London, 3 April 2014: GE has been included in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2014, which lists the organisations that are leading on workplace gender equality. The list is published in partnership with Opportunity Now, the workplace gender campaign from Business in the Community, and is being published as part of Business in the Community's Responsible Business Week. This is the second time in three years that GE has been named on the list.
GE was recognised particularly for the role its financial arm, GE Capital, has played in promoting diversity. GE Capital has a UK leadership team comprising over 40 per cent women, a 47 per cent female employee base and a female CEO[1]. The business has installed a dedicated diversity leader in recognition of the importance of diversity in the work place.
Mary Fitzpatrick, Diversity Leader at GE Capital, commented: "At GE we believe it is vitally important to be an employer that values diversity and this forms an integral part of our values and our approach to doing business. We believe that diverse teams lead to diverse thinking and, ultimately helps build a more successful business."
Areas that GE was recognised by The Times for include:
- Setting goals of 50% of promotions to be awarded to women, increasing female representation at all levels by 2% per annum
- Targeting at least 30% women on senior leadership teams and global boards and establishing a talent pipeline of over 200 women
- Enabling women to deepen their knowledge and skills in leadership through GE's Leadership Practices programme. 700+ women have taken part in the past year
- Launching a STEM[2] programme for school girls -- providing guidance and insight into engineering/scientific career options. 1,000 girls have already been engaged
- Launching a fast track talent pipeline for women leaders at GE Capital, helping drive a significant increase in women in senior roles across the business
Kathryn Nawrockyi, Director of Opportunity Now, said: "Congratulations to GE on being included in The Times Top 50 Employers for Women 2014. The standard of entries was incredibly high once again, and GE should be hugely proud of this success. GE is a great example of strong leadership; of how putting gender equality at the core of a business can create real, sustainable change for women, organisations and society as a whole."
Mark Elborne, President of GE in the UK, said: "Being recognised by The Times highlights our commitment to diversity. GE is continually working on improving opportunities for women. It's the mix of diverse teams throughout the organisation that promotes different views and innovative ideas".
GEs Women's Network has been crucial to underpinning GE's diversity efforts -- the network builds a community for women across GE businesses and supports both men and women in achieving their professional goals. The Woman's Network has over 100,000 members globally, with 5,000 in the UK. The Network fosters professional development and helps the company grow, attract & retain successful women.
*ends*
[1] All figures correct at time of publication
[2] Science, technology, engineering and maths
Paige Folta
GE Capital
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+44 20785 31677
+44 7825072507