Agenda Executiva reports on an exclusive interview with Marina Hóss, HR director at the multinational Decathlon
Amid a global scenario of "fatigue" in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) agendas, Decathlon Brazil stands out as an exception: the company reached 45% women at all levels of leadership by the end of 2025 and is now aiming for 50/50 parity. The case was featured in the third episode of the Talk Soul podcast, by Soul HR Consulting, with the multinational's HR director, Marina Hóss, interviewed by consultant Regiane Herchcovitch.
The cooling of DE&I agendas is a worrying, global phenomenon, driven by superficial implementations, a lack of technical rigor and political pressures, according to experts. "Many programs are launched with passion but without structural support. At Decathlon, we treat equity with the same commitment applied to any vital business KPI", Hóss said in the episode.
Decathlon's strategy, which turns diversity into a competitive advantage aligned with its "sporting spirit", is based on actionable pillars:
● From words to KPI: Equity has become a rigorously tracked metric, with the CEO's personal commitment to withstand market fluctuations.
● Internal promotion: A focus on developing internal talent for a sustainable executive pipeline, now targeting middle leadership to reach 50/50 parity.
● Potential vs. performance: Mentoring neutralizes biases, preparing women so that their readiness is unquestionable, overcoming harsher judgments based on "behavioral perfection".
● Motherhood without penalty: Professionals on leave keep their previous year's evaluations and remain eligible for bonuses and promotions.
Cultural preparation was essential. Since 2020, discussion circles on structural sexism and the role of men as allies have made the targets a "fair measure" rather than an imposition. Another point of pride: a gender pay gap of just 0.8%, with practically equal pay between genders.
"Placing women in leadership and ensuring pay parity is essential for true equity", Hóss stressed, emphasizing the impact on the bottom line.
The full episode is available on YouTube: watch it here
For leaders interested in governance and corporate well-being, the insights are well worth a deep dive.
