Renault-Nissan Alliance Sets Industry Standards for Gender and Ethnic Diversity

PARIS, October 13, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Renault stands out as an auto industry leader for percentage of women at senior executive management level.

- Nissan's cross-cultural top management team includes 13 nationalities.

- Renault and Nissan are challenging status quo with specific action plans to increase diversity further.

The Renault-Nissan Alliance's commitment to gender parity and multiculturalism is setting new standards for the global automotive industry, according to company data released at the Women's Forum.  

     (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20111013/486975 )

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is a "Premium Partner" of the 2011 Women's Forum for the Economy and Society, which takes place this week in Deauville, France. The annual gathering of international leaders aims to level the playing field for women in industry, academia, politics and society.

Among the findings that Renault and Nissan released during the Women's Forum:

- Women comprise 17% of Renault's workforce, up from 10% in 1999 when the Renault-Nissan Alliance began.

- Three out Renault's 10-member executive committee are women - the highest percentage of women at the senior executive management level in the global automotive industry.

- Women hold 17% of Renault's managerial posts.

- At Nissan, women account for 11% of the global workforce.

- Globally, women comprise 10% of Nissan manager-level positions and higher, up from 7% in 2008.

- In Japan, women account for 6% of Nissan manager-level positions and higher, compared to an average of 3% for Japan's manufacturing sector at large, according to the Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

- Nissan aims to have women comprise 14% of management globally by 2017.

Diversity as Competitive Advantage

Yokohama, Japan-based Nissan already has one of the most diverse teams at the corporate officer level in Japan and among global automakers.

For example, the top 97 positions in Nissan include executives from 13 countries, and nearly half are foreign nationals. These 13 countries are Japan, France, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, South Africa, United Kingdom and United States.

"Our commitment to diversity is a competitive advantage that helps us better meet expectations of customers around the world - particularly as emerging markets become the engines of the global economy," Carlos Ghosn, Chairman and CEO of the Renault-Nissan-Alliance said. "Diversity is also a significant differentiator from our competitors - and therefore it's an excellent tool for recruiting and promoting the most talented and entrepreneurial next-generation leaders." said. "Diversity is also a significant differentiator from our competitors - and therefore it's an excellent tool for recruiting and promoting the most talented and entrepreneurial next-generation leaders."

For the full release and related photos, go to: http://blog.alliance-renault-nissan.com