Rockwell Automation and Catalyst CEO Champions For Change Outperforms the S&P 500 on Advancing Women into Leadership

Rockwell Automation is recognized for its commitment to accelerating more women into leadership and board positions

MILWAUKEE --(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Rockwell Automation is being recognized by the Catalyst CEO Champions For Change (Catalyst Champion) initiative—a collective of more than 50 high-profile CEOs who are visibly supporting and driving diversity, inclusion and gender equality within their organizations—for driving change to advance women into leadership. According to a progress report released today by Catalyst, using baseline data mined from all Catalyst Champion companies, findings show that as a group, including Rockwell Automation , the Catalyst Champion organizations are outperforming their peers in the S&P 500 in all areas of women’s representation: women in these organizations hold more positions across the entire corporate pipeline.

Key findings of gender-equality efforts at the participating organizations:

• Catalyst Champion companies outperform their S&P 500 peers in advancing women at all levels of the organization, specifically among board seats, executive/senior-level positions and first-/mid-level positions.
• Catalyst Champion companies outperform their S&P 500 peers in advancing women of color at all levels of the organization, specifically among board seats, executive/senior-level positions and first-/mid-level positions.

“Diversity and inclusion fuels innovation and most companies know inclusion is good for business. Rockwell Automation believes that change must start at the top, where leaders are committed to creating an environment where their employees can bring their best work,” states Blake Moret , Rockwell Automation President and CEO. “We are all accountable because our Culture of Inclusion fuels innovation for everyone.”

Since 2008 the company has seen a 76% increase in the number of women at the executive level, a 65% increase in women directors, and a 28% increase in mid-level women managers.

“We commend Rockwell Automation along with the other Catalyst Champion CEOs who represent a passionate group of change agents. They are already leaders and champions of gender equality and inclusion. Now they are taking bold action, holding themselves publicly accountable for doing the right thing and inspiring all of us to do more,” says Deborah Gillis , President and CEO, Catalyst.

On International Women’s Day 2017, the Catalyst CEO Champions For Change initiative was launched with Rockwell Automation as a founding partner. Together with Catalyst—a leading global nonprofit organization working to advance diversity, inclusion and gender equality at work—and other global companies, Rockwell Automation affirmed its commitment to accelerate this movement within its organization.

About Catalyst

Catalyst is a global nonprofit working with some of the world’s most powerful CEOs and leading companies to help build workplaces that work for women. Founded in 1962, Catalyst drives change with pioneering research, practical tools, and proven solutions to accelerate and advance the progress of women into leadership — because progress for women is progress for everyone.

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and information, makes its customers more productive and the world more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wis. , Rockwell Automation employs approximately 22,000 people serving customers in more than 80 countries.

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Source: Rockwell Automation, Inc.