The leading pasta and crackers and cookies manufacturer is part of the first IDIVERSA B3 portfolio, already in place, which represents ten economic sectors
M. Dias Branco is among the 20 companies that most value diversity, according to IDIVERSA B3, a pioneering index in Latin America, created by the Brazilian stock exchange in August. The measurement aims to recognize listed companies that excel in promoting the issue, increase representativeness, and measure the performance of these companies’ actions. The measurement is based on the Diversity Score developed by B3, which calculates how close companies are to the diversity of the Brazilian population.
The first IDIVERSA B3 portfolio, already in place, includes 79 assets from 75 companies, representing ten economic sectors.
Diversity & Inclusion at M. Dias Branco
M. Dias Branco is a signatory to the United Nations (UN) Global Compact, through which it reinforces its commitment to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To materialize the commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in 2022, the PlurAll Committee was created, made up of volunteer employees and representatives of the existing diversities in the workforce. The purpose of the group is to discuss DEI-related topics, such as affirmative actions to be adopted by the Company.
In terms of gender, for example, the company has a public goal of increasing the number of women in leadership positions to 40% by 2030. Across the company, which has more than 17,000 employees, more than 22% of women hold leadership positions, including managers, executive officers and vice presidents.
Currently, 40% of M. Dias Branco’s Board of Directors is made up of women. As a result, the company has remained on the TEVA Women in Leadership gender diversity index, managed by Banco Safra and listed for trading on B3, since July 2022.
As for accessibility, since 2020 the company has offered accessibility to the content of its official website in Brazilian Sign Language (Libras).
Among other initiatives, the company held the Diversity Week in August. With a carefully planned schedule, aimed at reaching all hierarchical levels of the company and innovating in the models for performing the activities, it involved topics such as: breaking down stereotypes, psychological safety and the importance of an inclusive culture. It also launched PODiverso, which in its first episode featured a chat on Inclusive and Non-Violent Communication.
“Since its foundation, M. Dias Branco has had a very strong culture of diversity and inclusion, which is embodied in the corporate value of Respect. We know that, by doing so, we can build an environment where people can be themselves and have the freedom to put their talents to work in favor of the company’s results.
IDIVERSA B3 Methodology
Based on the public data available in the Reference Form (FRe) of listed companies, the Brazilian Securities and Exchange Commission (CVM) asked the companies to disclose the number of employees, members of management bodies and boards, all grouped by gender and race, which resulted in a score for each company.
Some of the criteria for joining the index include having at least one effective member of the underrepresented groups (women, black and indigenous people) on the Board of Directors and at least one representative of these groups on the Statutory Board.
IDIVERSA B3 joins the stock exchange’s list of ESG indicators, which already includes indices such as ISE B3, focused on corporate sustainability, IGPTW B3, which recognizes the best companies to work for, and ICO2, which monitors the prices of decarbonization credits.
