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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Egon Zehnder Stands Against Racism, Discrimination, and Social Injustice

Our firm’s purpose is Leadership for a Better World, and what we are facing today is a leadership void.

  • June 2020

This has been a particularly devastating week in America. In recent months, we have witnessed horrific examples of racism and violence that might never have come to light were it not for our ability to witness history in real time. To name a few: the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, and the overt racism directed against Christian Cooper. I stand for our firm when I say that discrimination against and unequal treatment of people based on their race must end. Unequal treatment in our country based on gender, religion, sexual orientation and other forms of identity must end as well.

As I reflected over the weekend, I spoke with some of our Black colleagues who shared their personal experiences and how they are feeling right now. I want to thank them for that vulnerability, and personally would like to acknowledge the unique trauma that this type of injustice creates for the Black community. I also would like to acknowledge that this is a deeply upsetting time for many others in the firm. Our collective pain and disillusionment is real.  

As the world’s leadership advisory firm, we have a unique opportunity to make a difference. Our firm’s purpose is Leadership for a Better World, and what we are facing today clearly is a leadership void. It is our responsibility to help fill that void -- in our businesses, our non-profits, our communities, and our governments -- with leaders, teams and organizations that will build a fairer, more inclusive society. We also have work to do internally. We must commit to increasing the diversity of our team, as well as the mindsets and skills to nurture an authentic culture of inclusion. 

Over the coming weeks, we will organize a series of conversations at the leadership level and across our US team. The goal is to create a supported space for colleagues to voice and process what they are experiencing, to listen carefully to that input, and then move collectively into building a better future. Please know that we are on this journey together.
 


Read the support from our Chairwoman Jill Ader:

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