Attending the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland today, SAP SE CEO Bill McDermott encouraged CEOs to take collective action on gender equity and diversity:
“We couldn’t be prouder to be the first technology company to receive global EDGE certification. SAP treasures our focus on diversity and inclusion, which is why we set clear goals to have more women in leadership positions. This must be a unifying topic for all business leaders. I will personally encourage other CEOs to get EDGE certified before we return to Davos in 2018!”
EDGE is the premier standard and methodology for evaluating corporate commitment to gender equality. In 2016, SAP became the first multinational technology company to achieve global Economic Dividends for Gender Equality (EDGE) certification.
SAP recently outlined plans to use machine learning technology to detect and help eliminate bias in every decision point of the talent lifecycle, from hiring through succession, as part of the SAP SuccessFactors HCM Suite. Diversity in the workforce is a business and economic imperative, with research clearly showing better financial returns and improved employee engagement for companies with diverse workforces.
SAP is publicly committed to employing 25% women in leadership positions by the end of 2017. As of 2016 the company stands at 24.5%, up from 18.7% when the target was established.
Learn more about the journey to move Business beyond Bias in this infographic.
