For the second consecutive year, tech outsourcing giant Accenture has been ranked the No. 1 company on Refinitiv’s Diversity & Inclusion Index, which identifies the 100 publicly traded companies with the most diverse and inclusive workplaces, based on Refinitiv’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) data. This is Accenture’s fourth year on the Index.
“Building a culture of equality where everyone can thrive is key to who we are as a company,” said Julie Sweet, Accenture’s chief executive officer. “We value each other’s unique backgrounds, skills and experience and hold ourselves accountable for progress against bold goals. Embracing inclusion and diversity is one of the things that makes Accenture so special, and we are honored that Refinitiv has once again recognized our commitment.”
Previously produced by Thomson Reuters, the Index is designed to transparently and objectively measure the relative performance of companies against factors that define diverse and inclusive workplaces.
To compile the Index, Refinitiv assessed publicly available data for more than 7,000 companies globally, measuring them on 24 metrics across four key pillars: Diversity, Inclusion, People Development, and News & Controversies. Every company is assigned a pillar score and benchmarked against industry peers for each data point to determine the Index rankings.
“Our unwavering commitment to equality in the workplace has never been more critical,” said Ellyn Shook, Accenture’s chief leadership and human resources officer. “When people feel a sense of belonging and are valued for their unique contributions, perspectives and circumstances, they are more likely to advance and feel empowered to innovate.”
Among Accenture’s many actions and initiatives that Refinitiv considered in its Index are:
- Creating a diverse board of directors. Accenture’s board of directors is diverse in terms of its geographic and gender representation, with people from six countries across four continents and five (42%) women, including its lead director.
- Advancing workplace equality. Accenture set a goal of achieving a gender-balanced workforce by 2025, the company’s global Pride Ally program has more than 110,000 members, and its global Disability Champions network has 22,000 members.
- Developing talent. Accenture invested $927 million in continuous learning and professional development in its 2018 fiscal year, including substantial investments in re-skilling to help its people stay relevant in key areas such as cloud, artificial intelligence and robotics.
- Convening a global dialogue. Accenture publishes annual thought leadership that aims to advance the conversation around workplace equality. This year, the company’s Getting to Equal report revealed how a workplace culture of equality is a powerful multiplier of innovation and growth, while its Disability Inclusion Advantage research linked financial performance with companies providing an inclusive culture for persons with disabilities.
“This year marks the second consecutive year that Accenture has led the Top 100 ranking and we are pleased to recognize its demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion across their organization,” said Debra Walton, chief revenue officer at Refinitiv.
“We are proud that the D&I Index continues to serve as key driver for investors and analysts seeking to identify the companies that are getting this right, and helping them to make investment decisions that align with their values and the bottom line.”
