UniFirst Named a Winning Company by 2020 Women on Boards

UniFirst Corp., Wilmington, MA, recently was recognized as a 2020 Women on Boards Winning Company, according to a news release. Winning Companies champion board diversity by having 20 percent or more of their board seats held by women.

2020 Women on Boards is a nonprofit grassroots campaign committed to increasing the percentage of women who serve on company boards to 20 percent or greater by the year 2020. The campaign hopes to redefine good corporate governance and gender diversity standards and create a cultural imperative for corporate action, the release said.

Women currently make up 29 percent of those who have a seat on the UniFirst board. “Good corporate decision making requires the ability to hear and consider different points of view,” said UniFirst Executive Vice President and Director Cynthia Croatti. “Companies that have women directors and executive officers lead by example, sending a clear message that they value diversity of thought and experience. Advancing women to positions of leadership is just smart for business, and we’re honored to be acknowledged for recognizing this.”

The 2020 Women on Boards Gender Diversity Index of Fortune 1000 companies showed that 17.9 percent of corporate directors were women, a small number when considering women compose about half of the total U.S. workforce; hold half of all management positions; are responsible for almost 80 percent of all consumer spending; and account for 10 million majority-owned, privately-held firms in the U.S., employing over 13 million people and generating over $1.9 trillion in sales.

“We appreciate UniFirst’s commitment to good corporate governance practices,” said Malli Gero, president of 2020 Women on Boards. “We look forward to seeing them on the ‘W’ list for years to come.”