Zug, Switzerland, March 15th, 2021 – Firmenich, the world’s largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company announced that it has upgraded its global EDGE Certification to the second level EDGE Move after an initial global certification in 2018 at the first level EDGE Assess
The EDGE solution allows organizations to transform their workplaces by measuring, accelerating and certifying where they stand on workplace gender and intersectional equality. EDGE’s methodology assesses representation, equal pay, effectiveness of policies and practices to ensure equitable career flows and the inclusiveness of the culture. Its methodology employs both quantitative and qualitative indicators, and draws on employee perspectives, HR systems and specialists, and statistical data. The process entails a combination of assessment, benchmarking, and action planning to help organizations map their journey towards gender and intersectional equality in the workplace and recognize key milestones of success along the way.
“I am very proud that Firmenich is one of only two companies that have achieved Global EDGE MOVE certification, raising the bar for gender equality under EDGE’s demanding benchmarks for continuous improvement,” said Gilbert Ghostine, CEO Firmenich. “EDGE recognizes our concrete achievements in embedding equality worldwide, as an employer of choice and a trusted and reliable partner for our customers. I am particularly pleased that we set the standard at the very top of the organization with gender parity on our world-class executive team.”
“The remarkable leap forward Firmenich has made in two years at the global level from the first level to the second level of EDGE Certification, EDGE Move, demonstrates that intentional, prioritized and measured actions undeniably accelerate progress towards gender balance, diversity and inclusion,” said Aniela Unguresan, Co-founder of EDGE Certified Foundation. “Specifically, Firmenich’s global EDGE Move certification illustrates the company’s progress in terms of gender representation and proactive management of pay equity across its main countries of operation.”
Since 2018 Firmenich has also expanded flexible working opportunities worldwide, effective recruitment and promotion practices, as well as continuous training and mentoring, have enhanced equal representation at all levels including critical pathways to senior management. Half of Firmenich’s Executive Committee is female.
Firmenich’s progress over the last two years demonstrates that the company has made gender and intersectional equality a central element of its sustainable success.
ABOUT FIRMENICH
Firmenich, the world’s largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company, was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1895, and has been family-owned for 125 years. Firmenich is a leading business-to-business company specialized in the research, creation, manufacture and sale of perfumes, flavors and ingredients. Renowned for its world-class research and creativity, as well as its leadership in sustainability, Firmenich offers its customers superior innovation in formulation, a broad and high-quality palette of ingredients, and proprietary technologies including biotechnology, encapsulation, olfactory science and taste modulation. Firmenich had an annual turnover of 3.9 billion Swiss Francs at end June 2020. More information about Firmenich is available at www.firmenich.com
ABOUT EDGE CERTIFICATION
EDGE is the leading global assessment methodology and business certification standard for gender equality. It measures where organizations stand in terms of gender balance across their pipeline, pay equity, effectiveness of policies and practices to ensure equitable career flows as well as inclusiveness of their culture. Launched at the World Economic Forum in 2011, EDGE has been designed to help companies not only create an optimal workplace for women and men, but also benefit from it. EDGE stands for Economic Dividends for Gender Equality and is distinguished by its rigor and focus on business impact. EDGE assessment methodology was developed by the EDGE Certified Foundation, which continues to act as the guardian of EDGE methodology and certification standards. Its commercial arm, EDGE Strategy, works with companies to prepare them for the EDGE Certification. EDGE Certification’s diverse customer base consists of 200 large organizations in 44 countries across five continents, representing 29 different industries and employing globally more than 2.4 million employees.
For more information, visit edge-cert.org
