Axel Johnson receives award as “Diversity-smart company of the year”
Axel Johnson today received the award as “Diversity-smart company of the year” for its work with the Axelerate change program. The award (Sw: Årets mångfaldssmarta företag) was presented by MINE, a non-profit member organization dedicated to increasing diversity in the workplace.
Axel Johnson initiated its Axelerate program in 2013 to increase diversity in leadership positions throughout the Axel Johnson Group. Targets for 2020 include achieving a gender balance of 40-60 percent in executive management and a minimum of 20 percent of managers having an international background.
“We are delighted to receive this award and to be recognized for the work we do,” comments Caroline Berg, Vice Chairman of Axel Johnson and initiative-taker to Axelerate in her previous role as Head of Human Resources and Communications. “We have worked for a long time with diversity, and I hope that more people will be inspired to set goals and work actively with this issue.”
Axelerate, an initiative aimed at identifying solutions, has spurred companies in the Axel Johnson Group to set goals and take concrete actions to increase diversity in leadership positions.
“We have an immense and exciting job ahead of us,” comments Pia Anderberg, Vice President of Human Resources and Organizational Development. “We feel it is important to have employees and managers who reflect our customer base and society, which creates business benefit. A good mix of competencies and perspectives provides greater insight and leads to better decisions. Moreover, mixed work teams enhance creativity, which benefits our development.”
Motivation statement for the award:
“The Axel Johnson Group has demonstrated the business benefit of its ability to employ long-term diversity-smart solutions for society as well as for its company and employees. From being an organization that has recognized business opportunities at an early stage – such as through a grocery offering for a multicultural customer base in Willys stores – through its change program Axelerate the Group has set new, bold goals that will hopefully both inspire and challenge other organizations.”
For further information, please contact:
Maria Luthström, Communications Manager, Axel Johnson, +46-76-138 74 06
Axel Johnson AB is one of the Nordic region’s leading trading groups which builds and develops businesses within trade and services in the European market, with the main focus on the Nordic region. Group companies currently comprise Axel Johnson International, Axstores, Martin & Servera (70%), Novax, as well as partly owned listed companies Axfood (approx. 50%) and Mekonomen (approx. 26%). The wholly and partly owned companies within the Axel Johnson group have a total annual sale of approximately SEK 71 billion and about 22,000 employees (2013). Axel Johnson is a family-owned company in the fourth and fifth generation and is owned by Antonia Ax:son Johnson and her family. www.axeljohnson.se
The Axel Johnson AB group is one of four separate groups within the Axel Johnson Group together with the property company AxFast, the U.S. company Axel Johnson Inc. and the asset management company AltoCumulus.