CEWE highlights progress in diversity

In the wake of the high-profile dismissal of CEO Dr. Christian Friege, CEWE COLOR Stiftung announced the progress the company has made for “sustainable value orientation and diversity”:

“Between 2017 and 2021, the number of women in management positions increased by more than 50 percent from 95 to 146. At the management level, half of the new positions were filled with women. Overall, the share of women in the company is 48.5 percent (Dec. 31, 2021). The promotion of women in management positions is reflected in the diversity in the filling of positions. This signal is particularly important to CEWE in order to provide potential applicants with a fact-based picture. The appointment of members of the Board of Management is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees of the Neumüller CEWE COLOR Stiftung. CEWE is proud of its long-standing commitment to value-oriented, sustainable management. In this context, the company takes into account the interests of its employees as well as those of its customers and shareholders.

“In the past ten years, under the leadership of both Dr. Rolf Hollander and Friege, CEWE has not only expanded its European market leadership and generated the highest sales, earnings, and dividends in its corporate history, but has also consistently achieved top results in the “Great Place to Work” employee survey.”

The statement appears to counter the allegations by the Board of Trustees that “Friege did not push the need to promote diversity in the company or the process of appointing a woman as head of Human Resources and Organizational Development by the Board of Trustees, but on the contrary massively obstructed it.”