‘Organizations should have Chief Diversity Officers at board level'

Vikki Leach, the Global Head, Inclusion and Diversity at Kantar, shares intriguing insights on the larger picture of D&I, the business case, and instilling inclusion into organizational strategy, in an interaction with People Matters

- Mastufa Ahmed

Vikki Leach is a senior professional with extensive experience in engaging business leaders and delivering cross country change programs in inclusion and diversity, culture and engagement, behavioral change, communications and corporate social responsibility.

Vikki has over 15 years of experience in the technology industry driving change programs with diverse and complex challenges, taking into consideration the local business needs, and the company’s global vision. What drives this is a diverse mix of people, with different backgrounds and experiences.

My passion in life is equality. This is representative in my professional career and my personal career in sport. Everyone has a talent, it’s about unleashing it, and the talent is more likely to be unleashed in a supportive, inclusive and equal environment. Teams that work together outperform those that don’t. Success feels better when it’s shared with others.

Here are the excerpts of the interview.

Q How do you see the gender diversity landscape in Europe? Do you see some progress in that direction?

A Across Europe, the landscape in gender diversity is making slow progress. Legislation has either been or being introduced to help nudge the progress. But it’s slow. However in some countries across Europe, there is progress, because of local societal differences, local leadership and focus.

Q Research shows that companies that are more diverse are more productive and give better returns to shareholders. What’s your take on this?