Champion inclusion and diversity

We champion inclusion and diversity across our business, at every level, everywhere. From the diverse talent we recruit, develop and retain, to the way we source services and portray diversity through our brands.

As part of our ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’ action plan, we have set ourselves ambitious goals and we are determined to remove barriers, while having a positive impact on our partners, our suppliers and our communities.

We aim to create an environment within our business where every individual feels a sense of belonging and can thrive and contribute to their fullest.

For our business to thrive and for Diageo to realise its ambition, we depend on recruiting, retaining and developing diverse talent with a range of backgrounds, skills and capabilities in each of the 180 countries in which we operate. Diversity of thought and experience fuels growth and innovation in our organisation and brings us closer to our consumer base. We view diversity in the broadest possible sense, including gender, ethnicity, age, sexuality, social class, education, experience, ways of thinking and more.

As advertisers of some of the world’s most loved brands, we use our media spend to support progressive voices and celebrate diversity in our marketing. As part of the United Nations Unstereotype Alliance, we work to combat harmful stereotypes in advertising and we are members of the World Federation of Advertisers’ Diversity & Inclusion Taskforce. As industry leaders, we also can help to change the landscape of our creative industry, ensuring those our agencies, content creators, directors, producers and beyond and represent the rich diversity of our consumers.

We also champion inclusion and diversity in our entire value chain, working closely with our suppliers and agencies to advance positive, sustainable economic impact in the diverse communities where we source. As part of our 'Society 2030: Spirit of Progress' 10-year action plan we will continuously measure and increase the percentage of diverse suppliers across our value chain year on year.

We aim to promote sustainable growth through inclusive programmes that provide equal access for all to resources, skills and employment opportunities. Our programmes include the provision of business and hospitality skills training, safe water, sanitation and hygiene, and support for smallholder farmers.

Our inclusive communities approach means ensuring that 50% of beneficiaries are women and that our community programmes are designed to enhance diversity and inclusion of underrepresented groups.

To create an inclusive and thriving hospitality sector that works for all, we are providing skills and training to 1.5 million people through the Diageo Bar Academy and improving employability and livelihoods, through Learning for Life and other business and hospitality skills initiatives.

* _{Statements on representation are a goal for Diageo and should not be considered a target}

This means we embrace diversity in every sense - gender, ethnicity, age, ability, sexual orientation, background, experience, ways of thinking and more.

And we champion this inclusion across our entire business – with our employees, our suppliers, through our brands and within the communities in which we operate.

We believe our ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’ action plan, which sets bold and ambitious goals for inclusivity and diversity, will make for a better business and a better world.

It’s important that we attract and retain the best and most diverse talent, while developing our teams. Listening to regular feedback tells us our people are proud to work for us and our focus on inclusion and diversity and level of ambition in 'Society 2030: Spirit of Progress' is key to this.

We’re proud of the strides we have made to accelerate gender equality within our business. Not only is 60% of our board and 38% of our Executive Committee female, but we have been regularly recognised externally for our achievements in this area.

We always seek the best talent for a role, male or female, but we believe that more action is needed to attract entry level women into the drinks industry and STEM roles. We are working hard to achieve this through apprenticeships, returnships and scholarships and our annual graduate intake recruits 50% women.

Inspiring the next generation of female leaders is also vital and we make sure our female leaders are highly visible, with a platform to share their career stories with candour, at panel events, fireside chats and conferences, through formal and informal mentoring programmes and as part of internationally recognised celebrations, such as International Women’s Day.

We employ over 27,000 people across 70 countries, which means we already have a diverse workforce representing the markets in which we operate. However, we want to ensure we have diversity at every level of our business, and a focus on our leadership.

Today, 30% of our Board and 37% of our leadership population, including our Executive Committee, is ethnically diverse. Our aim is to increase representation of leaders from ethnically diverse backgrounds to 45% by 2030, and we believe that we are the first global company to set leadership targets for ethnicity.

To help turn our words into action, we’ve developed a progressive Diversity Framework to support our markets in defining ambitious five-year inclusion and diversity action plans, covering talent representation and development, supplier diversity and inclusive marketing. To help us understand the true make-up of our workforce, and set meaningful goals, we invite all employees (where local laws allow) to voluntarily share their ethnicity. So far, more than 80% of our global workforce have disclosed their ethnic background and 95% of our leadership population.

To support our people and create an equal, inclusive business, we have introduced a range of policies, practices and employee-led events across our business so every unique individual can thrive.

Our industry-leading global parental leave policy gives all new mothers 26 weeks’ fully paid maternity and new fathers a minimum standard of four weeks’ paternity leave, regardless of how they become parents. From July 2019 to June 2021, our people took more than 180,000 days of parental leave with the average number of days taken by men being 99.

We are committed to opening up conversations which can be taboo subjects. Our Thriving Through Menopause Guidelines, to raise awareness and understanding of menopause throughout our business, offer support and flexibility to employees going through the menopause and help all employees, female and male, to build their understanding of how the menopause can impact individuals.

We’ve introduced Domestic & Family Abuse Guidelines. Rolled out globally across 14 markets - including the UK, Ireland, India, North America, EABL and Southern Europe - the guidelines apply to all employees and outline our zero-tolerance approach for all forms of domestic and family abuse.

In partnership with our Rainbow Network, we launched gender identity and gender expression guidelines in support of our transgender and non-binary employees. The guidelines included the introduction of voluntary and confidential self-disclosure of gender identity, sexual orientation and pronouns on our internal Workday system.

As the world of work changes, we have launched two new philosophies, a Flexible Working philosophy and a Wellbeing philosophy. We recognise that everyone has different circumstances and needs, so instead of one set of rules our philosophies set out frameworks of best-practice and a consistent set of principles to help guide employees, and their managers, in determining what works best for them and their wider team.

Our annual global INC Week has become a key calendar moment to drive change across the business. Created by employees for employees, the dedicated week was set up to encourage Diageo people to champion inclusion, celebrate diversity, have open conversations, and step out of their comfort zone. For the fifth INC Week in 2021, more than 25 global and local sessions took place discussing topics from disability and mental health to allyship and belonging.

• In the FTSE Women Leaders Review, for the second year running, we have been named as the top company for female representation at board level
• We are recognised in Equileap’s 2022 Gender Equality Global Report, listed within the top ten companies globally for gender equality, and included on the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the fifth consecutive year
• Three of our Executive Board have been recognised on the Empower Ethnic Minority Role Model Lists 2022, for actively driving a more inclusive working environment
• Two Diageo individuals were recognised on the prestigious “OUTstanding LGBT+ Role Model Lists” 2021, which recognises leaders and allies who make significant contributions to LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace
• For the 5th time Diageo leaders, including our CEO Ivan Menezes, featured in the HERoes Women Role Model Lists, which celebrate business leaders who act as role models to improve gender equality
• Diageo Brazil has been awarded Silver in the UN’s Women Empowerment Principles awards for female empowerment
• In Kenya we won three Gender Mainstreaming Awards for our work to empower women in the workplace and the wider East African region
• In Australia, we have been recognised as a leader in gender diversity by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency and named an Inclusive Employer by the Diversity Council of Australia
• Origiens, our hiring and development programme to increase diversity amongst our workforce, has been recognised by São Paulo’s Municipal Seal of Human Rights and Diversity in the Racial Equality category
• Our We Are All Able (WAAA) Resource Group supports the employment and development of people with a disability at Diageo while driving the understanding of disability across the business. In 2021, one of our manufacturing sites, Sheildhall in Scotland, was awarded an Inclusive Workplace Award through SUSE, for its provision of career opportunities to registered disabled workers

Our people are the foundation to our success, and everyone in the business is empowered and encouraged to champion inclusion and diversity and identify opportunities to drive change and make a difference. Across the 180 countries in which we operate, we have a growing number of Business and Employee Resource Groups who start thought-provoking conversations on a range of important and challenging topics and introduce initiatives to create a sense of belonging and opportunities for all.

_{* Statements on representation are a goal for Diageo and should not be considered a target}

As a critical part of our ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’ strategy, we will champion inclusion and diversity by using our creative and media spend to support progressive voices.

Through our progressive marketing approach, we will harness our creative flair to challenge stereotypes and inspire consumers with who we portray in our advertising, ensuring that everything we create is underpinned by deep insight and understanding of cultural context. This ambition is achieved through continuous capacity building within our business and in 2021, we updated our Progressive Marketing framework to be at the forefront of breaking stereotypes in advertising for gender, race, sexuality, age, ability and social status. To date, we have trained more than 2,000 marketeers and agencies across the world on this four-part framework.

As industry leaders, we can also help to change the landscape of our creative industry. We are not only committed to ensuring that our agencies, content creators, directors, producers and beyond represent the rich diversity of our consumers but that everyone has the opportunity to progress and fulfil their potential.

As members of the Unstereotype Alliance, we are championing the end of bias and harmful stereotypes in advertising. We collaborate with our peers to help create a world without stereotypes, empowering and embracing people in all their diversity, regardless of gender, race, social class, age, ability, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, language or education.

We are members of WFA the voice of marketers worldwide, connecting the world's biggest brand owners and national advertiser associations in more than 60 markets, creating a global network which offers a unique source of leadership, expertise and inspiration.

We have worked in partnership to create guidance on tackling diversity and representation issues throughout the entire creative process, from defining brand challenges and connecting with audiences to evaluation and analysis.

We are Gold sponsors of the Creative Comeback programme, which is setting the standard for global talent regeneration. The programme supports women returning to the creative industries after a career break such as maternity, caring for family or mental health breaks.

• We will use our creative and media spend to support progressive voices, measuring and increasing the percentage spend year on year

Our commitment to accelerate inclusion and diversity in our value chain is embedded in our action plan, ‘Society 2030: Spirit of Progress’. We will continuously measure and increase the percentage of diverse suppliers across our value chain year on year.

We view diversity in the broadest sense, both within our business and across our value chain. We consider diverse suppliers as those that are at least 51% owned and operated by an individual or group that is part of a traditionally underrepresented group - women, LGBTQIA+, disabled, veteran, ethnic minorities or any other minority. We will further expand the impact of our programmes by asking our suppliers to utilise diverse owned and operated suppliers in their own supply chains.

We will inspire our suppliers and agencies to drive even greater diversity in their organisations, bringing diversity of thought and experience to our collective businesses. We champion equal employee representation with our suppliers, which leads to change across our industry, and ensures economic empowerment of diverse groups.

"I am incredibly proud of our Global Value Chain Inclusion & Diversity Program. I truly believe that the most inclusive and diverse culture makes for a better business and a better world so we are championing Inclusion and Diversity, not only within Diageo, but across our value chain." Janelle Orozco, Chief Procurement Officer.

In July 2021, we launched our first global Value Chain Inclusion and Diversity Framework, as a critical part of our 'Society 2030: Spirit of Progress' ambition.

Within 9 months of launching, we have established our current supplier diversity global baseline, defined diversity for every market, created a new Diageo ‘Way of Inclusive Sourcing’ methodology and toolkit, agreed ambitious targets, developed robust reporting mechanisms and increased spend with diverse suppliers and the number of suppliers that we work with.

• Accelerate inclusion and diversity in our value chain, measuring and increasing the percentage of Diageo suppliers diverse-owned and disadvantaged businesses to 15%

We aim to promote sustainable growth through inclusive programmes that provide equal access to resources, skills and employment opportunities. Our programmes include the provision of business and hospitality skills training, safe water, sanitation and hygiene, and support for smallholder farmers.

Our community programmes are gender inclusive by design. This means putting in place measures that reduce barriers to women accessing the skills, resources, and opportunities we provide through our programmes. For example, making sure that at least 50% of training participants are women and that women’s needs are met at all stages of design, implementation, and evaluation. We do this in partnership with Care International UK, a leading NGO in gender equality.

Business and hospitality skills programme

Our ambition is to create a hospitality sector that works for all. Our longstanding business and hospitality skills programmes, Learning for Life and Diageo Bar Academy, include a focus on promoting gender equality in the industry and empowering people from underrepresented groups through skills and entrepreneurship training.

Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programme

A lack of access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) affects women disproportionately due to biological and cultural factors. WASH is essential for women’s social and economic development, contributing towards gender equality and the realisation of rights. Our long-standing partnership with WaterAid has supported us to develop gender inclusive design principles and ensures that we meet the needs of women through our clean water, decent sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes.

Smallholder farmer programme

Our work with smallholder farmers aims to enhance environmental and economic resilience and supports farmers adapt to the impacts of climate change. Key to the programme are gender inclusive design principles that aim to tackle the unequal access to agriculture skills and resources between men and women.

• Ensure 50% of beneficiaries from our community programmes are women and our community programmes will be designed to enhance diversity and inclusion of underrepresented groups

We want to create opportunities for people around the world to overcome barriers, boost their skills and build a better life for themselves and their families. Investing in the communities in which we and our people live, work, source and sell, will empower them, increase their access to opportunities and help build thriving communities.

We aim to promote sustainable growth through inclusive programmes that provide equal access for all to resources, skills and employment opportunities.

Learning for Life is Diageo’s flagship business and hospitality skills programme for those seeking employment in the hospitality industry, but who may have faced barriers to employment in their lives. The programme provides equal access to business and hospitality skills and resources to increase participants’ employability, improve livelihoods and support a thriving hospitality sector that works for all. In partnership with local educational, governmental, and training organisations, Learning for Life supports the growth of the individuals involved, and the hospitality industry overall, whilst contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 4, 5 and 8.

Another one of our 'Society 2030: Spirit of Progress' goals is to provide 1.5 million training sessions through the Diageo Bar Academy, delivering skills and resources to help build a thriving hospitality sector.

Our training programme offers physical training and online learning to educate, inspire and inform staff and venue owners. The resources available include training and education, bar news, cocktail trends, drinks inspiration, and a global network of experts and insights from some of the industry's leading influencers and bartenders.

In June 2020, we announced our two-year global programme to support bars and pubs welcome back consumers and recover from the pandemic, known as ‘Raising the Bar’.

We have committed $100 million to support the recovery of hospitality venues around the world, from London to Sydney and Dublin to Bangalore.

We developed the programme following a global survey of bar owners to find out what they needed to help them re-open safely. This included providing hygiene measures, helping pubs and bars establish partnerships with online reservations and cashless systems, and providing mobile bars and outdoor equipment.

Our support will go beyond the recent challenges faced by our partners in hospitality. In the United States, for example, Raising the Bar is supporting 25 Historically Black Colleges and Universities with $10 million lifetime endowments for scholarships and grant programmes.