With more than 40% of women on the Board of Directors, the company is the only one in the Northeast Region to be recognized for gender diversity initiatives.
With a Board of Directors comprised of more than 40% female directors and chaired by a woman, Consuelo Dias Branco, M. Dias Branco was recognized with the 30% Club Brazil Award. The awards ceremony was held on November 30 in São Paulo, and the company was represented by Maria Regina Saraiva Dias Branco, Vice-President of Management, Development and Sustainability, and Andréa Nogueira, Member of the Board of Directors and the company’s People, Management and Sustainability Officer.
Of the 17 awarded companies, M. Dias Branco is the only one from the Northeast region. 30% Club global initiative is aimed at the G20 countries (the 20 largest economies in the world) and aims to promote at least 30% of women to the Boards of Directors of the 100 largest companies listed on B3.
M. Dias Branco has more than 40% of its board made up of women. In Brazil, the companies eligible for the award are part of the IBRx100 index, which brings together the 100 most traded shares on B3.
30% Club Brazil Award, held for the first time this year, aims to recognize and reward companies that support and believe in the agenda of diverse collective bodies that consider gender balance and accelerate the growth of women leaders.
In her speech of thanks, Andréa Nogueira emphasized that the company’s history, which began 70 years ago in Ceará, is based on respect for differences and meritocracy, which favors the continuous development of women leaders. She highlighted that 40% female representation is already a reality in two of the Board’s advisory committees (ESG and People and Management). The Audit Committee is coordinated by a woman. She emphasized the importance of the participation of women directors and executives from the Northeast in national top management forums, bringing richness and regional diversity to the discussions. “This award only inspires us to continue moving forward in governance and diversity. May we, at M. Dias Branco, continue to influence in this direction,” said the board member and executive.
Regina Saraiva Dias Branco points out that the company has established among its targets for the Strategic Sustainability Agenda that 40% of leadership positions should be held by women by 2030. This goal is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN Global Compact, to which the company is a signatory: achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls.
Currently, women hold 24% of leadership positions, including managers, executive officers and vice-presidents, out of a workforce of more than 17,000 employees. “We have made efforts to ensure that this rate increases year after year”, concludes Regina. The company has also been recognized for other initiatives to develop female leaders. Since July 2022, the company has joined Teva Women in Leadership Index (ETF ELAS11), managed by Banco Safra and listed for trading on B3. This is the first quantitative index in Brazil on the presence of women in governance, mapping more than 150,000 positions in all listed companies.
