There's such fear around the issue of race that the hospitality sector has adopted an "everyone's the same" approach that's failing to see any true diversity in the boardroom.
Okay, that sounds deadly serious but hospitality has a race relations problem and the sooner it accepts it the sooner the industry can prosper from all the talent it's currently squandering.
I mean it's mad for an industry facing a seemingly never ending skills shortage not to be promoting more workers, regardless of background on merit, into management positions.
Given the massive diversity at entry level in the hospitality industry, which in the UK employs some two million people, I struggle to think of many members from minority backgrounds that aren't self made bosses such as Surinder Arora or Cyrus Todiwala at the top.
There's clearly a problem and research from consultancy and recruiter Chess Executive last year found just 2% of hospitality boardroom members came from minority backgrounds.
Chess through its monthly publication En Passant has been taking a lead on the issue with its "One An All" campaign, which I met up with Lois Heywood and Jennifer Miller to discuss last week.
Having formed a working party at the start of this year Chess and a number of well known hospitality players are working towards establishing a charitable One An All Foundation.
The ultimate aim is to provide scholarships and bursaries and to get employers talking about the issue, so in time they tackle it and reap the business benefits of doing so.
Sector skills council People 1st and the Prince's Trust are involved, as is Springboard, and the hope is to establish the foundation in the summer. We'll keep you posted, of course.
Industry must develop a clear strategy on diversity>>
