People
Our people are our most valuable asset. Recruiting, retaining and developing our talent is therefore a priority.
We have an open and non-hierarchical culture, provide an inclusive and supportive working environment with opportunities for training and career development, and foster the physical and mental wellbeing of our employees. We value diversity and believe that a variety of perspectives enhances our decision making. Our recruitment, promotion and reward processes are based solely on merit.
Diversity, equity and inclusion
We cultivate an inclusive environment for existing and prospective employees, which respects, involves and leverages diverse talent for greater organisational good. Our primary focus is to hire the best people based on merit and we recognise that gender and ethnic diversity, as well as diversity of thought, experience and perspective, strengthens decision-making and drives better outcomes.
Our Equal Opportunities and Diversity, and Global Recruitment and Selection policies establish that all 3i employees, contract workers and job applicants are treated fairly and are offered equal opportunity in selection, training, career development, promotion and remuneration.
We aim to build on our progress through internal efforts, including leadership and mentoring programmes, as well as partnerships with external initiatives.
3i is an official sponsor of Level 20
Level 20 is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to improving gender diversity in the European private equity industry. It is sponsored by over 120 private equity firms. Its ambition is for women to hold at least 20% of senior positions in this industry. Level 20 works to empower women who already work within the industry, encourage new talent to join and provide leadership teams with insight and best practice solutions to help them address current gender imbalances within the industry and their firms. Its mission and goal are underpinned by four key initiatives:
- Industry engagement – mobilising firms to collaborate and drive change
- Professional network – connecting and amplifying women across private equity
- Career development – accelerating progression through mentoring and leadership programmes
- Research & insight – providing authoritative data to inform decision-making
For more information, visit Level 20's website.
3i participates in the GAIN Empower Investment Internship Programme
GAIN’s (Girls Are INvestors) is a UK-based charity working to improve gender diversity in investment management by educating, inspiring and supporting women and non-binary students seeking careers in the industry. Through targeted training, mentoring, networking and paid internships with participating firms, GAIN aims to build a strong and more diverse pipeline of future investment professionals.
The GAIN Empower Investment Internship Programme offers women and non-binary students across the UK the opportunity to gain practical experience in investment management through paid summer placements, alongside structured technical training and dedicated mentoring.
3i participated in the 2023-2025 summer internship programmes, taking a minimum of two interns for paid internships per intake. Two further interns will be joining 3i’s investment teams for paid internships in the summer of 2026. In addition to the internship programme, a number of our employees are taking part in the GAIN one-to-one mentoring programme, both as mentors and mentees.
For more information, visit GAIN's website.
3i participates in the 10,000 Black Interns programme by the 10,000 Interns Foundation
3i has partnered with the 10,000 Interns Foundation since it first organised internships in the summer of 2021, suppporting its mission to unlock opportunity and expand access to high-quality, paid internships for Black students and graduates in the UK. The programme originated in 2020 as the 100 Black Interns initiative, initially focused on addressing the lack of Black representation within investment management. Following its early success, the initiative expanded rapidly across the UK economy and has now delivered more than 10,000 internship opportunities across over 35 sectors, working with more than 1,000 employer partners. The programme provides structured training, paid summer internships and ongoing support to help talented individuals launch meaningful careers.
Most recently, we welcomed two students for paid intermships within our investment teams in summer 2025, and we look forward to welcoming one intern in 2026.
For more information visit the 10,000 Interns Foundation website.
Please refer to our latest Annual report for progress on these initiatives.
Learning and development
We can only achieve our strategic objectives if we continue to attract, retain and develop capable people. We therefore provide our employees with opportunities, experience and training to contribute to the organisation’s success, realise their potential and develop their knowledge and capabilities.
We encourage employees to take responsibility for their own development by working with their line managers to devise personal development plans that align with their individual aspirations and 3i’s objectives. Given the specialised nature of many of the roles in 3i, an emphasis is placed on work-based learning, with the provision of development opportunities supported by targeted training and mentoring. This is supplemented by formal courses conducted both internally and externally and usually with a multinational group drawn from across the countries in which 3i operates.
In FY2026, we provided formal specialist training on areas and skills including presentation, communication and negotiation skills, procurement and maximisation of portfolio potential and GenAI. We also offered executive coaching for some employees. Our investment executives regularly receive education on issues of wider topical interest and impact, for example, on nature and its relevance and impact on 3i and its portfolio.
We also have induction plans for all new joiners, including sessions with different teams across the business to help facilitate integration.
Our formal appraisal and objective-setting process, held annually for each employee, is key to their personal development. During this process, we measure each employee’s performance against their agreed objectives and 3i’s values to inform decisions on remuneration, training, career development and future progression. We encourage employees to make use of an online facility to obtain 360-degree feedback as part of this process.