Embracing Equity to Create Inclusive Futures for All

Aiman Ezzat, Chief Executive Officer, Capgemini

 IWD 2023

As a business and technology transformation leader, with 360,000 employees in over 50 countries it is our strong conviction that a diverse workforce, operating in an inclusive culture, unleashes creativity and innovation, driving distinctive value for our clients and our organization, as well as our communities.

Towards our commitment of building a workplace where all our talent can thrive, we continue to take action-oriented steps. We recognize that to #EmbraceEquity in the workplace, a change in mindset and behaviours is necessary. This is an ongoing journey requiring concrete actions and an understanding of the disadvantages and headwinds faced by many groups including women, especially in the technology industry. To achieve equity we cannot treat everyone the same, we need to take action to create a level playing field to allow everyone access to opportunity to thrive and develop.

At Capgemini, we have a multi-pronged approach that works through policies and practices, focusing on building an inclusive culture as well as benchmarking and monitoring, all aligned with the highest standards of the market.

Our policies around flexible work, parental leave, equal promotion rates, mentorship and talent acceleration programs have been a success. This, together with culture shaping activities including DE&I pathways for onboarding. Unconscious Bias and mental health training for people managers, and our recently launched Inclusion Circles, create a safe environment for all of our colleagues to feel they belong. Our recent listing in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index, Edge Assess and Edge Plus certifications, as well as the Stonewall LGBTQ+ award, help us benchmark as well as progress on our commitment towards gender equity and more broadly regarding diversity with all of its dimensions.

But more than that, as a business leader, I know how important it is for us to set ambitious targets and track our success. Capgemini has set comprehensive ESG objectives, including reaching 40% of women in our teams and 30% in executive leadership positions, by 2025 and has already increased this rate by 4 percentage points in the last two years, one of the fastest in our industry.

As a leader in technology, we also recognize our responsibility to bridge the digital divide and make access to technology an opportunity for that. That is one of the ways in which we drive equity both in our workplace in the long term as well as the communities we live and work in. We have multiple intervention programs designed for increasing STEM adoption from early education to re-skilling and upskilling the excluded.

Diverse talents, starting with women are key to shaping the future of the digital economy, whether in technology, business, or society at large.

Together, let’s #EmbraceEquity to get the future we all want.