Spotlight Stories
Baker McKenzie: Transforming Goals Into Action Through Gender-Aspirational Targets (Spotlight Story)
In 2019, Baker McKenzie became the first global law firm to adopt Gender Aspirational Targets (GATs), to achieve 40/40/20 gender diversity representation (40% women, 40% men, and 20% flexible—women, men, or nonbinary) among partners, senior business professionals, committee leadership, and senior-level candidate pools by July 2025. This also makes Baker McKenzie the first global law firm to recognize nonbinary employees in gender diversity targets.
Critically, Baker McKenzie’s leaders also understood that a change of this magnitude—to close the gender gap in senior leadership—would require more than a quick fix. They needed to spur systemic change on a global scale. But to turn those goals into sustainable action, they needed to embed GATs into the heart of the organization and hold themselves accountable by measuring their progress along the way.
An internal assessment found that building GAT and diversity imperatives into two key areas—partner promotions and recruitment—would have the greatest impact at the senior-most levels in the shortest amount of time. Later, GAT considerations would be woven into other processes, like succession planning and mentorship and sponsorship programs.
The progress made toward the GATs since 2019 has been substantial. Perhaps most notably, the firm has met its goal of women comprising 40% of all standing global committees, including the executive committee, as of October 2022.
Humana, BMO and Baker McKenzie Are Aligning Actions to Values
These companies are just two of the 70+ Catalyst CEO Champions For Change organizations committed to advancing more women into leadership. Learn how Champion CEOs accelerated change and measurably outpaced their industry peers by reading our latest report on their progress: Aligning Actions to Values: The Catalyst CEO Champions For Change.
Critically, Baker McKenzie’s leaders also understood that a change of this magnitude—to close the gender gap in senior leadership—would require more than a quick fix. They needed to spur systemic change on a global scale. But to turn those goals into sustainable action, they needed to embed GATs into the heart of the organization and hold themselves accountable by measuring their progress along the way.
An internal assessment found that building GAT and diversity imperatives into two key areas—partner promotions and recruitment—would have the greatest impact at the senior-most levels in the shortest amount of time. Later, GAT considerations would be woven into other processes, like succession planning and mentorship and sponsorship programs.
The progress made toward the GATs since 2019 has been substantial. Perhaps most notably, the firm has met its goal of women comprising 40% of all standing global committees, including the executive committee, as of October 2022.
Humana, BMO and Baker McKenzie Are Aligning Actions to Values
These companies are just two of the 70+ Catalyst CEO Champions For Change organizations committed to advancing more women into leadership. Learn how Champion CEOs accelerated change and measurably outpaced their industry peers by reading our latest report on their progress: Aligning Actions to Values: The Catalyst CEO Champions For Change.
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