progress towards increasing the number and standard of professionally qualified managers and leaders. I warmly welcome The Countess of Wessex as The Duke’s successor and look forward to continuing to champion important causes for managers and leaders within UK industry, under the Royal Patronage of Her Royal Highness.

Source CMI

Ann Francke, Chief Executive of The Chartered Management Institute, added:

The Countess is a tireless supporter of UK business and workplace diversity, and I am honoured that she will become the CMI’s new Royal Patron. With The Countess’s support we will continue our efforts to inspire managers to become better managers, particularly when it comes to the advancement of inclusive leadership.

Source CMI

Courtesy of CMI – Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex and Ann Francke CMI’s CEO

During Her speech at the Chartered Management Institute’s annual President’s Dinner at Kensington Palace, Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex underlined the issues of Gender Equality and women’s empowerment as crucial. Her Royal Highness called business leaders to take action and embrace gender diversity as there is ‘more for all’ and everybody ‘gets to win’.

CMI’s new Patron Her Royal Highness the Countess of Wessex

Her Royal Highness The Countess of Wessex has been supporting gender equality and the empowerment of women through the years. Her Royal Highness has been speaking about those issues at numerous events, such as the President of the General Assembly’s ‘Women in Power’ event, at the Commission of the Status of Women (CSW), United Nations in New York in March earlier this year.