Introduction

As a specialist recruitment consultancy working across policy, public affairs, and strategic communications, we understand how closely people, policy, and progress are linked. That’s why we were proud to once again sponsor the Energy UK EDI Conference 2025, an event that continues to challenge, inspire and bring people together to drive real inclusion across the energy sector.

Lauren, who plays a leading role in our work within the energy space, was invited to open the day. Below is her full speech, an honest, reflective, and energising call to action that reminds us why showing up still matters.

Speech: Delivered by Lauren at the Energy UK EDI Conference 2025

Good morning, everyone - and for many of you, welcome back.

On behalf of Murray McIntosh, it’s a privilege to stand here once again as a sponsor of this important conference. For those who don’t know us, we’re a recruitment consultancy specialising in policy, public affairs, and strategic communications.

As someone who works every day at the intersection of people and progress, I’m always struck by how much policy and EDI have in common: both are about creating change, step by step, even when that change feels slower than we’d like.

It’s genuinely inspiring to see so many of you, in person and online, committed to keeping Equity, Diversity and Inclusion front and centre in our industry.

Thank you to our conference partners, speakers, panellists, exhibitors, and of course, every one of you joining us today. Year after year, this event draws an impressive turnout, and that speaks volumes about the energy sector’s determination to drive real, lasting change.

A year on from the 2024 conference, I think it’s fair to say that the pace of progress on EDI in our sector has been slower than we’d hoped. Our first panel today will explore the global context behind that, and why, even if the needle hasn’t shifted dramatically, what we’re doing here today still matters.

Because what’s most important is that we’ve shown up. Again. Together. That ongoing commitment keeps the conversation alive and helps embed EDI into the DNA of our sector.

The truth is, meaningful change rarely happens overnight. It happens through collective persistence. Through dismantling barriers one by one. Through people like you, who challenge the status quo, year after year.

You’re making sure EDI isn’t treated as a fad, a tick-box exercise, or something to get to when there’s time. And as someone who speaks with professionals across the sector every day, candidates, employers, policy leaders, I can tell you: the conversations are changing.

People are more aware. They’re asking better questions. They’re reflecting more openly on their own assumptions. It may not always make headlines, but it is progress. Quiet, real, steady progress.

So, my message to you this morning is simple: don’t underestimate the impact of what you’re doing.

Every story you share. Every difficult conversation you start. Every colleague you support. All of it helps build a more inclusive and representative energy sector.

Visibility matters. Persistence matters. Showing up matters. And that’s exactly what you’re all doing here today.

Throughout today’s programme, you’ll hear about EDI networks, the Inclusion Measurement Framework, TIDE’s Health Index, and strategies for reaching new talent pools. These aren’t just abstract concepts — they are the real levers of change:

Data builds insight

Leadership builds mandate

Networks build voice

New talent pools build the workforce of the future

I encourage you to take away tangible ideas from today’s sessions. Build coalitions. And, most importantly, put those ideas into action.

At Murray McIntosh, we see every day how EDI, or the lack of it, shows up in recruitment.

We see how language in a job ad can unintentionally exclude someone. How inaccessible assessments deter brilliant candidates. How bias can mean a whole pool of talent never even gets through the door.

But we also see how intentional, thoughtful change can open those doors and shift cultures, and that’s something every one of us in this room can contribute to.

We’re all at different stages of this journey, and that’s absolutely okay. What matters is that we keep moving forward, supporting one another, and creating workplaces that reflect and serve the diverse communities around us.

Thank you for staying with this cause. For being part of something bigger than any one of us. For bringing your passion, your questions, and your accountability to the room today.

Here’s to another year of showing up, leaning in, and driving real change in the energy sector.

I look forward to speaking with many of you throughout the day. Please do come and visit me and the team at the Murray McIntosh stand.

Thank you, and enjoy the conference.

Why This Matters

Sponsoring the Energy UK EDI Conference is part of our wider commitment to making recruitment, and the sectors we support, fairer, more inclusive, and more reflective of the world we live in.

Whether it’s reviewing language in job specs, challenging unconscious bias in hiring, or simply keeping the conversation going, we believe everyone has a role to play.

We’re proud to support the people doing that work. And we’re here to keep showing up - with you, and for you.

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