Xylem CEO: “Diversity is one of the most critical drivers of progress”

“We believe that if you can change water, you can change everything, and we know that diversity and fostering an inclusive environment is one of the most critical drivers of progress and change,” says Patrick Decker, President and Chief Executive Officer, Xylem, on International Women’s Day.

“At Xylem, our employees are critical to achieving our mission – solving water through technology and expertise. Every day, our nearly 17,000 colleagues use their talent and passion to help make water more accessible, affordable and safer for people and communities around the world.

“We know that diversity, and the strong cross-section of ideas and perspectives it enables, is vital to driving innovation, and we are committed to championing women and other underrepresented parts of our society at Xylem and across the water industry. Today women hold only 24% of top management positions at our company. So we know we have much more work to do to, and we are dedicated to addressing that.

“Internally, we have launched the Xylem Women’s Network, which connects women and men throughout our company, creating a global dialogue to raise awareness and identify ways to advance diversity and inclusion across our organization.

“Xylem is also promoting diversity across the water sector. We are initiating opportunities at events we sponsor to connect with women across our industry and convene conversations on how we can come together to advance women in water. We believe these innovative open dialogues will help spark change for gender balance.

“As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we stand committed to #BalanceforBetter – and to harnessing the power of diversity and inclusion to achieve a more water-secure and sustainable world.”