New partnership means ADM will strive for gender parity by 2030

Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) will commit to achieving gender parity across its senior leadership structure by 2030.

The agri-business is partnering with Paradigm for Parity, a coalition of business leaders dedicated to addressing the corporate leadership gender gap.

Through the partnership, ADM is agreeing to address unconscious bias in the workplace; significantly increase the number of women in senior operating roles, with a goal of at least 30% representation in all leadership groups during the short term; and providing sponsors to women well-positioned for long-term success.

The business will also measure targets and maintain accountability by providing regular progress reports, as well as promising to base career progress on business results and performance rather than physical presence in the office.

And it will drive internal efforts on elimination of the wage gap, ensuring fairness in the hiring process, and widespread diversity and inclusion communications.

ADM chief executive Juan Luciano said: “We recognise that our success as a company and as an industry relies on developing, creating and growing an inclusive culture and diverse workforce. We believe that true innovation arises from having many different perspectives and backgrounds represented at the highest levels of an organisation, and we have a comprehensive plan in place to promote inclusion in all roles, at all levels at ADM.

“Our commitment through Paradigm for Parity focuses on improved gender balance in our global leadership forum by 2030. We’re well on our way to meeting this target and are confident that we can achieve not just this goal, but a number of others, to ensure we create and maintain a respectful culture in which all colleagues feel included and empowered.”

The food industry has long suffered from a gender imbalance at boardroom level and, following the departures of PepsiCo’s Indra Nooyi and Mondelēz’s Irene Rosenfeld, there are currently just two female chief executives at any of the world’s 100 largest food and beverage companies.

Michele Buck has been CEO at Hershey since March 2017.

And Beth Ford took over at Land O’ Lakes last August, and in so doing became the first openly gay woman to lead a Fortune 500 company.