Kao Is Selected for Inclusion in the 2020 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Which Identifies Companies That Are Committed to Transparency in Gender Reporting and to Advancing Women’s Equality

In recent years, it has become increasingly common for investors and business enterprises to utilize environmental, social and governance (ESG) related data as an important reference when evaluating companies and making assessments of risk, performance, etc. The GEI is an index developed by Bloomberg in order to realize a higher level of transparency in relation to the information that corporations disclose. It is the world’s only comprehensive investment-quality data source on gender equality, and aims to quantify, from a gender equality perspective, the gender ratio of participation in individual companies’ initiatives, the formulation of employees codes of conduct, support for and participation in external communication, and provision of products that embody gender equality ideals.

Regarding Kao’s inclusion in the 2020 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, Akio Matsui, Senior Vice President for Human Capital Development at Kao Corporation, noted that “Kao aims to provide new value for society by leveraging diversity to generate vitality. To this end, we welcome individual employees’ diverse personalities and values, and as an organization we strive to enable them to develop their individual passions and capabilities as much as possible. While continuing to promote Diversity & Inclusion (D&I), Kao will also be endeavoring to enhance the transparency of our activities, and in doing so will strengthen our corporate value by creating revolutionary new value for society.”

In April 2019, the Kao Group established its ESG strategy, named the Kirei Lifestyle Plan, and the creation of inclusive and diverse workplaces is one of the prioritized actions of the Plan. Kao will also implement its unique ESG activities including D&I promotion globally to deliver satisfaction and enriched lives for people around the world, and to contribute to the sustainability of society.

Kao creates high-value-added products that enrich the lives of consumers around the world. Through its portfolio of over 20 leading brands such as Attack, Bioré, Goldwell, Jergens, John Frieda, Kanebo, Laurier, Merries and Molton Brown, Kao is part of the everyday lives of people in Asia, Oceania, North America and Europe. Combined with its chemical division, which contributes to a wide range of industries, Kao generates about 1,500 billion yen in annual sales. Kao employs about 33,000 people worldwide and has 130 years of history in innovation. Please visit the Kao Group website for updated information.