Issas' petrol station giant drops diversity goals before £13bn US listing

Telegraph

20-06-2025

The Issa brothers' petrol station empire is rolling back diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) targets as it gears up for a £13bn listing in the US.
EG Group said it was no longer pursuing a goal to increase the number of women in senior leadership roles in the US, saying its diversity initiatives only applied 'in regions where legally permissible'.
It previously had set a company-wide goal to increase the proportion of women in top roles to 40pc by 2025, from 20pc in 2021.
However, the US – which is EG Group's largest market – has since been excluded from that objective.
EG Group said it was also reviewing gender targets for the rest of the business, which includes operations in Australia and Europe. The UK arm of the company was sold last year.
The retreat from diversity goals comes as EG appeared to fall short of its 40pc gender goal for 2025.
By 2024, just 27pc of senior leadership roles were held by women, according to its latest filings, with the company admitting that this was 'some way off achieving [its] target'.
The diversity shake-up comes as the billionaire Issa brothers push ahead with plans to list Blackburn-based EG Group in the US for as much as £13bn.
EG Group is jointly owned by the Issa brothers and private equity firm TDR. TDR owns 50pc of the company, while Mohsin and Zuber hold 25pc each.
The brothers have both stepped back from running the business over the past year.
Meanwhile, the move to pull the US female representation target comes as more companies start to roll back their inclusivity programmes amid a crackdown by Donald Trump.
The US president has banned companies with federal contracts from operating 'illegal' DEI programmes.
It has meant a wave of UK businesses have started to ditch diversity efforts, including drug giant GSK and consulting giant Accenture.
When addressing diversity in its latest report, EG said it wanted to ensure its targets 'are fit for purpose going forward and focused on the areas that matter most to our colleagues and customers, but also to our investors, regulators and wider society'.
A spokesman said: 'EG Group complies with all relevant laws and regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate.
'We remain committed to being an equitable and inclusive business, reflecting the diversity of our colleagues, customers and wider communities.'