Taken from an email our CEO, Aldo Monteforte, sent to all members of The Floow’s team earlier this week.
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Dear All,
I am writing to share my reflections on the recent murder of George Floyd.
It shocked me to see this brutal killing, only the latest in a long series of senseless abuses against the black community. It pained me to witness the sorrow caused to his family and to countless people across the world, including within our company, who have suffered discrimination because of race, origin or any other dimension of diversity. This situation has reignited the need for open and honest discussions on racial injustice which we would have seen in the media, with the ongoing protests across the world.
I grew up in Northern Italy as a child of Southern Italians who had emigrated to the North. I was one of the “different” kids and sometimes made to feel so. That experience instilled in me deep feelings about injustice and unfairness in all manifestations.
I would never want our staff to assume that being silent, or pretending to ignore social injustice, are the correct code of behaviour at The Floow. As the leader of a company on a mission to reduce suffering through “safer and smarter mobility for all”, I consider it very important to speak up about such injustices and do our part to amplify the voices of those fighting for justice, whilst ensuring that as a company, we are promoting the right values of equality and diversity.
To all our colleagues who have been angered by the recent events, especially our colleagues of African heritage, I want you to know that I feel your pain and anger. I stand with you, and I know I speak for the entire Floow family when I say: we stand with you. You are valued and loved members of the team and I am forever grateful that you joined me on this journey and for your wholehearted support.
I believe that our core values, endeavouring to treat everyone fairly and recognise people based on their accomplishments and contributions, have created a highly diverse organisation. It is this virtuous circle of individual identities and perspectives that empowers and differentiates us. We take great pride in this and feel privileged that such talented people are attracted to the culture of The Floow.
As a company, we want to provide all colleagues with the support required to fulfil their potential to the maximum extent. While we have policies and processes in place to ensure fair treatment, we are committed to learning and finding out more ways through which we can continue to build a work environment that promotes equity, equality and diversity.
We acknowledge that we do not have all the answers so I consider it a duty to invite all to have an open dialogue on matters of fairness, equity, equality and diversity within our company.
I encourage you all to join the conversation and to educate ourselves individually on these issues. There are so many resources available now highlighting the history of racial injustice and the importance of supporting the cause for justice.
Here are just which I have found useful:
- If You Want to Learn About Anti-Racism, These 10 Books Are a Start (Esquire)
- A Detailed List of Anti-Racism Resources (Medium)
How can we as a business be an agent of change rather than an observer in these matters?
Aldo
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