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Gerry Joanes, People and Culture Director at Diageo Ireland on why closing the gender pay gap benefits everyone
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From parental leave policies that benefit both men and women, to empowering all employees to be their best, the benefits are far reaching.
Having worked with Diageo for 22 years in multiple markets, Gerry Joanes, People and Culture Director brings vast experience to her role, where she helps shape company culture, build talent for the future and keep performance at a high level. Starting off in London, before moving to roles in China and Australia before joining Diageo Ireland in 2023, Gerry has gained a deep insight into the company.
“It’s been a real privilege to understand and learn so much about culture, but also to see what Diageo means to different consumers in different markets,” Gerry explains. “Our brands are loved around the world, and it’s amazing to see different consumers interacting with them.”
Celebrating growth
Gerry’s various roles have mostly focused on the commercial side of HR, rather than policy, which she says plays into her strengths. “Diageo’s purpose is to celebrate life every day, everywhere. And at this company, I have the opportunity to explore my own personal purpose, which is to be the spark that nurtures the future, to be better, and I get to live that all the time. I love to see things grow. I love ideas that start small, or people that have got good ideas, and then giving them a little bit of protection or support and coaching to see what’s possible in the future. And I love seeing people surprise themselves. I learned early on in my career that I could surprise myself through learning, and so I love helping other people find what they care about.”
She shares that when she joined Diageo, lots of female leaders supported and coached her, helping her to achieve more than she ever thought possible. “And so I’ve been able to give that back to others, and raise the talent behind me.”
This is so important to her, as she explains, “How I see the world of business, is people making things happen. Those people create whatever the foundations are going to be for the next generation, and that’s so important to how the whole company functions. At Diageo, people always say, they join for the brands, and they stay because of the people and the skills they get to learn from each other.”
In October, we hit an equal gender split in the Diageo Ireland business, and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that in 22 years. It’s something that everybody’s worked towards. It’s a great achievement, and it doesn’t come easily
Gender pay gap
An important aspect of this for Gerry has been the company’s efforts to target the gender pay gap. This year, the third that Diageo Ireland has reported its gender pay gap, it was 2.2%, which Gerry is very proud of.
“I wish it was zero, because it should always be zero,” she says, “but the dynamics of business and the way it’s measured means that people come in and out at different levels, and so keeping an overview on it is really important. We’ve done a huge amount of work locally in Ireland, but also globally. So back in 2020, in the middle of covid, Diageo stepped forward and set out some hugely big ambitions, including to have gender balance, by the year 2030. In October, we hit an equal gender split in the Diageo Ireland business, and that’s the first time I’ve ever seen that in 22 years. It’s something that everybody’s worked towards. It’s a great achievement, and it doesn’t come easily.”
Supporting employees
A lot of this has been achieved through policies that support employees through different stages of their lives. These include Diageo’s flex philosophy, which looks different for all employees whether that’s flexible working hours or just finding the right mix of home and office time. Other benefits include fertility support; family leave that is available to both men and women, and for people becoming parents through any route; as well as menopause support and bereavement leave.
Gerry is particularly proud of the company’s parental leave policy. “It’s really helped level the playing field, but it also gives more men the experience of being home and connected to their families. So when they create those beautiful ties when the babies are young, it actually starts a process of more balance at home, which can help in the later years as well.” She also points out that this opens up more opportunities for people in the company, even those who are not availing of parental leave. “People are getting more opportunities to step up in jobs, such as leadership opportunities or lots of cross functional moves,” when colleagues are on leave, she explains.
The best way to support employees, Gerry believes, is to listen to them. “We do a lot of engagement around measuring sentiment, but also asking for honest feedback. So in a survey recently 94% of employees said they’re really proud to work for Diageo, and a lot of that I know comes from the policies, and how they’re treated as employees.” Employee resource groups provide space for passions and connection, and help create balance in people’s lives. “We’ve had a spirited women network for 15 years that supports women in the workplace, while a newer one called PRISM supports neurodivergent employees and their families.”
In a company as varied as Diageo, Gerry points out that they have a diverse range of employees, from people making packaging, brewers, salespeople, as well as multiple offices across the country. “But the culture can connect everybody. When you’re celebrated as an employee, it comes through. I’m not saying it’s an easy place to work, it’s high performance, and it is a place that you come to be challenged and grown. But we’re very open with our employees about that. So the people that want to come in and grow, and see what’s possible, Diageo is a great place for them.”
Nurturing the best
The benefits of this culture are many, Gerry says, but the bottom line is that “You want to attract the very best talent, and you want to retain it. So why would you not have world class benefits that matter to those people who want to feel well supported, and when you’ve got the skills coming in and you nurture those skills, then you generate loyalty. People feel valued, they feel cared for. They feel at their best: that brings you high performance, and that’s what a great business should be looking to drive”
Diageo is committed to being one of the world’s most progressive and dynamic consumer product companies, grounded in an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. Gerry Joanes, People and Culture Director, has driven progress in gender equality, growing female leadership to 43% and reducing Ireland’s gender pay gap to +1.0%. To find out more, go to diageo.com.
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