National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) Names Diageo to Top 50 Companies for Executive Women

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Mar 04, 2010, 12:43 ET

NORWALK, Conn., March 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Diageo, the world's leading spirits, wine and beer company, has been named to the NAFE Top 50 Companies and 10 Nonprofits for Executive Women by the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE). The list recognizes organizations that have policies and practices in place to encourage women's advancement, and that demonstrate this commitment by having a significant number of women in leadership roles.

"Diageo believes diversity is a key element to the success of its business today and in the future," said Eliana Zem, Senior Vice President Human Resources, Diageo North America. "Gender is one component of this larger diversity initiative, and we value the important contributions of all of Diageo's female employees."

NAFE's list serves as an annual benchmark for Corporate America. The number of women responsible for running operations (profit-and-loss, or P&L positions) at the NAFE Top Companies has reached 26 percent. At 13 of the NAFE Top Companies, women run one-third or more of their employers' billion dollar-plus operations. When it comes to board membership, women at the NAFE Top Companies occupy 23 percent of seats.

While Diageo aims to create programs that will reach multiple audiences, and not exclusively single out women, Diageo has implemented numerous initiatives to promote gender equality in the workplace. These include:

Mentor program for top level female executives
Employee Resource Group for women called the "Spirited Women's Network"
Focused recruitment of female employees and active seeking of diverse suppliers, including women-owned businesses
Internal panel discussions for employees with female leaders on gender issues in the workplace
Employee workshops on creating an inclusive environment in the workplace
Lactation rooms at multiple sites
Global Talent database enabling in-depth succession planning for Diageo's female leaders

"NAFE welcomes Diageo to our list of Top Companies for Executive Women this year," says Dr. Betty Spence, NAFE President. "Half of the people running their major billion dollar and above operations are women, which is extraordinary."

To be declared a NAFE winner, companies must have at least two women on the board and track gender in P&L jobs, something many have not done before. NAFE will honor the Top Companies at a luncheon at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York City on March 25. That morning, senior women executives from the NAFE Top Companies will meet at the closed door NAFE Roundtable to discuss critical business issues, including how to ensure an increase in women-run operations.

Methodology: In addition to assessing corporate programs and policies dedicated to advancing women, NAFE measured results, examining the number of women in each company overall, in senior management, and on its board of directors. They drew particular attention to the number of women with profit-and-loss responsibility. To be named to the NAFE Top Companies for Executive Women, companies with a minimum of two women on the board completed a comprehensive application that focused on the number of women in senior ranks (compared to men and to the company population), including questions about the programs and policies which support women's advancement.

About Diageo

Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, wines, and beer categories. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Guinness, Smirnoff, J&B, Baileys, Cuervo, Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Crown Royal, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards wines.

Diageo is a global company, trading in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at http://www.diageo.com.

Celebrating life, every day, everywhere, responsibly.

About NAFE

The National Association for Female Executives (NAFE), founded in 1972, serves 20,000 members nationwide with networking, tools and solutions to strengthen and grow their careers and businesses. NAFE magazine publishes the annual Top Companies issue and the annual Women of Excellence issue. NAFE.com provides up-to-date information, community for women in business and access to member benefits. NAFE is a division of Working Mother Media and Bonnier Corporation.

SOURCE Diageo