Launched in 2010, CEO Champions is an iconic initiative of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, aiming to drive progress and accountability for women’s advancement in the private and public sectors. The peer-to-peer network presents a unique opportunity for CEOs to share best practices and experiences, underscore their organization’s commitment to women’s advancement and take the lead in the broader global economy and society.
CEO Champions members are active, highly committed participants who track and drive progress for women’s advancement through on-record mutual commitments and accountability. Now in its tenth year, the CEO Champions Initiative continues to pioneer as a high-level international platform that advocates for the inclusion of both women and men at the leadership level in the economy and society.
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In the framework of Women’s Forum Germany, we held a CEO Champions workshop co-hosted by our Knowledge Partner McKinsey & Company and in partnership with YPO. In this context, more than 30 CEOs and high-level representatives joined the coalition working towards eliminating the gender gap: by signing this emblematic commitment brought forth by the Women’s Forum, they engaged around 5 key actions to create an equal economy and society.
In the framework of the Women’s Forum Global Meeting 2021, the Women’s Forum, alongside its Knowledge Partner McKinsey & Company, organized the CEO Champions workshop, around an inspiring discussion about the key actions in favor of gender equality to be implemented in the workplace. In this context, more than 30 CEOs and high-level representatives joined the coalition “Towards the Zero Gender Gap”: by signing this emblematic commitment brought by the Women’s Forum at the #WFG20 Italy they engaged around 5 key actions to create an equal economy and society.
In the framework of the Women’s Forum G20 Italy, the Women’s Forum, alongside its Knowledge Partner McKinsey & Company, organized the CEO Champions workshop at the Bank of Italy, gathering CEOs and institutional representatives from the G20 countries, to discuss the best practices and policies in favor of gender equality to be implemented and scaled up, in light of the post Covid-19 Recovery plans. The workshop took place at the presence of Mariya Gabriel, European Commissioner and Elena Bonetti, Minister for the Family and Equal Opportunities of Italy. In this context the commitment “Towards the Zero Gender Gap” was presented, and signed, by more than 25 companies engaging around 5 key actions to create a more equal economy and society.
More than 60 CEOs gathered at the CEO Champions workshop in the framework of the Women’s Forum Global Meeting 2019. Informed by our knowledge partner McKinsey, this workshop focused on how an organization embrace a wider transformation towards a truly inclusive working environment. Alongside Maurice Lévy, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Publicis Groupe, and Kristin Scott Thomas, Honorary President of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, our CEO Champions also pledged to achieve a certain percentage increase of women in their executive committees and to include the topic of inclusion in one of their forthcoming board meetings.
Women’s Forum Asia 2019 concluded with an inspiring CEO Champions workshop hosted in partnership with Singapore Summit and McKinsey & Company. The CEO Champions Initiative seeks to promote evidence-based best practices on advancing gender diversity in public and private sectors and calls for commitments and actions from top leaders worldwide. The workshop brought together 40 diverse and committed leaders from the region and beyond to discuss women’s leadership and the future of work, including automation and technological change. The discussion was opened by Chiara Corazza, Managing Director of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society, who welcomed Kwon Ping Ho, Conference Chairman of Singapore Summit and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings, to offer opening remarks.
Alongside Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, IMF and Afronso Romo Garza, Chief of Office to Mexico’s Presidency, 50 global and regional CEOs across the Americas gathered at CEO Champions workshop in the framework of Women’s Forum Americas in May 2019 to learn best practices in both the public and private sectors and act to reach greater gender parity. Drew on the research “One aspiration, Two realities” of McKinsey & Company, the CEOs identified challenges hindering the advancement of women to the top and engaged in formulating concrete policies and initiatives to address gender imbalances in their own organisations. Click here for the McKinsey Report
More than 50 global CEOs gathered at CEO Champions workshop in the context of the Women’s Forum Global Meeting in November 2018. Themed “Thinking out of the box: can innovation accelerate inclusion?” and informed by research of McKinsey & Company on how accelerating automation and technological change will transform our economies and how we work, and especially at how these fundamental changes will affect women, the workshop challenged CEOs to ‘think outside of the box’ in innovating to build diverse and inclusive workplaces of the future. The CEOs had candid conversations about how to create the conditions for revolutionary change in their companies and industries as well as changes that they would commit to now within their organisations to forge the path ahead. Click here for the McKinsey Report
In September 2018, the 1st edition of the Singapore CEO Champions took place during the Women's Forum Singapore, gathering around 50 CEOs from companies across Asia, Europe and America. Co-hosted by Singapore Summit and supported by McKinsey & Company, knowledge partner for CEO Champions, CEOs and Chairpersons came for this closed-door workshop and reviewed the impact of both regulations and voluntary corporate commitments on gender equality in the Asia Pacific region.
More than 50 CEOs from companies across the G7 countries met to discuss how the private and public sectors can collaborate to support gender equality ahead of the G7 Summit on 10 June in Together with McKinsey Canada, knowledge partner of CEO Champions, and YPO Canada, the CEOs convened within the context of Women’s Forum Canada to review the impact of both regulations and voluntary corporate commitments on gender equality in the G7 nations of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States. Though the G7 have some of the highest gender equality scores, according to McKinsey, wide parity gaps remain in sections of the economy, notably wage gaps, leadership, unpaid care work, legal protection and political representation.
The 2nd edition of the Mexico CEO Champions took place during the Women's Forum Mexico in November 2017. Together with McKinsey & Company, knowledge partner for CEO Champions and with the support of Sánchez-DeVanny, 60 CEOs and Chairpersons from Mexico and other countries came for this closed-door workshop, held under Chatham House Rules. The discussion focused on executives’ roles as sponsors of women. This year, the CEO Champions workshop moved beyond the talking and asked the members to take a concrete action of sponsoring at least one woman and to do their utmost to advance her professionally. After the workshop, there are now over 50 women who will be sponsored.
In October 2017, during the first-ever Global Meeting in Paris, more than 50 leading figures from the public and private sectors gathered at the CEO Champions workshop to discuss how to build a diverse and inclusive future organisation and how to drive progress for women’s advancement in the private and public sectors. In partnership with McKinsey & Company and with the support of the 30% Club and the OECD, this workshop was co-hosted by Clara Gaymard, Executive President of the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society and Maurice Lévy, Chairman of the Supervisory Board at Publicis Groupe.
In 2016, during the Women’s Forum Global Meeting, in Deauville, France (30 November – 2 December), a group of 50 leading figures from the public and private sectors came together to discuss “Reinventing the workplace to unlock the gender diversity potential. Building support among women and men.” Held under Chatham House Rules, this off-the-record session focused on brainstorming discussions designed to help answer two main questions: (1) How can the CEO make a difference and build commitment at all levels of the organization, including from men? and (2) How can we evolve the performance and leadership models to build a more diverse and inclusive place of work?
In June 2016, during Women’s Forum Mauritius, a CEO Champions meeting was launched under the auspices of H.E. Dr. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the first woman to be elected President of Mauritius and the winner of many international awards including the L’Oréal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science. This CEO Champions workshop, in partnership with the Gender Gap Grader, brought together a group of C-level executives and CEOs from the private and public sectors in Africa and Europe to discuss “Women into positions of responsibility in companies in Africa”.
In April 2016, the first-ever CEO Champions Mexico in partnership with McKinsey & Company and Sanofi, took place during Women’s Forum Mexico, gathering more than 50 Mexican and international CEOs seeking to help enrich the national conversation about the need to implement change in Mexico and to diversify corporations and promote the Mexican economy. McKinsey & Company in partnership with the Women’s Forum for the Economy & Society released a White Paper entitled Advancing women in Mexico’s economy and society: Main barriers and needed policies to develop gender parity. CEO Champions Women’s Forum Mexico White Paper (click here)
In February 2016, during Global Women’s Forum Dubai, the CEO Champions workshop was led by Dubai Women Establishment, McKinsey & Company, the Women’s Forum and introduced by Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, IMF, and President Ameenah Gurib-Fakim of Mauritius. CEO Champions Global Women’s Forum Dubai White Paper (click here)
In October 2015, during the Women’s Forum Global Meeting, in Deauville, France, a group of 45 leading figures from the public and private sectors were joined by 15 experts on gender issues to debate concrete action on “building and strengthening the pipeline” for women’s advancement. Partnered by AIG, Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson and McKinsey & Company, with the support of the 30% Club and the OECD, this CEO Champions workshop culminated in the co-publication of a White Paper - “Advancing women in the private and public sectors: building and strengthening the pipeline”.