Heineken pushes for gender quality on C-suite and boards by joining 30% Club Malaysia

Heineken Malaysia has joined 30% Club Malaysia, a global business-led campaign focused on building an ecosystem of businesses to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) with a focus on gender balance on boards and C-suites. Launched in May 2015, the 30% Club Malaysia aims to activate the chairs and CEOs to be visible in adopting DEI best practices in its organisations as well as engage wider stakeholders with market influence through its activities.

“Our people are at the heart of our company," said Roland Bala, MD of Heineken Malaysia. Recognising the importance of diversity and inclusion, Bala added these two factors are drivers of performance. In fact, everyone should have an equal opportunity to contribute to the company's success. "We are proud to maintain a healthy gender balance on the board and in management positions to foster effective leadership within the company,” explained Bala. 

According to Heineken Malaysia, it leads by example when it comes to advocating for inclusion and diversity, with 43% of its board of directors being women. This number "far exceeds the government’s target" of 30%. The brewer is also ranked number two out of 312 Bursa listed companies in the Board Diversity Index 2021 and has an equal male to female ratio in the middle to senior management positions.

In addition to gender balance, Heineken Malaysia has also committed itself to have 65% of country leadership teams in each region by 2023. The target is part of the brewer’s effort in enhancing cultural diversity and local leadership representation. Concurrently, the company has a target to have 100% of people managers trained in inclusive leadership by 2023, building on the thousands who have already received training to date. 

Meanwhile, more companies are moving towards incorporating DEI into its practices. For example in Malaysia, Industria, an agency specialising in content optimisation has managed to impress the judging panel in the Adland Diversity & Inclusion Index 2021. To ensure there is adequate work-life balance for the employees, Industria has issued a total of three initiatives in the company - flat hierarchy, unlimited annual leaves, and paid parental leaves for both parents. 

Photo Courtesy: 123RF

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