DEI hard
Today's stories on ANZ and Culture Amp show how the mood is shifting in the corporate world as companies pull back on purpose-led agendas.
If you had to pick the defining acronym in business culture for 2025, you'd be hard-pressed to look past AI. But DEI and ESG would not be far behind on the shortlist.
That much was clear on Monday, when two stories broken by Capital Brief captured a sharp change in the corporate mood.
Jack Derwin revealed ANZ is axing several jobs from its environmental, social and governance team, including one of its most senior climate executives and public figures. Meanwhile, Didier Elzinga, the chief executive of billion-dollar HR software startup Culture Amp, told Bronwen Clune that some of the company’s recent challenges stem from a backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
“Two years ago, a lot of people were coming to Culture Amp to do more progressive things,” Elzinga said. “Now they’re saying, ‘I don’t care about DEI — I need to focus on the performance of my people. I need a culture of accountability’.”
