Nielsen CEO David Kenny committed to advancing the careers of women at Nielsen around the world by signing on to the LEAD (Leading Executives Advancing Diversity) Network CEO Pledge.
The pledge emphasizes Nielsen’s commitment to increase women in senior leadership roles globally. Kenny signed the pledge in concurrence with International Women’s Day.
The company plans to adhere to the pledge by implementing a gender parity and inclusion plan including the following specific actions:
- Having brainstorming sessions and conversations with management and executives about how Nielsen can create a truly inclusive work environment where everyone can thrive.
- Spreading awareness and educating employees about the negative impact of bias on retention, development, and advancement of women.
- Coaching and mentoring female and diverse employees, while also increasing senior leader sponsorship of these associates.
- Assessing current recruiting strategies and ensuring there are intentional efforts to hire, promote and pay equitably for female & diverse employees.
- Continuing to mandate a diverse slate hiring process committed to always selecting the best talent, and requiring 100% of those considered to be diverse.
- Articulating goals, using data to track progress and holding leaders accountable for their actions.
- Leveraging employee resource groups for women to gain exposure and visibility through broader networks.
“Our entire organization is united in the pursuit of bigger, bolder outcomes,” said Kenny. “The pledge is a firm commitment that we will hire, retain and promote women. When we fulfill that commitment, the outcome is not just a greater representation of women in our organization; it also will lead to better business results for us and for our clients.”
“The power of our organization is our people,” said Nancy Phillips, Chief Human Resources Officer for Nielsen. “David’s signature on the LEAD Network pledge sends a visible message that we’re committed and serious about accelerating gender parity and inclusion. This is important for many reasons, but in my mind, one very important reason is that with gender parity, we’ll have the critical skills and perspectives that women bring to help us effectively address current and future business challenges.”