The Diversity Council is a cross-industry alliance to accelerate the DE&I agenda
The Diversity Council provides a CEO and HR network through which large organisations can share and learn from best practice cases, and participate at the forefront of the societal DE&I conversation
DE&I is a vital lever in ensuring innovation, employee retention and profit. In the spirit of UN Global SDG #17 ‘Partnerships for the Goals’, the Diversity Council’s cross-industry alliance accelerates the progress to parity as companies can learn from each other’s successes and learnings, in a confidential forum, while ensuring a stronger collective voice in the public debate.
Christina Petersen
Managing Director, TotalEnergies Country Services Denmark
Vincent Clerc
CEO, A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S
Henrik Andersen
CEO, Vestas
Michael Hansen
Group President & CEO at Hempel
Anders Hagh
CEO, Salling Group
Christina Petersen
Managing Director, TotalEnergies Country Services Denmark
“At TotalEnergies, we are focused on delivering today’s energy while driving the energy transition for the future. Meeting the challenges of this transition requires new and innovative solutions, technology and competence, and it is our diverse workforce that gives us the ability to tackle it just as they have done in the past 100 years. We aim to create a workplace where everyone feelswelcome, valued, supported and included. While we have made significant progress, we know there is more to do. By joining The Diversity Council, we seek to learn from others’ experiences, contribute our own and actively support the shared mission.”
Vincent Clerc
CEO, A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S
”As a values driven company, we have in Maersk always had a strong focus on our People and the society around us. We truly believe, that as societies and businesses today it is paramount that we do not neglect the potential of diversity. For Maersk, it is not our physical assets that will make us successful in terms of serving our customers, facilitating global trade and helping societies create jobs and prosperity. It’s our people! Our engaged group of colleagues across the globe, working together as one diverse global team. Studies show that a diverse group makes better decisions faster – and therefore we believe it to be simply common sense for our leaders to look at the entire talent mass and ensure role models and incentives for all our employees.”
Henrik Andersen
CEO, Vestas
“We acknowledge that a diverse and engaging workplace of sustainable leadership will bring different experiences, skills, and perspectives to the table – and only by acknowledging and harvesting from these, will Vestas gain competitive advantage and leverage the effect of diversity for our overall performance.”
Michael Hansen
Group President & CEO at Hempel
“Here at Hempel, we are 7,500 colleagues dedicated to developing innovative and trailblazing coating solutions for our customers around the world. Innovative solutions that contribute to solving our customers’ most important challenges and, not least, creating a more sustainable future. To deliver on this ambition, it is paramount that we have a diverse group of colleagues with a vast variety of backgrounds, experiences, skills and knowledge. As an example, we have already made great strides in strengthening the opportunities for female colleagues, but much more still needs to be done. Our goal is to give every employee a fantastic place to work, one where they feel valued for being exactly who they are.
Joining the Diversity Council is a further commitment to our colleagues that we are invested to deliver on our DE&I promises. To have the opportunity to share our experiences on this journey and learn from other companies faced with similar opportunities and challenges is extremely valuable and one that we are happy to jump into feet first.”
Anders Hagh
CEO, Salling Group
“Retail is a people’s business. Our colleagues are the core of everything we do. When I look across Salling Group’s more than 60.000 employees, I see a huge and wonderful diversity of people. A diversity that is a gift in order to meet the diversity among our customers and a diversity that plays an important role in our ambitions to be a workplace with belonging, curiosity and innovation. To continue to run a solid business it is essential that we give every colleague the possibility to unfold their full potential. I am very proud to join the Diversity Council on behalf of Salling Group, and with our membership take one step further to ensure we always aim higher, not least when it comes to ensuring diversity at every level.”
The Diversity Council facilitates cross-industry knowledge-sharing through biannual CEO and HR meetings, centralised DE&I resources, PR and joint initiatives. These have included: research into the Danish Gender Equality Paradox, in collaboration with McKinsey & Company Denmark and a zero-tolerance statement regarding harassment.