Here at Les Mills, we believe our people are the only way to achieve our goal of creating a fitter planet. A diverse, equitable and inclusive culture is not a trend – it’s just the right thing to do!
UNITED represents togetherness, support and respect for our people. BE BRAVE is about creating a culture where all our teammates can be their authentic selves, speak their mind, and not be afraid to fail. CHANGE THE WORLD is about using our platform to educate and influence. We will call out discrimination of any kind in our people, our partners or our community.
DIVERSITY, EQUITY + INCLUSION
Les Mills International is Rainbow Tick Certified.
Rainbow Tick is a New Zealand organization which works with businesses to help them create a supportive work environment that understands and welcomes sexual and gender diversity. It is an ongoing commitment to ensure the business we build reflects the community around it, where LGBTTQIA+ are seen, and can see themselves at all levels.
Our Commitments
1. MARKETING
Inspiration to be stronger, fitter and healthier comes in many forms. We commit to ensuring representation of size, ability, gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity.
Our campaigns moving forward will have Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) representing a majority of the talent.
2. MASTERCLASS FILMING
Center-stage representation matters.
All masterclass filming will be diverse where over 50 percent of presenters will be represented by Black People and People of Color.
We are committed to better representation of ability and size and will continue to increase the range of body sizes and shapes within our product creation.
We believe that diversity in the spotlight is essential to encourage those who don’t feel there is a place for them in this industry.
3. EDUCATION
There’s so much to learn.
We will continue to educate ourselves through conversations with ALL our diverse team members across ethnicity, race, sexuality, gender, religion, ability and body size. We know we don’t have all the answers, and we will keep learning.
We will continue to make mistakes along the way, but we WILL keep showing up to learn and change as required.
We will continue to educate our company as well as and work alongside the wider community and the wider fitness industry.
4. DIVERSITY, EQUITY + INCLUSION POLICIES
Everyone is accountable.
We will conduct a review of all Global policies and identify where we have DEI gaps.
We will introduce new processes and policies where necessary (e.g. transitioning at work).
5. ONE UNITED TEAM
In order to be a truly UNITED team we need to ensure our language reflects our diverse team.
We will review and eliminate all instances of language that exclude anyone.
Our language will be inclusive for everyone, regardless of your age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, ability or body-size.
6. MAORI CULTURE
We commit to developing a deeper understanding of Māori culture and to respect the tikanga (correct protocol) when we engage with any aspects of Māori culture in the future.
7. HIRING
It starts with increasing the diversity of people in our teams.
Representation matters and we know we still have work to do.
We will hire Black People, People of Color, and Women until they represent over 50 percent of our board and senior team.
We will support, promote and hire women into people leadership roles until they represent 50% of our team.
We will increase diversity across our creative teams, TAP teams, and global instructor teams.
We will not stop until we get it right.
We know that, as a movement and a business, we must do so much more to be a driver of change. We welcome all voices on this journey, so if you have any thoughts or suggestions you would like to share, please get in touch by emailing: dei@lesmills.com
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policies
We're working on building out our policies so they're available for everyone to view and are free to download. There are more to come, in the meantime select the link below to download.
Our Team
Zoe Ballantyne (she/her)
Kendall Farmer (she/her)
Education Resources
We hope this education helps grow our understanding, opens our eyes and minds, and starts to create an open conversation and awareness, and lead to meaningful change. You can start with this series of education videos that feature a number of our own teammates sharing some of their own experiences.
LES MILLS CHANGE SERIES
LISTEN
A selection of recommended podcasts.
Features movement voices, stories, and strategies for racial justice.
A podcast from the New York Times.
From the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
A lively multiracial, interracial conversation.
DeRay Mckesson explores news, culture, social justice, and politics with Sam Sinyangwe, Kaya Henderson and De’Ara Balenger.
A podcast hosted by Kimberlé Crenshaw, an American civil rights advocate.
Where did the notion of “whiteness” come from? What does it mean? What is whiteness for?
FOLLOW
READ
America's Racial Contract is Killing Us
‘Biased: Uncovering The Hidden Prejudices That Shape Our Lives’ – Jennifer Eberhardt
'White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism’ – Robin DiAngelo
‘When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir’ – Patrice Khan-Cullors
‘Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race’ – Reni Eddo-Lodge
‘Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny’ – Kate Manne
‘The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love’ – Sonya Renee Taylor
‘Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia’ – Sabrina Strings
‘‘The Missing Colours Of The Rainbow: Black Queer Resistance’ – Elena Kiesling
‘A Queer and Pleasant Danger’ – Kate Bornstein
So you want to talk about race
‘We Should All Be Feminists’ – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
‘Bad Feminist’ – Roxanne Gay
‘Boys Will Be Boys’ – Clementine Ford
‘Fight Like A Girl’ – Clementine Ford
'My Life On The Road’ – Gloria Steinem
‘Brit(ish): On Race, Identity & Belonging’ – Afua Hirsch
‘Women, Race and Class’ – Angela Davis
‘Gender Failure’ – Ivan E. Coyote & Rae Spoon
‘Dear Ijeawele, A feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions’ – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
‘Intersex: A Memoir’ – Aaron Apps
WATCH
Black Feminism and the Movement for Black Lives
'Disclosure’ directed by Lavern Cox
Just Mercy
‘The Same Difference’ directed by Nneka Onourah
How studying privilege can strengthen compassion
'Intersexion’ directed by Grant Lahood
The Hate you Give
Dear White People
13th
American Son
When They See Us
‘We Should All Be Feminists’ directed by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie