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Amidst growing global pushback against corporate diversity initiatives, Accenture, the Dublin-based IT services giant, has announced plans to discontinue its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) objectives, marking a significant shift influenced by former President Donald Trump’s anti-woke campaign.
CEO Julie Sweet confirmed in an internal memo, reported by the Financial Times, that the company will phase out its 2017 diversity targets. This change affects Accenture’s vast workforce of approximately 799,000 employees worldwide, with the company also eliminating career development programs specifically designed for certain demographic groups.
The internal memo clarified that DEI metrics would no longer factor into employee performance evaluations. Sweet attributed this policy transformation to a comprehensive review of internal practices and the changing regulatory environment in the United States, including recent executive orders requiring compliance.
Further distancing itself from progressive corporate initiatives, Accenture has decided to end its participation in the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) Corporate Equality Index (CEI). This development came after conservative commentator Robby Starbuck revealed his communication with the company regarding their progressive policies.
The Human Rights Campaign faced significant criticism in 2023 for its role in pressuring corporations through its annual list of demands, effectively functioning as a progressive LGBTQ advocacy group. The organization’s CEI system operates as a corporate rating mechanism, rewarding or penalizing companies based on their implementation of progressive workplace policies and customer-facing initiatives.
Big news: I reached out to Accenture in December to let them know we were considering a story on their woke policies in the early part of this year.
Today, they’ve announced an end to their DEI policies and that they’ll stop working with the @HRC’s woke CEI social credit scoring… pic.twitter.com/HCJbiVjpat
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) February 7, 2025
The significance of CEI scores extends beyond mere corporate reputation, as major financial institutions including Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street incorporate these ratings into their investment decisions, directly impacting companies’ financial prospects.
This policy shift reflects a broader trend in Ireland, where similar changes are occurring, including reduced funding for open borders advocacy groups and the dismantling of corporate DEI programs, demonstrating the far-reaching influence of Trump’s anti-woke stance.
