Ivan is extremely proud that Diageo has been recognised by the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, ranked fourth in the Thomson Reuters Global Diversity and Inclusion Index, and by Equileap as the best company for gender equality in the UK. Ivan has led his team in introducing many gender initiatives at Diageo, including ambitious family leave policies that equalise maternity leave globally, and in many markets see new fathers employed by Diageo able to take 26 weeks of fully paid paternity leave including the UK, across Europe, North America, Thailand and the Philippines. Today 44% of Diageo’s Board and 40% of Diageo’s Executive Committee are women, and Ivan has placed targets at 40% female representation in senior leadership roles by 2025. Externally, Ivan has spoken at an event hosted by the Women’s Business Council, outlining why diversity is a ‘business imperative’, which requires a commitment from the top and action at all levels to create an environment where everyone can achieve their potential. He has spoken at numerous events on the importance of D&I, and has been recognised for his efforts with a plethora of awards. This year, Diageo became an official sponsor of Creative Equals’ Returners programme, to help women return to work in the creative industries following a career break. They also recently celebrated one year on from pledging to ‘Free the Bid’, an initiative to promote equal opportunities for women in the advertising industry.