- Katy Talikowska has been appointed as the new CEO of the Valuable 500, leading the global business partnership’s mission to make disability inclusion a strategic priority for companies worldwide.
- Gitika Kalra will also join as Chief Operating Officer, strengthening the leadership team.
The Valuable 500 is the global business partnership of 500 companies working together to end disability exclusion.
London, July 26, 2023: Today, the Valuable 500 announces the appointment of Katy Talikowska as its new CEO. With an impressive track record leading on inclusion in the advertising industry, Katy is set to strengthen and amplify the global movement for disability inclusion. Katy succeeds Joanne Pritchard, former CEO of the Valuable 500, to lead the organisation into an ambitious strategic phase until the end of 2025.
Caroline Casey, founder of the Valuable 500, will continue to play a vital role for the organisation as Director, providing ongoing insights, guidance, and expertise. Katy will report to Paul Polman and Jeff Dodds jointly as Chairs of the Company and Advisory board. Reporting to Katy, Gitika Kalra will join the leadership team as Chief Operating Officer, after successfully implementing complex transformation programmes within the UK and Asia markets.
New CEO Katy Talikowska began her journey with the Valuable 500 in 2019 when she partnered with Caroline Casey to launch the initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos. Her instrumental role in the programme’s initiation showcased her commitment to disability inclusion on the global stage. As CEO, Katy will lead the Valuable 500’s mission to ensure that disability inclusion becomes a strategic priority for companies worldwide.
Katy will lead the charge towards the Valuable 500 Accountability Summit in Tokyo 2025, where the 500 companies of the organisation will be invited to report on their progress against three ‘Synchronised Collective Actions’: Leadership, Reporting and Representation.
Before her appointment, Katy excelled in various leadership roles during her impressive twelve-year journey at AMV BBDO, a leading advertising agency. Katy played a key role in the ground-breaking 2016 Maltesers Disability campaign, which garnered prestigious awards and became Maltesers’ most successful campaign in 18 years. She serves as a Leadership Mentor for Disability Rights UK and has been acknowledged as a Marketing Trailblazer of 2019. She has extensive global business expertise, having worked for 7 years in New Zealand and Australia.
Katy and Gitika bring their leadership, creativity, and a deep-rooted commitment to the disability agenda. Their appointment marks an exciting new chapter for the Valuable 500 as it continues to drive disability inclusion globally.
As the new CEO of the Valuable 500, I am excited to lead the change, drive our mission of the 3 Synchronised Collective Actions, and help end disability exclusion. It is crucial that businesses recognise disability inclusion not only as a moral imperative but as a strategic priority. Considering today’s competitive market, inclusion is a critical commercial advantage. It is not only about embracing diversity for diversity’s sake but about the value of recognising people with disabilities as consumers and, especially within the workplace, as employees. I am committed to driving tangible change towards a business world that recognises disability in its entirety.
Katy’s dedication to disability inclusion is undeniable. She has shown commitment to the Valuable 500 since its inception, and I am confident that under her guidance, the organisation will continue to make significant progress in accelerating disability inclusion through business. In Phase 1, we achieved 500 CEO-backed board-level commitments as we broke the global CEO silence on disability in business and we positioned disability on the global business leadership agenda. I look forward to working closely with Katy and truly believe in her leadership for the Valuable 500 and its next growth phase.
Media Contacts.
For interviews and further information, please contact:
Ryan Curtis-Johnson
Valuable 500
[email protected]
Seven Hills
[email protected]
Notes to Editors.
About the Valuable 500
Launched at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January 2019, the Valuable 500 is the global business partnership of 500 companies working together to end disability exclusion.
Since its creation, the Valuable 500 has achieved its initial goal of getting 500 multinational organisations to make a public commitment to disability inclusion in their organisation, igniting a historic global movement for a new age of diversity in business. The Valuable 500 and their global impact partner The Nippon Foundation, will be working closely with the World Economic Forum and International Disability Alliance – bringing together a leading philanthropic organisation with the most prestigious global business network and the voice of the global disability community.
By engaging with the world’s most influential business leaders and brands, the network now has a market cap of over $23 trillion, combined revenues of over $8 trillion and employs a staggering 22 million people worldwide. It includes 15 iconic global CEOs and companies who will be spearheading the programmes and services to be offered under Phase 2 of the transformation programme.
The Valuable 500 is determined to create a community that supports and empowers the 500 to systematically transform their businesses via synchronised collective actions, so they include the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities worldwide, thereby unlocking their business, social and economic potential. We believe that if business takes the lead, society and government will follow. Truly inclusive businesses can build truly inclusive societies.
