New UK charity partnership with Marsh McLennan
Ambitious about Autism today announced it had been selected as the new UK charity partner of Marsh McLennan, the world's leading professional services firm in the areas of risk, strategy and people.
UK-based colleagues at Marsh McLennan businesses Marsh, Mercer, Guy Carpenter, and Oliver Wyman voted overwhelmingly to choose Ambitious about Autism as its new UK strategic charity partner for 2021-2023. This partnership is set to change the lives of thousands of young autistic people across the UK.
Through the partnership, Marsh McLennan has committed to become a more autism confident employer and industry leader in promoting and championing neurodiversity within the workplace.
With only 16% of autistic adults in full time employment*, Marsh McLennan will also join our growing network of National Employ Autism partners, to offer careers advice, employability support and work placements to talented young people across the UK.
Together with Marsh McLennan, Ambitious about Autism has a bold mission to prove that ‘Great Minds Don’t Think Alike’. The partnership will start a conversation and promote neurodiversity and inclusive workplaces, to show that thinking differently can benefit everyone, enhance innovation and productivity.
Marsh McLennan aims to galvanise its almost 15,000 UK workforce to raise £200,000 during the first year of the partnership through colleague fundraising, which will directly support Ambitious about Autism’s Employ Autism programme, a UK wide initiative helping autistic young people into employment.
As well as volunteering hours of their time, Marsh McLennan colleagues will also have the opportunity to learn more about autism and neurodiversity in the workplace.
Chris Lay, CEO, UK and Ireland, Marsh, commented: “Marsh McLennan colleagues share a commitment to give back to the communities where we live and work and we are thrilled to set out on a new journey with Ambitious about Autism. This partnership gives us the enormous opportunity to transform the lives of young autistic people across the UK by opening new career paths.
“We’re looking forward to learning more about the huge positives greater neurodiversity can bring and the power of thinking differently in our workplaces. By educating colleagues, creating career paths, and engaging in fundraising and volunteering activities, our aim is to drive long-lasting social change.”
Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive of Ambitious about Autism, said: “We’re proud and delighted to be Marsh McLennan’s new UK charity partner.
“Marsh McLennan share our belief that thinking differently is not a deficit, in fact, for employers and businesses it can be a huge benefit. We’re thrilled to get started on our work together, which will champion autism and neurodiversity in business.
“Together we want to create a nationwide system change that will enable more autistic young people to enter the job market and fulfill their potential. We can’t wait to see what this exciting partnership will achieve.”
The charity partnership will officially launch on Friday 5 February at a special virtual #GreatMinds event for Marsh McLennan colleagues featuring Ambitious about Autism’s Ambassador, and Channel 4 news anchor, Jon Snow.
*16% of autistic adults are in full time work’ statistic from the National Autistic Society’s Autism Employment Gap research (2016)
