Diversity and Inclusion Professional Award category winner: Will King, Evtec Automotive Limited

WINNER: Will King, Head of Human Resources, Evtec Automotive Limited

About Will King

Will King, Head of HR, Evtec Automotive, has led and driven the Disability Inclusion Transformation programme, a comprehensive, organisation‑wide initiative that has reshaped culture, systems and workforce experience. Crucially, he ensured a holistic transformation for the organisation, embedding disability inclusion into several key areas of the business.

What he did

Within HR processes, Will redesigned recruitment and onboarding to remove barriers. He introduced simplified job descriptions, alternative assessment methods and a strengths-based interview model that removes unnecessary cognitive load. His neurodiversity-inclusive onboarding pathway includes adjustments from day 1 and visual guides, step-by-step task breakdowns, and the option for quiet space inductions. Under his leadership, adjustments got integrated into standard HR practice.

Will also created a structured Supported Internship and Student Placement Pipeline, which welcomed 27 students in just one year. Designed with accessibility at its core, the programme offers tailored support, job carving and meaningful work experience. 13 interns have already progressed into paid roles at Evtec, and many more are moving into other employment or going forward with their education.

Will’s work also extended to operational teams, to ensure that Evtec’s Smart Factory is fully accessible. This included redesigning workstation layouts, introducing colour-coded visual systems and ensuring digital tools are intuitive for colleagues with diverse disabilities. Will made sure the feedback of disabled colleagues was instrumental to these changes.

Will has also embedded inclusion into Evtec’s culture at large. He introduced Dignity at Work training, supported employees to complete mental health and safeguarding qualifications and integrated psychological safety into leadership behaviours. In addition to this, he has created safe spaces for conversations to encourage disabled colleagues to share (rather than declare) without pressure.

He championed the integration of accessibility into Evtec’s ESG strategy, ensuring disability inclusion is treated not just as a people priority, but as a pillar of Evtec’s responsible business strategy.

Impact

Will’s work has fundamentally redefined what inclusion can look like in a modern manufacturing environment. He has achieved change at both a strategic and operational level, leading to tangible improvements and ultimately life-changing opportunities for disabled people.

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