Yum! Brands’ commitment to diversity and inclusion starts at the top of the organization.
In 2015, CEO Greg Creed established a U.S. diversity and inclusion council called Leading Inclusion for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT), which includes leaders and franchisees across Yum!, KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell, and serves as a model for Yum!’s international markets and franchisees. Under Creed’s leadership, the global franchisor is doubling down on its efforts to create an inclusive culture that unlocks potential in ALL types of people and fully leverages the diversity of thought that comes from our differences in gender, ethnicity, race, religion, age, sexual orientation, professional background, and even style of communication and leadership. Creed’s vision is for Yum! to be a great place to work where potential and diversity are sought out, developed and elevated to all levels of leadership.
“Having an inclusive and diverse culture is imperative in today’s world,” said Greg Creed, Chief Executive Officer, Yum! Brands. “We believe strongly that our unrivaled culture and talent fuel our results and that our employees must reflect the global marketplace where we operate. We’re on a journey to ensure inclusion and diversity, including gender equity, are integrated into all aspects of our business.” In January, Yum! Brands became one of more than 100 companies from ten sectors named to the inaugural 2018 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI). Yum! was recognized and measured for gender equality across internal company statistics, employee policies, external community support and engagement, and gender-conscious product offerings.
Starting in 2018, Yum! Brands plans to make the company a bigger magnet for female talent at all levels over the long term. In partnership with Yum!’s Chief Transformation and People Officer Tracy Skeans, Creed has established a target to advance more women into leadership and achieve gender parity in senior leadership globally by 2030. The new commitment aligns with the Paradigm for Parity® coalition, a movement of Fortune 500 CEOs, senior business leaders and academics who are committed to achieving a new norm in corporate leadership: one in which women and men have equal power, status and opportunity.
“The business transformation we’re leading at Yum! makes having the best diverse talent and an inclusive culture top priorities,” said Tracy Skeans, Chief Transformation and People Officer, Yum! Brands. “We’re looking to make some real and tangible improvements in the way women and under-represented minorities are represented, supported, mentored and sponsored at all levels of our company. I’m extremely proud of our commitment to making Yum! an inclusive workplace for everyone while we support the development of more female talent and achieve gender parity in senior leadership roles by 2030, partnering with strong thought leaders like the Paradigm for Parity® coalition and the Women’s Foodservice Forum.” In January 2018, Skeans was named to the Board of Directors of the Women’s Foodservice Forum (WFF), the industry’s leading organization to advance female talent. Yum! Brands is a founding member of WFF.
Yum!’s journey on diversity and inclusion continues. Consistent with Yum!’s focus on developing world-class leaders, the company offers Unconscious Bias training to corporate employees around the world to increase multicultural competency and build strong leaders who are skilled at leading diverse teams. The company also has Employee Resource Groups which play a key role in providing networking, mentoring, educational and leadership development opportunities for women and under-represented minorities, LGBTQ and millennial corporate employee groups in the U.S. In addition to employee and leadership development and mentoring/sponsorship, Yum! Brands’ U.S. diversity and inclusion strategy includes franchising and supplier diversity as well as community involvement.
