Unlocking the Power of Diversity – Katherine Zachary on Nissan’s AMIEO DEI Vision

Katherine Zachary, Region Vice President, Communications

The greatest joy of working in Nissan’s AMIEO region is the cultural diversity that’s just inherent to our day-to-day working lives. This is not just a personal observation – it’s a widely shared belief throughout the regional acronym that stands for Africa, Middle East, India, Europe and Oceania.

Working across 140 markets, we’re not only diverse by geography, but we’re also diverse by intention. There are more than 60 nationalities working out of our Paris regional offices, alone. And in our cultural melting pot comes a breadth of perspectives, opinions, strengths, mindsets and experiences that makes Nissan strong and in turn makes all of us – and the cars we make – better.

As co-chair of Nissan AMIEO’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council, it’s a privilege to promote, enhance and celebrate our richly inclusive culture every day, in order to unlock the full power that our 19,000 employees have to offer.

One of the ways we celebrate our successes, track progress and set our course for the future is through our annual DEI Report, the Fiscal Year 2023 edition of which was just published.

Over the last year, we've made progress towards building a business that truly represents everyone. What makes me proud is how the organisation stepped up, creating an environment where every individual can thrive—regardless of background or experience. The report is not only a celebration of the progress made, but also outlines our vision and how we are paving our path to achieve it.

We’ve refreshed our talent acquisition policies to make sure we’re attracting passionate, talented individuals from all walks of life. Plus, we’ve ramped up training programs to allow our employees to build a workplace that is not only fair but truly inclusive.

True change often starts at the top, which is why our executives joined unconscious bias training and we’re heavily investing in our local and regional leaders. When talking about leadership, the company aspires to have 35% of executive roles across AMIEO filled by women, and we’re currently working on action plans to make this a reality. Seeing all the talented women who I work with every day, at all levels of the organisation, such aspirations should be achievable.

Our approach to DEI isn’t one-size-fits-all, and while we set the regional vision and strategy, we empower our DEI Committees in each country within this expansive region to design their own initiatives which are relevant, actionable, and resonate with the unique needs of their market, while supporting our unified goal.

And we have some fantastic examples of local initiatives including:

• The creation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), like the Nissan Pride and Disability Ally ERGs in the UK, bringing together employees who share common characteristics, passions or interests.

• In our manufacturing plants in India and Spain, our incredible female employees have been introducing young girls to the fun and learning opportunities within the automotive sector, inspiring the next generation. While at our Sunderland Plant in the UK, we’re encouraging young people into the industry through interactive programs like the Nissan Skills Foundation

• One especially commendable initiative: our Bumper Paint team at the Sunderland Plant learned sign language, removing barriers and supporting their Deaf teammates

• Nissan in Australia conducted a detailed third part assessment, with an action plan and dedicated budget to plug the gaps

• Nissan in Middle East has signed the UAE Gender Balance pledge to increase women in leadership roles to 30% by 2025

Looking ahead, the message is clear: embracing our differences sparks innovation, fuels our pioneering spirit, and keeps us ahead of the competition. Together, we’re unlocking the full potential of our people and shaping a more inclusive, exciting future for our employees, customers, and the communities we serve.

Dive into Nissan in AMIEO’s DEI learnings, challenges and progress being made by reading their full Annual DEI Report here.