Unilever wins 2013 Catalyst Award for gender diversity
25/01/2013
NEW YORK (January 24, 2013) – Unilever, one of the world’s largest consumer goods companies, was today named as a winner of the prestigious 2013 Catalyst Award, for its initiatives that expand opportunities for women and business.
Unilever was a joint winner of the award with Alcoa Inc. and The Coca Cola Company.
“This year’s Catalyst Award-winning initiatives demonstrate that global gender diversity strategies at multinational corporations can be implemented in a way that meets the needs of local regions and businesses,” said Ilene H.Lang, President & CEO, Catalyst. “And they are all championed by male CEOs who understand the strong business case for including women in top leadership and have made women’s advancement a top organization-wide priority from day one.”
Unilever CEO Paul Polman said: “We are delighted to be recognised by Catalyst for our long-standing commitment to gender balance. From our successful mentoring programme to our roll-out of flexible working, I am very encouraged by the progress we are making to help both men and women at Unilever reach their full potential.”
“To achieve our company’s ambition of doubling the size of our business whilst reducing our environmental impact and increasing our positive social impact, it is crucial that we build a diverse and engaged workforce were everybody can develop to his or her full potential. The benefits of having a gender-balanced organisation are plain to see; it helps power creativity and innovation, deepens the talent pool and allows us to better serve our diverse consumer base.”
Since 1987, Catalyst has recognized exceptional business initiatives that advance women in the workplace with the Catalyst Award, which embodies Catalyst’s vision of “Changing workplaces, Changing lives.”
Unilever’s initiative, Global Reach With Local Roots: Creating a Gender-Balanced Workforce in Different Cultural Contexts, accelerates the advancement of high-potential women across different regions and leverages the company’s strong foundation of cultural diversity and multinational expertise to promote a culture of inclusion. Read full article>>