Prime employer Diageo's commitment to gender equality has brought it the honour of being number one among UK companies and 11th in the global rankings in the 2018 Gender Equality Global Ranking by Equileap.
Equileap assesses how good intentions in the corporate sector translate into action. It measures which companies are making a real difference in gender balance, gaining from the ‘gender dividend’ - the positive impact identified by independent research showing that gender diverse companies tend to produce above trend returns, have lower risks and better safety records. The Top 200 companies are recognized as responding to the challenge posed by the powerful advocacy campaigns and the growing awareness of the economic injustice facing women.
Diversity as key enabler in Diageo
Diageo is among the leading 12.5% of the Top 200 Companies which obtain a grade B or above in the ranking. Having an overall score of 64, Diageo tops the list for UK companies, followed by WPP, Standard Chartered, Investec and Glaxosmithkline. Diageo also outperform many of its peer as only the top 11% corporates from the non-cyclical consumer industry made it to the Top 200.
"We know that for our business to thrive and for Diageo to realise its ambition, we depend on having diverse talent with a range of backgrounds, skills and capabilities in each of the 180 countries in which we operate and to reflect our broad consumer base. And we view diversity as one of the key enablers that helps our business to grow," said Diageo.
Multiple recognitions
Diageo's strong commitment to gender diversity has constantly been recognized by important organizations around the world. Recently, the prime employer has secured the Gender Equity Award at the Australia Drinks Award for its initiatives making inclusion key to its business; Diageo Colombia has also been recognized for its efforts to promote gender diversity within the business, ranking fifth out of 209 companies in the PAR: Ranking of Gender Equality in Organisations; and it had also led the FTSE 100 for representation of women on boards in the Cranfield School of Management Female FTSE Board Report.
Empowering women
Diageo's Exec is 40% women and its Board of Directors is 50% women. Chief Marketing & Innovation Officer Syl Saller is one of them - a big way in which Syl defines herself is a sense of responsibility to empower other women in Diageo. Syl supports all kinds of diversity, but says “if you get gender right all the other buckets fill more naturally. I think it’s a very powerful place to focus.”
“I think we all, men and women, have a responsibility to be role models for gender equality. Within Diageo, I put a lot of attention to that, I give voice to that, and it is a big part of what I do externally," says Syl.
Join Diageo for a rewarding career
Women's work is totally treasured at Diageo and they thrive with the support and opportunities given to them in the company. As one of the leading alcohol beverages company, Diageo offers a wide range of opportunities to talented women. Learn more and apply now!
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Disclosure: Where Women Work researches and publishes insightful evidence about how its paid member organizations support women's equality.