The Valuable 500 – the largest network of global CEOs committed to disability inclusion, announces the launch of Generation Valuable, a programme designed to accelerate opportunities for people with disabilities to become the talented voices of tomorrow’s C-Suite. Generation Valuable will connect and incubate C-Suite talent with disabled talent and will have a profound effect on both.

Whether it be intentional or not, businesses exclude people with disabilities. Over 1.3 billion people across the world live with some form of disability, yet, according to Return on Disability, only 4% of businesses are focused on making offerings inclusive of disabled people. Moreover, research shows that minority talent faces promotion barricades just below the executive rung.

The Valuable 500 took the renowned World Economic Forum stage to announce the launch of Generation Valuable, seeking nominations of disabled talent who aspire to reach the C-Suite level from its 500 members of the Collective. The programme will foster new perspectives, deepen understandings, cultivate growth and attack the challenges that rising disabled talent face once they have achieved middle management.

The first organisations to support the programme by agreeing to be part of the first cohort include The Mahindra Group, Deloitte, L’Oreal, MSD, Omnicom Group and P&G.

Ethical leadership is at the core of the Valuable 500’s strategy. By mobilising the Collective to effect real change, ensuring disability inclusion on board agendas, and providing tangible solutions – the Valuable 500 will strive towards inclusion for all. The Generation Valuable programme will equip each participant with the knowledge, access and tools required to enhance their professional development.

Caroline Casey, Founder of the Valuable 500, commented: “I am immensely proud of the progress the Valuable 500 has already made by convening 500 of the world’s biggest companies to commit to driving disability inclusion within their businesses. I am confident that this next step towards building the C-Suite of the future by bringing them into direct contact with key decision-makers will expedite the necessary system change we want to see in business. Generation Valuable will enable the transformation to happen from within the businesses, serving as a platform to nurture the leaders of tomorrow by providing an equitable investment of resources and leadership.”