The AoEC and Modern Slavery

Helping organisations to end slavery in the workplace

The AoEC has made a long-term multi-year commitment to being part of the international campaign to end modern slavery. There are many ways in which we advance our ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) commitments; and modern slavery is our main company-wide external campaign.

Why would an executive coaching company choose modern slavery as its focus? Executive coaching focusses on creating and supporting workplaces at their best. At the other extreme, slavery embodies working conditions at their very worst – when rights, freedom and human dignity are all denied. We look to what we can do to support the campaigning, advocacy and rescue work of anti-slavery experts around the world.

We have two main priorities:

First, offering pro bono coaching and mentoring support to modern slavery organisations and networks. This could include:

  • sharing of our own experience as a company on organisational priorities such as operations, finance, marketing, strategy-planning; 
  • tailored executive coaching to individuals and teams working on modern slavery. We are not experts who can work directly with survivors; but we have resources to support those who do. 

Second, educating ourselves and our alumni and our networks about modern slavery – about the global trends, and also the realities of modern slavery in everyday communities. For example, did you know that in 2020, UK nationals were the third-most common nationality of enslaved people in the UK? 

Estimates of the number of people enslaved in the UK range from 10,000 (the cases reported to the UK Government) to 136,000 (estimated by the Global Slavery Index), and that globally 50 million adults and children are living in slavery, including forced marriages, domestic servitude, forced and bonded labour and trafficking. In many modern economies, you might expect to encounter slaves at your local car wash, shop or nail bar; it’s also prevalent in the hospitality, construction and IT industries and in agriculture. Learn the simple international recognition signal so that you know if someone is covertly signalling for help.

If you work against modern slavery, and you think you would benefit from support, please contact us today.

Coaching Skills Certificate for volunteers

We run an annual Coaching Skills Certificate course specifically for volunteers and staff working against modern slavery. It’s a great chance for networking, as well as for learning generic core coaching skills for use in your work with your colleagues and partner organisations. The course is held via Zoom so that participants around the world can take part.

"The course was thoroughly enjoyable and informative, which is a credit to the approach of the course tutors. Good practical exercises that kept us all engaged throughout the 2 days and provided a solid introduction to coaching approaches" - Nawaz Khan

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Helping organisations

We can provide pro bono support to those leading and managing modern slavery organisations, and to individual activists and campaigners. Examples include coaching the coordinator of a local modern slavery partnership; and team coaching for an accommodation provider for those rescued from modern slavery. Contact John Gray for more information and to book an initial exploratory conversation.

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We are proud to have supported:

The AoEC's Anti-Slavery Annual Walk #endingslavery

Every October 18th is World Anti-Slavery Day. In 2022 we marked it by inviting AoEC colleagues to do a 5K walk, run or cycle and to fundraise for Anti Slavery International – one of the world’s oldest and most prominent anti-slavery organisations. As a virtual company in which everyone works from home, our 5Ks were 'virtual' – in real time and space, but at a location that suited each of us. We are proud to have raised £545 for that walk and now organise our colleagues to walk each year, to show our support and raise money. If you are able to donate, click the button below to add your support as well. Thank you.

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Modern slavery additional support resources: