Only one month after 175 CEOs came together to launch the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, nearly 100 additional CEOs have taken the pledge, committing themselves — and the organizations they lead — to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
Only one month after 175 CEOs came together to launch the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, nearly 100 additional CEOs have taken the pledge, committing themselves — and the organizations they lead — to advance diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
By signing onto the commitment, businesses are pledging to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected and where employees feel encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion topics.
“This collaboration expands our reach and brings in unique values, actions and perspectives to continue to raise the bar for the entire business community,” said Tim Ryan, U.S. Chairman and Senior Partner of PwC and chair of the steering committee for CEO Action. “The overwhelming support for the coalition has been amazing to see and with each and every new organization signing on, we have the opportunity to put our commitments into action by working together to improve diversity and inclusion in our workplaces and communities.”
The collective of more than 250 signatories has shared examples of nearly 200 actions they have already taken, exchanging tangible learning opportunities and creating conversations via the initiative’s unified hub CEOAction.com.
Frédéric Rozé, CEO of L’Oréal Americas is one of the initiative's newest additions. “L’Oréal became the world’s leading beauty company through a profound respect of all differences,” said Rozé. “The diversity of beauty in the world is a source of inspiration for us and the diversity of our workforce is a strategic advantage, driving innovation and fostering creativity. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is at the heart of our business mission of universalizing beauty.”
Also joining CEO Action are Grant Reid, CEO of Mars; Gary Pinkus, CEO of McKinsey & Company; Kees Kruythoff, CEO of Unilever; David Abney, CEO of UPS; Andrew Anagnost, CEO of Autodesk; Dietmar Exler, CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA, amongst others.
Organizations joining the pledge are taking a step toward effective positive change. A diverse and inclusive workforce is instrumental in facilitating community, but also driving innovation and creativity. A recent study found that 85 percent of those surveyed reported that diversity is a key component to fostering innovation. What's more, as diversity and gender equality issues continue to gain traction, greater efforts on the part of business will be required in order to remain relevant.
“As every industry faces disruption, continuing to recognize the importance of inclusion and diversity — building on our collective experience, both successes and failures — will help fuel the competitiveness of both our companies and our country,” said Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture North America.
The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ coalition now represents 70 industries, all 50 US states and millions of employees globally. It will come together for the first-ever 2017 CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ Summit in November, providing signatories with the opportunity to act on the commitments within the pledge, share best practices and look toward developing additional commitments for advancing diversity and inclusion within the workplace.
Published Jul 25, 2017 4pm EDT / 1pm PDT / 9pm BST / 10pm CEST