VF Corporation releases updated inclusion and diversity profile

Image: Timberland x Tommy Hilfiger Fashion conglomerate VF Corporation has published its third annual Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Action Profile, outlining progress, benchmarks and new goals by the company and defining key strategic pillars. The group, which oversees the likes of Vans, The North Face and Timberland, has previously stated two representation goals that have both seen growth during the fiscal year 2021. By 2030, VF intends to achieve gender equality at the director level and above globally, revealing that those who identify as women currently comprise 41 percent of this division. Additionally, it looks to attain a 25 percent BIPOC representation in the US at the director level and above, with the company currently sitting at 16 percent representation. VF further stated that 55 percent of its global workforce, across all levels, is women, with BIPOC representing a further 55 percent across all levels in the US, as of the end of the fiscal year 2021. One-third of the company’s board of directors identified as women, while 17 percent identified as a member of the BIPOC community. The continued development of an inclusive environment As a further addition, VF has outlined three strategic pillars surrounding the evolution of an inclusive environment within its brands. The first, ‘Employees and Culture’, looks to begin at the recruitment process and extend its reach throughout the entire employee journey. The company highlights learning materials, listening sessions and wellbeing initiatives it provides to ensure fair recruitment practices and continued employee support. ‘Brands and Consumers’ centres around the implementation of all strategies from its report into every brand endeavour, including customer engagement and dialogue, with which the company aims to continue amplifying its values. This strategy has already been implemented into a number of brand-level initiatives, including The North Face’s #StopHateForProfit campaign and Smartwool’s Environmental Learning for Kids. VF’s final pillar, ‘Society and Movements’, strives to reinforce the company’s global intention to support programmes and organisations that promote inclusivity. “The efforts and achievements outlined in the report are rooted in building and maintaining a workplace that celebrates diversity and prioritises allyship, advocacy and authentic belonging while driving focused actions to advance equity and social justice,” said VF’s vice president of global inclusion, diversity, equity and action, Lauren Guthrie, in a statement. She continued: “The profile also points the way to the work still ahead of us, including how we’re progressing in diverse representation and where we plan to invest going forward.”
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