What CEO's have said about Equal Opportunity in their workplaces.

“In the search for character and commitment, we must rid ourselves of our inherited even cherished biases and prejudices. Character, ability and intelligence are not concentrated in one sex over the other, nor in persons with certain accents or in certain races or in persons holding degrees from some universities over others. When we indulge ourselves in such irrational prejudices we damage ourselves most of all, and ultimately assure ourselves of failure in competition with those more open and less biased”.
...Former Cummins CEO (1951-1977), J. Irwin Miller

"The company that helps give women control over their own lives and helps them with the things that are not working for them—by providing more flexibility, more networking opportunities, a better work environment and more challenging work—will see more women stay. It’s not a compliance issue; it’s not a diversity issue, and it’s not a social responsibility issue. Yes, it’s the right thing to do, but it’s also the strategic thing to do for Westpac."
...Westpac CEO, David Morgan

"I learnt from my own experience that there is nothing in the rules that says you can't work part-time and you can't have kids if you want to succeed."
...Deakin University Vice-Chancellor, Sally Walker

"As long as we have 50% of our graduate intake being female and only 20% admission to partnership being female, then we have a problem and will continue to address it."
...Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu CEO, Giam Swiegers

“Women are 50 percent of the equation. Choosing not to work with women is like trying to progress with one hand tied behind your back.”
… Ernst & Young Australia CEO, Brian Schwartz

“We are in the midst of a profound historical transition … as significant as that from feudalism to capitalism.”
… Francis Moore-Lappe “Reweaving Business into the Social Fabric”

“It is short-sighted and stupid to treat women as inferior, because this country simply cannot afford not to fully utilize its intellectual capital, at least half of which resides in the female sex.”
… Justice Mary Gaudron, Australia’s first and only female High Court judge.

“We want to continue to attract employees with abnormally high abilities, including problem-solving skills, goal orientation, global awareness and customer centrism. None of these skills differentiates between job level, gender, ethnicity, sexual preference or the 101 other ways that we pigeon-hole people.”
… Former Alcoa CEO Mike Baltzell, on the reasons why his giant mining company has actively progressed EO initiatives.

It’s Good Business

“Commitment to Equal Opportunity makes good business sense because it ensures a company attracts and retains the best people. EO policy also provides confidence to employees that they will be treated fairly and receive equal access to opportunities.”
… McDonald’s CEO, Guy Russo

Bottom Line Benefits

“We firmly believe that employees don’t leave their humanity on the hat stand when they come to work. Our company philosophy, strategic goals and policies reflect equal opportunity best practice for the benefit of all our employees and the bottom line.”
… The Body Shop Australia Founder/Director, Graeme Wise

EO Reaps Success

“To provide exemplary service, a company must have good morale. To do this, one must consult with staff, and take a flexible approach. At Hollywood, we nurture our workforce and the result is that we are a great company to work for, and we are successful.”
… Hollywood Private Hospital Executive Director, Kevin Cass-Ryall

EO More Flexible

“At Seven, we like to think that we have moved away from rigid, stereotypical thinking to a more flexible environment where diversity brings a range of expertise and experience. We have found that EO practice that is relevant to our culture and business typically contributes to a healthier bottom line.”
… Seven Network Operations MD, Maureen Plavsic

EO Builds Business

“A diversity of talent drives the creation of an outstanding organisation because when a company has a healthy level of diversity, it becomes apparent to all that there is no monopoly on brains, and that good ideas come from all over the organisation.”
… Former Hewlett Packard Australia CEO, Norman McCann

A Proper Balance

“As a consumer company, Ford understands that the more our workforce mirrors our customer base, the better insights we will have, the better decisions we will make.”
… Ford Product Development VP, John Shelton

A Positive Impact

“At Apple, Equal Opportunity creates a strong sense of staff commitment, but also generates a very positive impact on our business.”
… Apple Australia CEO, Diana Ryall