· The Global Parity Alliance is a cross-industry group of companies taking action to accelerate diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the workplace and beyond.
· This group seeks to drive better and faster DE&I outcomes by sharing proven DE&I best practices and practical insights from leading organizations.
· To realize the promise of diversity, the Global Parity Alliance members together with identified DE&I lighthouses will work to close opportunity gaps faster in the new economy.
Geneva, Switzerland, 30 March 2022 – Today, the World Economic Forum has launched the Global Parity Alliance, a cross-industry group of global organizations taking holistic action to accelerate diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) in the workplace and beyond.
Established in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, the Global Parity Alliance seeks to promote DE&I best practices that benefit underrepresented groups and are hardwired across business processes – including creating equitable work opportunities, promoting supplier diversity, and launching inclusive products and services.
The Global Parity Alliance’s vision is to drive better and faster DE&I improvements by sharing what works, raising each other’s aspirations, and elevating DE&I actions across organizations beyond the Alliance.
The Founding Members of the Global Parity Alliance are Apollo Hospitals, Cisco Systems, CultureAmp, Dentsu International, EY, H&M Group, HCL Technologies, IDEO, L’Oreal, ManpowerGroup, McKinsey & Company, Merck, Randstad, Royal DSM, Salesforce, SAP, Schneider Electric, Shiseido, Stanley Black & Decker, Tata Steel, Vanguard, Verizon, and Walmart. Today, Founding Member CEOs are meeting to exchange DE&I successes, challenges and lessons learned.
“At EY, we have a long-standing commitment to build a better, more inclusive and equitable working world in which differences are valued and where everyone can thrive. We are proud to join the other founding members of the Global Parity Alliance to advance diversity, equity and inclusiveness across the business world and broader society.” – Carmine Di Sibio, Global Chairman and CEO, EY
“Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is one of HCL Technologies’ core guiding principles as we believe it makes for stronger communities and sustainable businesses. Alongside our fellow founding members, we are committed to helping remove unconscious biases and prejudices to create a more diverse and inclusive global workplace.” – C Vijayakumar, CEO and Managing Director, HCL Technologies
“The business community needs to come together cross-industry and share practices, learnings and challenges on diversity, equity and inclusion. Although our businesses and industries are different and our operating contexts vary, we can learn from one another, inspire and ultimately elevate our actions (within DE&I) through the course of our business.” – Helena Helmersson, CEO, H&M Group
“Designing for equity and inclusion is an imperative for any organization that wants to reach its goals and sustain its impact in the world. At IDEO, we have been evolving internal systems and mindsets along with design practices to ensure that the diversity of our lived experiences is the fuel for our collective creativity. There is much more to do and we are looking forward to learning alongside and working with other organizations in the Global Parity Alliance to create even bigger shifts in business and society.” – Sandy Speicher, CEO, IDEO
“As the global leader in HR services, we recognize the importance and power of a diverse workforce. At Randstad, the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion are enshrined in our core values and we are proud to join the Global Parity Alliance to drive change and help develop workforces where differences are not only understood but valued and celebrated.” – Sander van ‘t Noordende, CEO, Randstad
“At Tata Steel, our vision is to curate a workplace where we embrace differences in individuals and create a culture where everyone can bring their authentic selves to work every day. In our journey of inclusion, diversity and belonging, we are working across recruitment, sensitization, infrastructure, retention and development. We believe that the Global Parity Alliance will help us in understanding how to tap the diverse talent pool in remote manufacturing & mining locations and learn from other organizations doing commendable work in DE&I.”- T V Narendran, CEO and Managing Director, Tata Steel
“An integral part of accelerating the movement for the “S” in ESG will come from building truly diverse, equitable and inclusive workplaces, value chains and products. The Global Parity Alliance is the platform for CEOs to lead the charge on DE&I, set ambitious targets, learn from lighthouse examples, and inspire others to join a growing movement. As labor markets recover, DE&I must be at the heart of a new future of work”, said Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director at the World Economic Forum.
Developed with leading Chief Human Resource Officers and Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officers from around the world who are part of the Forum’s peer communities, as well as Forum and McKinsey & Company experts, the Global Parity Alliance is unique in its global, cross-industry and holistic approach. The group’s learnings will support people leaders and business leaders across all functions to take ownership for and deliver DE&I change.
“Organizations in the Global Parity Alliance have the opportunity to learn from each other’s experiences as well as lighthouse cases of real programs that have had significant DE&I impact,” said Kweilin Ellingrud, Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, “We are proud to partner with the Forum on this important topic and are committed to empowering organizations to accelerate progress.”
In addition to developing unique new DE&I insights and tools for the Forum, the Global Parity Alliance will leverage currently available data insights, such as the Global Gender Gap Report; practitioner expertise, including learnings from the Community of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officers; and action initiatives such as Partnering for Racial Justice in Business.