RRD Takes the ParityPledge™ as Part of Its Commitment to Improving the Pathway for Women in Leadership Positions

R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD) (NYSE:RRD) (the "Company”), a leading global provider of multichannel solutions for marketing and business communications, today announced it has taken the ParityPledge™, building on its commitment to improving the pathway for women in leadership positions. The ParityPledge asks that companies commit to interviewing at least one qualified woman candidate for every open position, vice president and above, including the C-suite and board. The ParityPledge is an initiative of Parity.org, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on bringing gender equality to the highest levels of business.

"I am thrilled to make this pledge on behalf of RRD to champion the advancement of women in business,” said Sheila Rutt, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at RRD. "Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is fundamental to our ability to meet the needs of our current and future clients, drive business success and promote a high-performance culture. The ParityPledge strengthens our commitment to gender parity in the RRD workforce and broader dedication to diversity and inclusion in the highest levels of corporations today.”

The ParityPledge was inspired by the NFL’s Rooney Rule, a straightforward solution that improved diversity at leadership levels of NFL teams by requiring teams to include more diverse candidates in the interview process. In just three years, the Rooney Rule helped increase representation of African Americans in team leadership positions from 6 percent to 22 percent.

"Parity.org was founded to correct the stark reality of gender imbalance at the very top of companies today,” said Cathrin Stickney, Parity.org founder and CEO. "While women represent 51 percent of the population, barely 20 percent of S&P500 corporate executive teams and boards are represented by women. We are thankful for organizations like RRD that are willing to become a role model for change. We believe their public commitment and example will help us realize exponential progress toward reaching parity at the top.”

Parity.org will announce its full list of founding companies, sponsors, partners and recipients of the Parity Awards for outstanding progress in gender equality during the Women’s Leadership Summit in January 2018. The Women’s Leadership Summit is part of the annual Silicon Slopes conference that coincides with the Sundance Film Festival and has an expected attendance of 10,000 people.

About RRD

RRD is a leading global provider of multichannel solutions for marketing and business communications. With more than 50,000 customers and 43,000 employees across 34 countries, RRD offers a comprehensive portfolio of capabilities, experience and scale that enables organizations around the world to effectively create, manage and execute their multichannel communications strategies.

For more information, visit our website at http://www.rrd.com/

About Parity.org

Parity.org is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to gender equality at the highest ranks of business leadership. Parity.org is assembling a founding advisory board of some of the most recognized men and women leaders in business. The Parity.org URL was generously donated by The Kennedy Forum. You can follow Parity.org on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

ParityPledge is a trademark of Parity.org.

Use of Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and any such forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by reference to the following cautionary statements. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release and are based on current expectations and involve a number of assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Readers are strongly encouraged to read the full cautionary statements contained in RRD's filings with the SEC. RRD disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171103005014/en/