Givaudan’s social focus: Earthquake relief donations and gender equality goals

Givaudan is doubling down on its commitment to social responsibility by supporting relief efforts for the earthquakes in Myanmar and Thailand and releasing a UK gender pay gap report.

The fragrance and flavors company has announced a donation of CHF 100,000 (US$122,777) to support earthquake recovery in Myanmar and Thailand. Meanwhile, it released its 2025 UK gender pay gap report, reinforcing its focus on fair opportunities for its employees.

The relief donation will help the Red Cross deliver life-saving support in the region after a powerful earthquake struck on March 28. Givaudan is also encouraging additional contributions through a matching initiative in Singapore.

“The situation in Myanmar and Thailand is devastating and particularly urgent due to the severe infrastructure damage and extreme weather conditions, which have further exacerbated the impacts,” says Simon Halle-Smith, head of Global Human Resources and Environmental, Health, and Safety at Givaudan.

“Expert agencies such as the Red Cross are vital in delivering essential, life-saving support. We extend our heartfelt sympathy and condolences to all those who have been and continue to be affected by these tragic events.”

This is not Givaudan’s first humanitarian effort. The fund was launched in late 2024 to respond to floods in Spain and Malaysia.

The fund was launched in late 2024 to respond to floods in Spain and Malaysia.Building fairer workplaces

Givaudan is also turning inward to tackle gender imbalances in the workplace. Its latest UK gender pay gap report shows that while men and women earn equal pay in similar roles, there is still work to do in representation at top-level positions.

The report shows a 0% median pay gap but a 17% mean gap. This difference reveals that more men hold senior, higher-paid positions while more women are in part-time or lower-paid roles.

Givaudan stresses that the gap does not reflect unequal pay for equal work but rather structural imbalance.

“In the UK, ... women are more likely than men to be in low-paid or part-time roles. And women are also less likely to be in senior leadership roles that pay more. It does not mean people are not being paid equally and fairly for doing the same job,” says Ian Messenger, Givaudan’s UK company manager.

“While it is generally typical in the UK that men are better represented in higher-paid roles, it does not make it right. Givaudan is committed to doing all it can to promote women into more senior and higher paid roles to redress the balance.” 

A similar pattern appears in bonus pay: while the median bonus gap is 0%, the mean gap is again 17%. Givaudan attributes these figures to administrative timing and eligibility challenges, such as employees not being eligible for bonuses due to their start dates, rather than systemic bias.In the report, Givaudan reaffirms its commitment to addressing these imbalances.

Nearly all employees received bonuses — 97% of men and 95% of women — showing a high access to performance rewards. 

However, the disparity becomes more pronounced when examining the broader employment structure: men account for 68% of the highest-paying quartile, while women make up 32%. In the lowest-paying quartile, women outnumber men at 53% to 47%.

This trend continues through the middle quartiles. In the lower-middle band, women constitute 61% and men 39%. In the upper-middle quartile, women account for 35% while men account for 65%. The data consistently shows a concentration of women in less senior, lower-paying roles.

In the report, Givaudan reaffirms its commitment to addressing these imbalances. The company has implemented diversity strategy efforts to increase female representation in leadership positions, including annual benchmarking studies, regular salary reviews adjusted for market conditions and cost of living, and a global profit-sharing scheme for non-management employees.

In the report, Givaudan reaffirms its commitment to addressing these imbalances.