DEI is transforming into a career-spanning, company-wide effort Approximately one-half of the submissions and selected Lighthouses in the past three years are internal and workforce-focused, showcasing the understanding of internal change preceding external impact. Some showcase a strategic approach to embedding DEI at every stage of employees’ careers, from recruitment and onboarding to development, advancement and leadership, underscoring a deep integration of DEI into the employee experience. In addition, organizations are recognizing that to drive DEI externally, they must first cultivate an inclusive culture internally. However, initiatives at the frontier increasingly take a whole-of-business and ecosystem approach. Beyond being HR programmes, successful initiatives use different levers at their disposal to drive impact through different business functions such as marketing, R&D, supply chains, partnerships with non- governmental organizations (NGOs) and policy advocacy. By leveraging these additional areas, companies can increase impact and ultimately influence their broader ecosystem, contributing to societal change. Sectors like financial services, ITC, consumer goods and manufacturing are catching up on DEI progress As the Lighthouse repository continues to grow, submissions from its three editions now span 17 sectors (Figure 4). The 2025 edition demonstrates a more balanced representation across industries, with notable increases in contributions from the Financial Services, ITC, Consumer Goods, andManufacturing sectors – areas that have traditionally been slower in advancing their DEI efforts.6 This wider distribution underscores an encouraging trend: a deeper, more inclusive commitment to DEI across industries, as sectors increasingly embrace these values with confidence and optimism. Financial Services and Investors EnergyHealth and Consumer Manufacturing, Supply Chain and Transportation ICT and Media Materials and Infrastructures Professional Services and InstitutionalProfessional ServicesRetail, Consumer Goods & Lifestyle Information TechnologyBanking & Capital MarketsAgriculture, Food & Beverage Global Health & Healthcare Energy Technology & UtilitiesDigital CommunicationAdvanced ManufacturingMedia, Entertainment and SportMining & Metals Automotive & New MobilityOil & Gas EducationEngineering & Private InvestorsInsurance & Asset ManagementChemical and Advanced MaterialsRelative number of submissions by industry, total over 2023-2025 editions FIGURE 4 Note Dot sizes correspond to the number of DEI initiatives submitted by companies from a given industry.Source World Economic Forum, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2023, 2024, 2025. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2025 9

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2025