INvolve, an organisation that works with businesses to drive positive and sustainable growth through inclusion, named Christophe Beck, Ecolab chairman and CEO, to its 2023 Empower Top 50 Advocates list, and Gail Peterson, chief marketing officer, to its 2023 Empower 100 Executives list. 

The lists acknowledge corporate leaders who are paving the way for more inclusion in the workplace, and who are creating an equitable work environment for people of colour. The recognition showcases Ecolab’s collaborative commitment to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment, which Beck and Peterson have championed throughout their tenure. This commitment to DE&I fuels growth and paves the way for future opportunities for the company.

"I am humbled to be included on this list of influential leaders, especially because the title of role model is a serious responsibility,” Beck said. “I truly believe that business leaders who prioritize building an inclusive culture see the benefits in the performance of their team. That's why we want Ecolab to be a place where people belong and thrive, and why we continue see inclusivity as an important part of our ongoing business success."

Some of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) efforts recognized by INvolve include support of associates through Employee Resource Groups, enhanced benefits to support associates with unique needs, and the founding of Ecolab’s Executive DE&I Council, a group of Ecolab senior leaders that advocate and advise the company’s DE&I strategy. Also factored in were Ecolab’s progress toward its DE&I 2030 Impact Goals. Some of those accomplishments include:  

• 50%increase in female and BIPOC executives since 2016.
• 38% of all new management-level hires globally were women.
• 35% of all new management-level hires in the U.S. were people of colour.
• 96% increase in year-over-year spending with diverse suppliers.

“All the individuals within these lists are championing inclusion and leveraging their expertise and knowledge to drive impactful initiatives and strategic change within their organizations,” said Suki Sandhu OBE, founder & CEO of INvolve. “It’s vital that people of colour across global organizations can succeed and achieve career success, and these Role Models are essential drivers of change who are smashing barriers to progress.” 

INvolve is among several organizations to recognize Ecolab’s DE&I advocacy in recent years. Other honours include four consecutive years on the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index and DiversityInc Top 50 list, and a top score on the Disability Equality Index.