Foreword As we embark on the year 2025, significant and systematic gaps in economic outcomes persist for women, people of colour, LGBTQI+ individuals and people with disabilities, as a consequence of compounding disadvantages they are facing in labour and capital markets. This continues to create the need for targeted efforts that yield a more level playing field. Not every diversity, equity and inclusion programme implemented over the last decade has proven equally effective. Yet, where done well, efforts have emerged as increasingly mission- critical for business competitiveness in all parts of the globe. Well-calibrated diversity, equity and inclusion strategies attract and retain the best talent and improve overall employee well- being, productivity and innovation outcomes. They have also been linked to improved future financial performance and higher valuation ratios. Not having diverse perspectives around the table is a critical risk factor and makes organizations less effective in dealing with external shocks and crises. Thoughtful, well-executed strategies, on the other hand, create a culture of trust which in turn fuels business performance. Many learnings have emerged from recent years of practice. To generate lasting impact, going beyond influencing individual behaviours to changing systems is critical. This can include broadening recruitment outreach, transparent hiring processes and succession planning, auditing performance and promotion processes to remove bias, and implementing pay equity processes and equitable care leave policies. Together with an inclusive culture where the tone is set from the top, such systems give companies a competitive edge. On the other hand, some types of training rolled out in recent years have proven ineffective. A balance further needs to be struck between creating a level playing field for groups who have historically faced barriers and creating a sense of inclusion and trust that brings together all stakeholders. The collection of 2025 Lighthouses and Highlights in this report is presented in the hope that it can provide pragmatic insights on diversity, equity and inclusion efforts that have proven highly effective in creating a high performance environment for all employees, suppliers and other stakeholders of the corporate ecosystem.They are testament to the transformative potential of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in shaping a resilient and inclusive global economy. The Centre for the New Economy and Society is complementing the Lighthouse Programme with a growing portfolio of related insight products, action initiatives and leadership communities. For example, the Global Gender Parity Sprint 2030 provides a global platform, bringing together businesses, governments, international organizations and other stakeholders to accelerate economic parity. The Global Gender Gap Report, now in its 19th year, benchmarks global, national and industry gender gaps, while Gender Parity Accelerators are implementing public-private action plans to advance women’s economic empowerment across 17 economies. The Centre also advances LGBTQI+ inclusion, racial and ethnic equity, and inclusion of people with disabilities through its work with the Community of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officers as well as through collaborations with civil society organizations. We are deeply grateful to the members of the Lighthouse independent expert panel – Dominic Arnall, Porter Braswell, Elizabeth Broderick, Caroline Casey and Luana Génot – for their leadership in selecting the 2025 cohort of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses. We also thank the members of the Centre for the New Economy and Society Advisory Board and the more than 190 partners of the Centre for their commitment to shaping an economic future that creates opportunities for all. We would further like to express our gratitude to Mauricio Báez Sedeño, Yanjun Guo and Kim Piaget for their leadership of this project, as well as to our colleagues Attilio Di Battista, Sriram Gutta, Laura Natera and Eoin O’Cathasaigh for their support. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2025 JANUARY 2025Silja Baller Head, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, World Economic Forum Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2025 4

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2025