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The North America CSO Awards /25 honor the achievements of the 100 top CSOs at the forefront of promoting sustainability. For the 4th year, Denominator joins futur/io as knowledge partner, providing social and diversity data to evaluate how nominated companies perform on the people side of sustainability.
Sustainability is as much about people as it is about the planet, yet historically the human aspect has been less visible due to data limitations. With advanced social data, we can now place equal focus on people and their role in driving sustainable transformation.
“There can be no change for our planet without the people who drive it. CSOs are crucial in this effort, and it is inspiring to see their leadership recognized and celebrated.”
— Anders Rodenberg, CEO, Denominator
Among the Top 20 nominees are leaders such as Ann Tracy at Colgate-Palmolive, Emma Stewart at Netflix, and Annika Dubrall at Tiffany & Co., alongside major brands like Carter’s, Western Digital, Booking Holdings, or Crocs.
Top 100 outperform the North American average
This year’s People Diversity Report highlights how the top 100 nominees compare to the North American benchmark across diversity metrics:
- 130% higher score on gender
- 43% higher score on race/ethnicity
- 40% higher score on disability
- 66% higher total diversity score
The report also shows that women represent 30% of top leadership positions in these companies, compared to just 18% across North America, a 65% stronger representation.
Women in sustainability leadership
One of the key findings is the strong representation of women as Chief Sustainability Officers. Among the top 100 companies:
- 65% of CSOs are women, compared to only 4% of CEOs.
- This makes it 1,500% more likely to find a woman CSO than a woman CEO.
- In the top 20 nominees, 90% of CSOs are women, up from 80% in 2024.
- Notably, this year two of the top 20 nominees have female CEOs, compared to none last year.
Visible minority representation
The findings also highlight progress in racial and ethnic diversity at the CEO level. 19% of CEOs are from a visible minority, which is 55% higher than the North American average. While representation at the board and executive management levels remains closer to the benchmark, this marks a remarkable milestone at the highest level of leadership.
Advancing the social dimension of sustainability
The Denominator North America CSO Awards /25 People Diversity Report provides a comprehensive view of how sustainability leaders perform across diversity dimensions. By analyzing the people side of sustainability, we can better understand how companies are shaping a future that includes not only environmental goals but also stronger and more diverse leadership.
Together with futur/io, Denominator is proud to highlight the impact of Chief Sustainability Officers and make the social dimension of sustainability visible through data.
📄 Download the full report below.
For media inquiries, contact:
Emma Helbo, Head of External Relations & Communication
Clara Sánchez, Corporate Communication & Insights Manager
