Lenovo unveils research from five countries on changing state of D&I in company’s first D&I report
PARIS and RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, NC – November 15, 2018 – Awareness of the critical importance of Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) is moving higher in people’s values and expectations of the workplace in a range of cultures and countries worldwide, Lenovo reported today at the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society.
Lenovo recently conducted a global survey of 5,000 people in five countries – China, the U.S., the UK, Germany and Brazil – of varied age, race and cultural backgrounds. Globally respondents said that technology positively advances D&I and brings the world closer together. They placed D&I just below issues such as employment, healthcare and education, indicating a major shift in values: D&I is seen more as an opportunity to build community and less the achieving of metrics alone.
“This escalating appreciation of D&I demonstrates a fundamental shift in people’s values, and it’s even more important to consider now with the pursuit of new, emerging technologies like augmented reality/virtual reality, 5G, and artificial intelligence, which demands diverse, creative, and inclusive mindsets. The imperative for diversity in our business and all businesses has never been clearer,” said Yang Yuanqing, CEO, Lenovo.
Lenovo highlights the global survey in its first D&I report, which details the company’s focus on advancing D&I across 160 countries – sharing the company’s strategies, programs and policies to infuse D&I throughout the business.
Lenovo’s report addresses D&I in a holistic way, committing to companywide goals of achieving at least 20% of women, on a global basis, in the executive suite by the year 2020. Lenovo also aims to build a U.S. executive team that in the same timeframe is 28% or more Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Two or more Race, and/or Hawaiian and Pacific Islander representation.
“Diversity and Inclusion is a global imperative for us,” said Yolanda Conyers, Chief Diversity Officer, Lenovo. “It ensures that we not only embrace the best, most disruptive ideas, but also allows us to better understand and address our customers’ needs.”
Respondents to Lenovo’s global survey report that the technology sector can do better for advancing D&I when compared with others. With technology’s ability to encourage diverse opinions and participation from all segments of the world’s citizens, tremendous opportunity exists to make a difference in all aspects of D&I.
With D&I overall now ranking universally as an essential requirement, Lenovo recognizes that these values are now being brought to the forefront, to drive significant and real change in attitudes and behaviors.
Read more about the report and research here.
Read related stories on Lenovo StoryHub.
About Lenovo
Lenovo (HKSE: 992) (ADR: LNVGY) is a US$45 billion Fortune Global 500 company and a global technology leader in driving Intelligent Transformation through smart devices and infrastructure that create the best user experience. Lenovo manufactures one of the world’s widest portfolio of connected products, including smartphones (Motorola), tablets, PCs (ThinkPad, Yoga, Lenovo Legion) and workstations as well as AR/VR devices and smart home/office solutions. Lenovo’s data center solutions (ThinkSystem, ThinkAgile) are creating the capacity and computing power for the connections that are changing business and society. Lenovo works to inspire the difference in everyone and build a smarter future where everyone thrives. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Weibo, read about the latest news via our Storyhub, or visit our website at http://www. lenovo.com.
