RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Apparently it’s not just talk. People really do value diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and now one of the world’s largest PC companies has promised to actually do something about it.

Lenovo, with its US global headquarters based in RTP, has committed to company wide goals for achieving 20 percent women on a global basis – at least — in the executive suites by 2020.

The company said it also aims to build a U.S. executive team that in the same timeframe is 28 percent or more Asian, Black, Hispanic, Native American, Two or more Race, and/or Hawaiian and Pacific Islander representation.

The pledge comes after the company released its first-ever global Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) report at the recent Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society in Paris.

A global survey of 5,000 people in five countries – China, the U.S., the U.K., Germany and Brazil – of varied age, race and cultural backgrounds, the report shows people ranking those issues as critical, just below employment, healthcare and education.

Lenovo’s CEO Yang Yuanqing.

“This escalating appreciation of D&I demonstrates a fundamental shift in people’s values, said Lenovo’s CEO Yang Yuanqing in a statement.

“The imperative for diversity in our business and all businesses has never been clearer, and it’s even more important to consider now with the pursuit of new, emerging technologies like augmented reality/virtual reality, 5G, and artificial intelligence, which demands diverse, creative, and inclusive mindsets.”

The company reported that respondents said that the technology sector could do better for advancing D&I when compared with others. Interestingly, the survey found no respondents viewed their own country as a D&I leader, or even as performing “better than average.”

With D&I overall now ranking universally as an essential requirement, Lenovo said it recognizes that these values are now being brought to the forefront, to drive significant and real change in attitudes and behaviors.

“Diversity and Inclusion is a global imperative for us,” said Yolanda Conyers, Lenovo’s chief diversity officer, Lenovo. “It ensures that we not only embrace the best, most disruptive ideas, but also allows us to better understand and address our customers’ needs.”

Lenovo is a US $45 billion Fortune Global 500 company and a global technology leader in driving Intelligent Transformation through smart devices and infrastructure that create the best user experience. Its US global headquarters is based at 5221 Paramount Parkway in Morrisville’s Perimeter Park office complex.