Dallas – Now in its second year, the well-received Women in Manufacturing Award, sponsored by Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) along with the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA), will be presented to The Coca-Cola Company.
After a nation-wide call for submissions, the recipient of the 2019 Women in Manufacturing Award was selected based on criteria that include: existence of a diversity and inclusion strategy promoting the advancement of female leaders, strategy to include proactive attraction of female talent, outreach and professional development opportunities to grow and retain female contributors, and the ability to demonstrate a working environment/culture that supports women.
The Coca-Cola Company has demonstrated its commitment to drive gender equality across its organization and industry through the company’s multi-faceted “Global Women’s Initiative.”
The award selection committee was particularly impressed by the results of the Global Women’s Leadership Council (GWLC,) created as part of the “Global Women’s Initiative.”
Highlights of GWLC’s results to date include:
- Women now represent 34.7% of senior leadership roles globally, compared to 23% in 2008.
- The mid-level pipeline of female managers has increased from 28% in 2008 to 44.8% globally.
- In the first quarter of 2019, 50% of global new hires were female across all job levels.
In its submission, The Coca-Cola Company stated an ambitious goal: “We want The Coca-Cola Company to be 50% driven by women.” Illustrating their effectiveness, women now make up 47.8% of the organization globally.
“WFF is proud to again partner with IFMA for the WFF/IFMA Women in Manufacturing Award,” said Hattie Hill, WFF CEO and President. “We congratulate The Coca-Cola Company for their tireless efforts and impressive results in creating an equitable work environment. All of the submissions were notable and encouraging. I know for sure that the future of the Food Industry, and especially the future of women in our industry, is limitless.”
The Coca-Cola Company will be recognized and presented with the award during the Sixty Fifth IFMA Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration, May 18, 2019, in Chicago.
“Thank you to WFF and IFMA for this distinguished recognition of our efforts as The Coca-Cola Company strives for a gender-equal workplace and world,” said Lisa Chang, Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer, The Coca-Cola Company. “We recognize that this work is a journey, and while we are proud of our results, we continue to focus on building, accelerating and sustaining our progress over time.”
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ABOUT WOMEN’S FOODSERVICE FORUM: Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF) is the Food Industry’s thought leader on gender equity. WFF provides the research, insights and best practice solutions that enable food companies to address the pressing need for talent, drive better consumer insights and increase business performance by realizing the full potential of women leaders. Working since 1989 to provide the tools and resources to help women build leadership competencies that enhance career advancement, WFF also partners with the Food Industry to create work environments where women thrive and organizations reap the rewards of a gender-diverse workforce. For more information, visit wff.org.
