Our ultimate priority is developing the most talented people, regardless of their gender, background or life preferences.
“As a company, we benefit from this. If all companies commit to this diversity, the whole of society will benefit," says Nancy McKinstry, CEO, and Chairman of Wolters Kluwer.
On this International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the political, cultural, economic and social achievements of women, we honor the campaign’s 2019 theme, #BalanceforBetter. The global push for gender equality and inclusion has taken the world by storm in the last couple of years, given the social and business imperative to expand opportunity. This year, we would like to acknowledge and reflect on how women have shaped Wolters Kluwer and contributed to advancing society through technology. To observe International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month for our US colleagues, means to further our mission towards gender parity and inclusion in the workplace. We are proud of our continued commitment to inclusivity and equality between the sexes; our innovative and diverse workforce is essential to delivering solutions that move society forward.
Practices such as ensuring women and diverse talent have access to growth opportunities and receive the consideration they deserve in selection procedures has been a key focus for McKinstry since taking the top job at Wolters Kluwer in 2003. “We notice that women are exceptionally good at teamwork and at leading diverse teams. This is a not-to-be-underestimated reason to cultivate female talent better. Diversity fosters diversity.” said Nancy McKinstry, in a recent interview with Het Financieele Dagblad. McKinstry is also a member of the European Roundtable of Industrialists and joined other European leaders in the organization’s current Embrace Diversity campaign.
Focusing on women and inclusion pays off. McKinsey research has found that $12 trillion could be added to global GDP by 2025 by advancing women’s equality. Unfortunately, when it comes to corporate ranks, large companies in the Netherlands still lag behind where women board members are concerned, according to the Female Board Index 2018. Of the 90 companies listed, only six percent of total board members are women. We are proud that Wolters Kluwer is one of the five companies to meet the Dutch government’s requirement of 30 percent women board members.