Diageo Honored for Excellence in Diversity

NORWALK, Conn., Oct. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Diageo, the world's leading premium spirits, wine and beer company, announced today that it was ranked ninth on the Association of Diversity Councils' Top 25 Diversity Councils list, up from the 17^th spot last year. This is the fourth consecutive year Diageo has been named to the list. The award recognizes and honors the outstanding contributions and achievements of the nation's top 25 diversity council groups that lead diversity processes in their organizations and have demonstrated results in their workforce, workplace and marketplace. Recipients of the Diversity Council Honors Award™ set the standard of excellence and best practice for US diversity councils within and across industries. Diageo received the award at the Diversity Councils' Awards Reception at the 2012 Diversity Council Conference on October 4 in Washington, DC.

Philip Berry, Executive Director of the Association of Diversity Councils said: "It is an honor for Diageo North America to be named among the 2012 Top 25 Councils in the country. I am especially proud of Diageo's progress, having claimed a position in the top ten. This signifies the organization's continued dedication to creating a truly diverse and inclusive culture."

Diageo's Inclusion and Diversity Council is comprised of employees from across the business. In addition, five Employee Resource Groups bring together employees of similar interests, including the Spirited Women's Network, African Heritage Employees at Diageo (AHEAD), the Rainbow Network, The Latin Connection, and the Pan Asian Network (PAN)., Liberate at Work (LAW) and GreenIQ. 

"Diageo is extremely proud to be recognized once again by the Association of Diversity Councils and to have moved into their top ten. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone, no matter their background feels that they can be a valuable contributor and our Diversity Council is ground zero to help ensure this is the kind of culture we create," said Larry Schwartz, President, Diageo North America.

Diageo's has been recognized multiple times in 2012 as a top employer, including a citation in Diversity MBA Magazine's "50 Out Front for Diversity Leadership: Best Places for Diverse Managers To Work" and Working Mother magazine's "100 Best Companies" list. Additionally, Christina Ruggiero, Vice President, Procurement, was recognized in DiversityPlus Magazine's "2012 Top 25 Women in Power Impacting Diversity" for her work in driving diversity both internally and externally.

About Diageo
Diageo (Dee-AH-Gee-O) is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Windsor, Buchanan's and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Ciroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray, Guinness, Beaulieu Vineyard and Sterling Vineyards Wines.

Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.

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SOURCE Diageo