Gender diversity gives business the competitive edge

Brussels, 18 February 2016 – The American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU) hosted an event with two executives from Procter & Gamble (P&G) and Citi to highlight the benefits of corporate gender diversity initiatives to companies’ bottom lines. The event featured a keynote speech by Věra Jourová, EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality.

Geraldine Huse, Vice-President, Global Tesco Account, P&G, said, ‘Beyond doing the right thing ethically, there is an undeniable business case for ensuring you have diversity in any business. For P&G, this is about being as diverse as the four billion consumers we serve around the world; we’re proud of the progress we’ve made to reach a near 50:50 gender split at all levels of our company, from the boardroom down. Diverse business teams deliver better business results’.

James C. Cowles, Chief Executive Officer, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Citi, echoed this sentiment and stated, ‘Diversity is a source of strength at Citi. It’s not just good policy, but it’s good business. We serve clients from every walk of life, background and origin, and our goal is to build a global workforce that reflects that diversity. As the world evolves, so should the various viewpoints, ideas and experiences that inform our business.’

Through its newly created Gender Initiatives Task Force, AmCham EU looks forward to continued progress in corporate gender diversity and welcomes further debate, especially between interested stakeholders, EU institution representatives and its members.

For more information on the event, please click here.