“We should aim to flip the notion of disability on its head” – Centrica launches disability mentoring scheme

Michael Pullan, Senior Communications Manager

07557 619446

michael.pullan@britishgas.co.uk

Centrica has used International Day of Persons with Disabilities to announce it is launching a mentorship scheme as part of ‘Generation Valuable’, a programme by The Valuable 500 that serves as a unique leadership opportunity for people with disabilities to build the future of the corporate C-Suite.

Centrica is one of just 75 companies globally taking part in Generation Valuable, which aims to identify and build a community of disabled talent who share their experiences upward to inform the C-suite about how to make businesses more inclusive.

Sylvie Pontonnier-White, who works in cyber security for Centrica is part of the first cohort of 75 rising stars representing each company taking part. Each has at least five years of management experience, and each will be paired with a mentor within the C-Suite to foster new perspectives, deepen understanding, cultivate growth and attack the challenges that rising disabled talent faces once they have achieved middle management.

“I have campaigned about visible and non-visible disability inclusion at work for seven years now. There is still a sense that disabled people are somehow less talented than others, but disability makes you different, not less,” said Sylvie Pontonnier-White. “Being part of Generation Valuable will empower me to help C-Suite leaders to not only accept but seek out individuals who, despite their disadvantage, can bring about positive change to the organisation.”

Sylvie will be paired with Darren Miles, Centrica’s Chief Information Officer, and over the course of a year will highlight the voice of people in under-represented groups, so that the company can deliver on its aim to better represent the communities it serves.

Darren Miles said, “It’s exciting to be involved in the first cohort. I’m especially looking forward to honest conversations and discovering better ways of doing business that benefits us all. We should aim to flip the notion of disability on its head. People with disabilities have so many hidden strengths that others don’t have, so we need to do everything we can to bring these to the surface.” 

Chris O’Shea, Centrica CEO commented, “How we empower our people to bring their whole selves to work is vitally important to the kind of Centrica we want to be. Everybody should have a voice and everyone should be heard. The ‘Generation Valuable’ Programme will create opportunities for more diverse voices to be heard within our boardroom and that can only be a good thing.”

Centrica’s inclusion in The Valuable 500 and Generation Valuable is organised by the Divers-ability network