NFI Joins Canada's 50-30 Challenge, Releases Its 2020 Gender Diversity Data, and Celebrates International Women's Day
WINNIPEG, MB, March 8, 2021 /CNW/ - (TSX: NFI) NFI Group Inc. ("NFI" or the "Company"), one of the world's leading independent bus and coach manufacturers, is pleased to announce that it has joined the "50 – 30 Challenge", an initiative between Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada ("ISED"), business, and numerous diversity organizations. The 50 – 30 Challenge asks that organizations aspire to two goals:
- Gender parity (50%) on Canadian board(s) and senior management; and
- Significant representation ("30%") on Canadian board(s) and senior management of other underrepresented groups, including racialized persons, people living with disabilities (including invisible and episodic disabilities) and members of the LGBTQ2 community. The program and participants recognize that First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples as founding peoples of Canada are under-represented in positions of economic influence and leadership.
"NFI is pleased to have joined ISED's 50 – 30 Challenge, formalizing our commitment to advance diversity, inclusion, equity, gender parity, and economic prosperity in all our workplaces," said Janice Harper, Executive Vice President, People & Culture, NFI.
Each year, March 8th marks International Women's Day (or "IWD") a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women, while also marking an important call to action for accelerating gender parity.
"NFI is a global company, and we are committed to the calls to action of IWD—today, and every day," said Paul Soubry, President & Chief Executive Officer, NFI. "We are committed to forging an inclusive work culture where women's careers thrive, and achievements are celebrated. Across NFI, we take a moment to recognize and celebrate IWD, but we continue every day to work toward achieving gender equality inside our workplace, and in the communities in which we operate."
IWD 2021 adopted a theme of "Choose To Challenge". NFI continues to Choose To Challenge itself to improve gender parity in all our workplaces. In celebration of IWD, the Company chose to release gender diversity data in advance of the formal NFI environmental, social and governance ("ESG") report in May 2021.
2019 |
2020 |
|
Women in the Workforce |
18.7% |
19.3% |
Women in Middle Management (& Above) |
19.6% |
17.7% |
Women in Executive Roles |
15.8% |
20.7% |
Women in Board Roles |
38.0% |
33.0%(1) |
(1) |
NFI increased the number of Board positions by 1 in 2020; it did not lose a female Board member. |
"This is a journey we are committed to. We have made great progress in some categories, yet clearly have more work to do in others. Year over year, we have more women working at our companies, and more women in executive roles. From 2019 to 2020, the number of women in middle management roles declined slightly due to unavoidable impacts associated with restructuring efforts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue our diligent support of all women at all our workplaces. The effort does not stop after IWD."
"I thank NFI for joining the 50 – 30 Challenge and for being a part of this community," said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. "As a member of the transportation industry, NFI is fostering innovation by embracing diversity and inclusion within their workforce. I am looking forward to watching this program grow into something larger than ourselves so that corporate Canada looks like Canada."
About NFI Group
Leveraging 450 years of combined experience, NFI is leading the battery-electric transition of mass mobility around the world. With zero-emission buses and coaches, infrastructure, and technology, NFI meets today's urban demands for scalable smart mobility solutions. Together, NFI is enabling more livable cities through connected, clean, and sustainable transportation.
NFI is a leading independent global bus manufacturer providing a comprehensive suite of mass transportation solutions in ten countries under brands: New Flyer® (heavy-duty transit buses), Alexander Dennis Limited (single and double-deck buses), Plaxton (motor coaches), MCI® (motor coaches), ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), and NFI Parts™. NFI vehicles incorporate the widest range of drive systems available including: clean diesel, natural gas, diesel-electric hybrid, and zero-emission electric (trolley, battery, and fuel cell). In total, NFI now supports over 105,000 buses and coaches currently in service around the world.
NFI common shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NFI. Further information is available at www.nfigroup.com, www.newflyer.com, www.mcicoach.com, www.arbocsv.com, www.nfi.parts, and www.alexander-dennis.com.
SOURCE NFI Group Inc.
For media inquiries, please contact: Lindy Norris, P: 320.406.3386, [email protected]; For investor inquiries, please contact: Stephen King, P: 204.224.6382, [email protected]
Share this article