Erste Group’s promotion of gender equality honored by listing in 2022 Bloomberg GEI

Erste Group Bank AG (“Erste Group”) today announced that it is one of 418 companies across 45 countries and regions to join the 2022 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), a modified market capitalization-weighted index that aims to track the performance of public companies committed to transparency in gender-data reporting. This year marks the fourth consecutive year in which Erste Group has been selected for the Bloomberg GEI and it remains the only company based in Austria and one of only a handful from the CEE region in this prestigious index.

“Diversity is part of our very DNA at Erste Group. Our founding charter established already in 1819 that we exist to provide people with access to wealth regardless of age, gender or social background - and this founding purpose is more relevant today than ever. We need to recognize and understand the diversity of our customers and provide them with the right answers to their specific needs. We can only do so if we ourselves are diverse and can offer as broad a range of perspectives as possible. We take this mission very seriously and are implementing a wide range of measures in all our markets to further increase our share of women in management positions,” said Bernd Spalt, CEO of Erste Group.

Bloomberg’s GEI is a reference index that measures gender equality across five pillars: female leadership & talent pipeline, equal pay & gender pay parity, inclusive culture, anti-sexual harassment policies, and pro-women brand. The 2022 GEI expands globally to represent 45 countries and regions. Member companies represent a variety of sectors, including financials, technology and utilities, which collectively have the highest company representation in the index.

Gerda Holzinger-Burgstaller, CEO of Erste Bank Oesterreich, the banking subsidiary of Erste Group in Austria: “We are deeply convinced that diversity in all dimensions – also, and especially, in the area of gender diversity -- makes us more capable, more innovative and better. To ensure that we’re not simply paying lip service to these aims, we have set ourselves concrete goals and are very consistent in pursuing them.”

Gender diversity is a focus at Erste Group

Across Erste Group, more than 40% of management positions are currently held by women. The goal is to continue increasing the number of women in top positions, while at the same time particularly promoting the development of female talent at Erste Group. For Erste Group, diversity and inclusion are essential components of its corporate strategy and culture. The Vienna-headquartered banking group actively promotes a work environment free of discrimination and harassment and values the work and worth of each and every person regardless of gender, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, skin colour, religious or political affiliation, ethnic background, nationality or any other aspect unrelated to their employment.

Erste Group has implemented a variety of initiatives to support the development of female leadership. In Austria, for example, the Erste Women’s Hub employee resource group has continued key initiatives such as the promotion of female financial literacy. It has also continued to develop online formats to ensure that networking and career development opportunities for women can advance even, and especially, in times of a pandemic.

Bloomberg GEI: Recognized standard for measuring gender-equality efforts

“We are proud to recognize Erste Group and the other 417 companies included in the 2022 GEI for their commitment to transparency and setting a new standard in gender-related data reporting,” said Peter T. Grauer, Chairman of Bloomberg and Founding Chairman of the U.S. 30% Club. “Even though the threshold for inclusion in the GEI has risen, the member list continues to grow. This is a testament that more companies are working to improve upon their gender-related metrics, fostering more opportunity for diverse talent to succeed in their organizations.”

Erste Group submitted a social survey created by Bloomberg, in collaboration with subject matter experts globally. Those included on this year’s index scored at or above a global threshold established by Bloomberg to reflect disclosure and the achievement or adoption of best-in-class statistics and policies.

Both the survey and the GEI are voluntary and have no associated costs. Bloomberg collected this data for reference purposes only. The index is not ranked. While all public companies are encouraged to disclose supplemental gender data for their company’s investment profile on the Bloomberg Terminal, those that have a market capitalization of USD 1 billion are eligible for inclusion in the Index.