Testimonials

Alan JopeCEO Unilever

“The business case for diversity is now established beyond doubt. Unilever believes in the power of diversity to drive stronger business outcomes. Kay’s book is based on the latest well-researched insights on the subject. The resulting model complements a traditional approach to Diversity and Inclusion with the need to also factor-in Equity, Purpose, and Leadership. It is a practical guide to the Why?, What?, and How? of turning diversity into a source of high performance in organisations.”

Arne GastSenior Partner McKinsey & Company, leader of the People & Organizational Performance Practice across Asia-Pacific, and co-founder of Aberkyn

“Kay is a bright star in the world of diversity, inclusion and belonging. Working with her for years in Aberkyn has been a treat. She always surprises me with her evidence-based insights, inspires me with her soft-spoken style of facilitation, and raises the bar for me on how to apply it pragmatically every day in business. It is great she now captured her ideas and method in this book, to make them accessible for all of us.”

Carin BeumerFounder, Zaluvida (biotech, ag-tech, consumer health), Board Director (chair), for-profit and non-for-profit organizations

“Kay makes a compelling (business) case for integrating diversity, inclusion, and equity in the structure and culture of every organisation and demonstrates how these are linked to purpose and leadership. Kay draws on her knowledge of and passion for this subject, her data driven, analytical mind and writing skills to outline the Why, What, How of D, I & E and offers the reader practical guidance on how to weave D, I & E into the fabric of an organisation. Her lived experiences have provided Kay with a unique and solid understanding of both the imperative and challenges of placing D, I & E at the heart of any organization.”

Clarissa CortlandProfessor of Organisations & Innovation, UCL School of Management

“Whether you’re a team leader or CEO, Beyond D&I will give you the language and skills to move past performative, surface-level activism and enact real, deep and lasting change that has the potential to empower the global workforce for generations to come. Kay brings her innovative model to life by integrating her wealth of advisory experience and grounding it in rigorous research on diversity in organizations.”

Dirk LuytenINSEAD Women in Business Alumni Global Club, Member of the Exco and Supporter, INSEAD Gender Initiative

“I believe this book delivers true innovation in the areas of diversity, inclusion and purposeful leadership. It makes a very strong case for why embedding these concepts at the heart and gut of any organization is now crucial for business leaders. It provides an innovative, strategic framework that leaders can apply to develop a clear strategic narrative for diversity, inclusion, equity, leadership and purpose in their organizations.”

Elisabeth (Els) HoutmanHouthoff, head of marketing

“'Mind the Gap'. Kay shows that diversity is a strategic enabler, an asset for organisations and society as a whole. Her strategic approach how to map the performance gap and how to close the capability gap helps organisations to achieve their desired future level of diversity performance. Indeed, Kay's Performance and Capability Roadmap can support businesses to close any gap.”

Ernst DekkerDekker & Van Velzen, founder

“Kay has done a tremendous job in combining academic research, global experiences and her wisdom and faith into a fundamental and revolutionary business approach. She takes the D&I dialogue to the next level by introducing the most inclusive model about inclusion I’ve ever seen. The provided model, tooling and business cases from other organizations speak for themselves and will surely support the change to more inclusive organizations. May any reader become a change agent for a more inclusive society.”

Jill AderChairwoman, Egon Zehnder

“Kay shares a wealth of insights that frame diversity and inclusion as a business imperative as well as a deeply human one. She makes a compelling, multi-dimensional business case for the journey required to lead diverse teams so we can all do our part in navigating the world’s overwhelming complexities. We need courageous leaders to take on this challenge and commit to advancing diversity and inclusion with leadership and purpose in their organizations and in society. Kay’s book takes the dialogue and understanding to a new level.”

Lionel FrankfortCulture & Leadership Development Companion, CultureWorks

“Throughout our numerous interactions, Kay has always inspired me as a person and as a professional. I find her so legitimate to write this book and share her deep experience of D&I applied to organizations because of 3 elements: 1) She excels in bringing a strategic and pragmatic perspective to leaders for investing in EDI. 2) She summarized this perspective into simple and transferable models to structure thoughts and actions (it makes the journey easier, but not easy). 3) Kay is a role model for including the diversity in her life and work, even when it puts her away from her comfort zone. As peer reviewer, I have seen Kay’s mastery of her topic and inspiring incarnation as inclusive leader.”

Michele OzumbaFormer President Women’s College Coalition, peer reviewer

“Beyond D&I brings a singularly elegant combination of research and global social analysis to the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion field. Kay Formanek offers original models and tools for leaders seeking to create genuine cultures of sustainable equity and belonging in their organizations. This book is a vital read for all who share the goal for a more equitable world.”

Zoe KiniasProfessor of Organisational Behaviour, INSEAD and Academic Director, INSEAD Gender Initiative

“Beyond D&I provides practical tools for business leaders who hold these values and strive to integrate them throughout their organizations. Kay Formanek shares her global perspective and experience through a narrative accessibly grounded in research findings. Her vision is to guide readers through a D&I journey, empowering them as change agents within and beyond their organizations.”