Diageo named world's most inclusive drinks company

Diageo has been ranked fourth in the world on Thomson Reuters’ 2018 Top 100 Most Diverse & Inclusive Organisations index.

The D&I Index, launched in 2016, ranks the top 100 publicly traded companies globally with the most diverse and inclusive workplaces, as measured by 24 metrics across four key categories: diversity, inclusion, people development and news controversies. The Index is then calculated by weighing each metric based on importance in the market and how each company compares with its peers.

Having ranked 11th in the 2016 inaugural list, Diageo climbed to 5th position in 2017, before being ranked 4th in this year’s list.

“I am very proud that Diageo is one of the most diverse and inclusive workplaces globally,” said Mairead Nayager, Diageo chief human resources officer (above). “Embracing diversity including gender, sexuality, ethnicity, experience, thinking styles and more has been proven time and time again to benefit commercial performance. As a global business with over 200 brands in 180 countries, it’s critically important that our employee base reflects the world around us and that we create a working culture where everyone can thrive. We are proud of our achievements to date and have stretching targets and ambitions to do more.”

Patsy Doerr, global head of corporate responsibility and inclusion at Thomson Reuters, added: “At Thomson Reuters, we understand that focusing on total societal impact is fundamental to driving long-term financial success.

“Creating the workforce of the future means building diverse teams which attract the best and brightest from around the world. The D&I Index helps investors and analysts identify the companies that are getting this right, helping them to make investment decisions that align with their values and the bottom line.”

Woolworths ranked 1st in Australia for D&I

Woolworths Group was the top company in Australia in the Thomson Reuters’ 2018 Diversity & Inclusion Index and placed 14th globally.

“We are proud to be ranked in the global top 20 of the Thomson Reuters Diversity and Inclusion Index. It is welcome recognition of our efforts and progress in creating an inclusive culture across all of our businesses,” Woolworths Group chief people officer, Caryn Katsikogianis said.

“As a group, we embrace the value diversity brings to our organisation and seek to provide an inclusive work environment that gives all our team members a sense of purpose and belonging. We want our customers to experience a welcoming and genuine team when they shop with us, and our diverse team is key to delivering this,” added Katsikogianis.

Woolworths diversity initiatives including refugee programs, LGBTI inclusion, gender pay parity and indigenous employment. It was also recognised earlier this year with a Gold Tier Status in the Australian Workplace Equality Index Awards due to its LGBTI inclusion program.

The Top 25 global index rankings

1. Accenture

2. Novartis

3. Medtronic

4. Diageo

5. Gap

6. Telecom Italia

7. Kering

8. Natura Cosmeticos

8. L’Oreal

10. Acciona

10. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co