Protecting our people, empowering their future
Safety, opportunity, and inclusion are non-negotiable at Venator. Our people are central to our success, and we are committed to protecting their well-being while creating pathways for every individual to grow and thrive. Because when our people succeed, so do we.
From strengthening our ZERO Harm culture to actively driving progress on diversity, equity, and inclusion, we’re taking decisive action to ensure our workforce reflects the communities we serve and is equipped for the future. As a business rooted in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), we are focused on addressing industry skills gaps, opening doors through apprenticeships, early career initiatives, and targeted STEM outreach.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)
Diversity strengthens our business, enriches our decision-making, and enhances innovation. We are proud to have a diverse and exceptionally talented workforce. While external perspectives on DEI may shift, we remain focused on ensuring that opportunity, fairness, and representation are embedded in our culture and reflected in our workforce.
Empowering diverse leadership
Our approach goes beyond compliance—it’s about creating an environment where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to succeed. Venator’s associates play a role in this and are committed to creating an environment that reflects the diversity of the communities in which we do business. Every employment decision is made based on job-related qualifications and without regard to any protected characteristics.1 All of this is covered by our respect in the workplace policy, as outlined in our Business Conduct Guidelines.
Our commitment to increasing diversity within the chemical manufacturing sector remains steadfast. While 2024 was a transitional year for Venator, we continued to prioritize gender representation, working toward our target of women holding 30% of senior leadership roles by 2030.
Progress toward this goal declined slightly in 2024 with women representing 16.7% of senior leadership, down from 18.2% in 2023. To close this gap, we are taking more decisive action to improve representation at all levels of the business and build a stronger pipeline for advancement into senior roles. In 2024, we saw an increase in the number and percentage of new female hires. By increasing this number, we will create a more equitably balanced workforce which provides the platform to work toward our targets. A series of strategic initiatives is now underway, aimed at delivering our 2030 ambition.
Progress and Impact
Embedding inclusion: Our strategic DEI program in focus
We intend to close our gender diversity performance gap by launching our strategic DEI program. Developed in 2024, this program is designed to drive measurable progress toward our 2030 gender diversity target by embedding inclusive leadership, removing barriers to advancement and opportunity, and ensuring accountability at all levels. We plan to implement key metrics that are informed by survey insights and a structured scorecard to track the impact. To achieve progress, we will follow a “three E” approach: Engage, Equip, and Embed.
We plan to formally launch this program in 2025. To achieve our target and ensure the advancement of the program, a key element of it will be building on our associate development offering which, in turn, will help our female employees gain the necessary skills and support to progress to leadership positions.
Strengthening DEI through the BCF’s Charter
To further our commitment to DEI, we became signatories to the British Coatings Federation’s EDI Charter in 2024, making us one of its founding organizations. This represents a significant step for Venator, as we are now able to incorporate the Charter’s framework into the requirements of our HR Transformation Plan. The BCF’s Charter sets out six principles that signatories agree to uphold and report on. These principles are outlined to the left.
We are committed to implementing these principles across the business. In line with the Charter, we will assign a Board-appointed “DEI Champion” and develop a company-wide action plan that uses our new strategic DEI program as a framework. We will also track progress through participation in the BCF’s surveys. We have already begun assessing our approach through an external review which will guide our next steps.
In 2025, we will increase our focus on associate engagement to further develop an open culture where all voices are heard through outreach and surveys on how best to improve DEI at Venator. Additionally, we will develop formalized DEI policies to improve accessibility and attract a diverse workforce. As part of our commitment to continuous improvement, we will work closely with the BCF and other industry stakeholders to share best practices and champion DEI across the coatings sector.
