Colgate-Palmolive has informed the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) that it intends to recommend shareholders vote against a proposal calling for the removal of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI)-related criteria from the company’s board selection process, according to a letter seen by Reuters.
The conservative shareholder group has urged the consumer goods company to eliminate DEI considerations in the nomination of directors, as part of a broader push by some US-based organisations to scale back corporate diversity initiatives.
The proposal comes amid increasing scrutiny of DEI programmes in the United States. Several major corporations, including Goldman Sachs, Walmart, Target and Meta, have recently reduced or reviewed aspects of their diversity policies following mounting political and legal pressure.
Colgate indicated in its response that board composition should reflect a wide range of skills, experiences, perspectives and backgrounds. “It is important that our directors bring a broad range of skills, experiences, perspectives and backgrounds to the Board,” the company said in its submission to the NLPC.
In its 2025 proxy statement, Colgate noted that three of its director nominees are members of underrepresented communities. However, the NLPC argued that the company did not clearly define the term “underrepresented”.
Colgate also highlighted that approximately two-thirds of its net sales are generated outside the United States, underscoring the global nature of its operations.
If shareholders back management’s recommendation, Colgate would join a smaller group of companies, including Costco and Apple, that have maintained their DEI policies despite growing pressure to reconsider such programmes.
