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GENEVA, Aug. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

Recognized as D&I leader by the Cercle Suisse des Administratrices

Firmenich, the world's largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company, has

announced it has been recognized for its exemplary leadership in Diversity &

Inclusion, winning the Cercle Suisse des Administratrices Grandes Entreprises

Award 2022.

The Cercle Suisse des Administratrices is an association that promotes

diversity and competencies within governance bodies – Board of Directors and

management in Switzerland. It was created to give more visibility to the many

women playing a senior role on management teams and boards of directors and its

awards are widely considered the most prestigious in the diversity arena in

Switzerland.

The judges applauded Firmenich's inclusive culture, the strong representation

of women across senior leadership roles, the absence of gender pay gaps, and

its equitable recruitment, training and mentoring programs. Firmenich was

selected as a finalist out of 36 companies and received the award during a

ceremony held at the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne.

"I am very proud that Firmenich received the 2022 Grandes Entreprises Award

from Cercle Suisse des Administratrices," said Mieke Van de Capelle, Chief

Human Resources Officer, Firmenich. "This award recognizes our ongoing efforts

in embedding equality across our leadership and senior roles worldwide, as well

as across the wider organization. We continue to set the standard for

excellence as the best place to work in our industry. While I am very proud of

this achievement, we recognize this is a journey. Therefore, we are constantly

focusing on new frontiers with targeted actions that go beyond gender. By

embracing the power of inclusion, we continue to be a leading creative

powerhouse."

"Firmenich was selected out of 36 companies and the Jury was particularly

appreciative of the voluntary and long-standing commitments of this

family-owned global company. The progress and results of its diversity and

inclusion programs and the policies across all levels of its organization and

its Board of Directors, are among the defining elements that were taken into

consideration by the Jury," said Dominique Faesch, Presidente du Prix 2022,

Cercle Suisse des Administratrices.

Since 2018, Firmenich has raised women's representation in leadership roles to

46%, and eliminated gender pay gaps. According to the UN, women earn 77 cents

for every dollar men earn for work of equal value. Firmenich has also expanded

flexible working opportunities worldwide, made recruitment and promotion

practices more diversity-focused, created diversity and inclusion training and

mentoring programs, and enhanced equal representation at all levels including

critical pathways to senior management. Since 2020, 50% of Firmenich's

Executive Committee are women.

In addition to achieving gender equality, Firmenich is also focused on raising

the bar with targeted action beyond gender. This is about embracing the power

of inclusion of minority groups, securing effective representation and

engagement of people with different abilities, ethnic and socio-economic

backgrounds and sexual orientation.

Building on its achievements, the Firmenich's Environmental, Social and

Governance (ESG) strategy sets ambitious 2030 people goals, including

commitments on human rights, ethnic pay equity, creating 5,000 job

opportunities for youth and continuing to raise the representation of

differently-abled people in its workforce to 10%.

This Award is one of many milestones along Firmenich's journey to be the most

inclusive player in its industry and the world of work. Firmenich was the 7th

company in the world and 1st in its industry to be globally certified as a

gender equal employer by EDGE; the Group was recognized as a Diversity &

Inclusion leader with the Responsible Business Award by Ethical Corporation;

Firmenich's CEO joined the Valuable 500 movement to put disability inclusion on

their leadership agenda; and Firmenich was one the first four companies in

French-speaking Switzerland to receive the Swiss LGBTI* label.

The Cercle Suisse des Administratrices Awards 2022 showcased companies leading

in gender equality and women leadership. For more information on the awards,

visit the website at https://cercle-suisse-administratrices.ch.

*: LGBTI stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex.

About Firmenich

Firmenich, the world's largest privately-owned fragrance and taste company, was

founded in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1895, and has been family-owned for 127

years. Firmenich is a leading business-to-business company specialized in the

research, creation, manufacture and sale of perfumes, flavors, and ingredients.

Renowned for its world-class research and creativity, as well as its leadership

in sustainability, Firmenich offers its customers superior innovation in

formulation, a broad and high-quality palette of ingredients, and proprietary

technologies including biotechnology, encapsulation, olfactory science, and

taste modulation. Firmenich had an annual turnover of 4.7 billion Swiss Francs

at end June 2022. More information about Firmenich is available at

www.firmenich.com.

About Cercle Suisse des Administratrices

The Cercle Suisse des Administratrices is an association that defends diversity

and skills within governance bodies (Board and management). It was created to

give more visibility to the many women whose profiles are sought after by

non-executive boards of directors.

The Cercle Suisse des Administratrices Award is awarded to a company whose

leadership includes at least 30% women at its Board level and 20% at its

managerial levels, and which adopts policies in favor of increasing women's

representation in management and executive positions. Its jury is composed of

representatives of the economy and the media.

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Source: Firmenich