Knight Frank has appointed Hannah Awonuga as group head of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

In the newly-created role, to ensure that there is a strategic roadmap in place to implement DE&I initiatives and strengthen its commitment to making Knight Frank a diverse and inclusive organisation.

Awonuga will “formulate and execute a DE&I strategy to facilitate the adoption of industry-wide best practices in DE&I, as well as develop a set of metrics which will drive this agenda across the group,” Knight Frank said in a press release.

She joins Knight Frank from Barclays Bank where she was global director and head of DE&I colleague engagement, and has 17 years’ experience in banking.

Karen Bowes, group chief people officer at Knight Frank, said: “Hannah’s appointment is demonstrative of our commitment to build an inclusive and balanced partnership, and her experience will enable us to implement a robust, measurable DE&I strategy and plan, designed to create equitable outcomes for all.”

Commercial real estate companies are broadening and deepening their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs and initiatives, a new survey found.

The Global Real Estate DEI Survey 2022, a partnership between real estate bodies ANREV, INREV, NAREIM, NCREIF, PREA, REALPAC and ULI and conducted by Ferguson Partners, found that 95% of the firms surveyed – representing $2.34 trillion of assets under management - are addressing issues of DEI either by having a formal program or by enacting at least some initiatives and policies to improve the representation of women and underrepresented groups at their respective organizations.

Survey responses were overwhelmingly weighted towards the US, from where 81.4% of respondents hailed. Only 12.4% of submissions came from Europe and 6.2% from Asia Pacific.

Among respondents which have a formal DEI program, more than 85% set qualitative and/or quantitative or measurable goals, and, over the next 12 months, 11.1% which do not say they plan to do so.

Meanwhile, 84% of respondents in Europe currently monitoring pay equity compared with 66.7% and 68.6% of Asia-Pacific and North American respondents, respectively.

Data on staff ethnicity and gender was collected for North America, but gender only for Europe and Asia Pacific. The latter reported gender equality in staff numbers, while North America reported 42.5% women and Europe 39.5%.