SHANGHAI, Jan. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Yum China Holdings, Inc. (the "Company" or "Yum China") (NYSE: YUMC) today announced that it is one of 230 companies selected for the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), recognizing the Company's strong commitment to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women's equality.

"We are very honoured by our selection in the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, and to be one of the first Chinese companies recognized for our efforts to promote equal opportunity in the workplace," said Joey Wat, CEO of Yum China. "Gender equality is fundamental to our People First philosophy which is centred around Fair, Care and Pride. We strive to create a workplace that encourages all of our employees to succeed, irrespective of gender. Our people are key to the future success of our business."

According to Bloomberg, the index includes firms from 10 sectors headquartered across 36 countries and regions, and mainland China is represented for the first time this year. Yum China is one of three Chinese companies chosen in the selection and one of only two restaurant companies in the world included to the index. The Company stands out for its health and family care policy and best-in-class diversity and inclusion strategy.

"We applaud Yum China and the other 229 firms tracked by the index for their action to measure gender equality through the Bloomberg GEI framework," said Peter T. Grauer, Chairman of Bloomberg and Founding Chairman of the U.S. 30% Club. "Yum China's GEI inclusion is a strong indicator to its employees, investors and industry peers alike that it is leading by example to advance ongoing efforts for a truly inclusive workplace."

Yum China is firmly committed to fostering a professional, inclusive and discrimination-free workplace for all of the Company's 450,000 employees. By the end of the 2018 fiscal year, Yum China employed over 275,000 women, representing 61.2% of the Company's total workforce. 55% of Senior Management level positions were held by women, and the Company continues to make great strides in nurturing talented female leaders across all management levels. In September 2017, Yum China was included in the State Street Global Advisors' (SSGA) Gender Diversity Index, a select group of large scale listed US companies committed to closing gender gaps and advancing women through gender diversity on their boards and in senior leadership positions.

About Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

The Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) is the world's only comprehensive investment-quality data source on gender equality. The index considers internal company statistics, employee policies, external community support and engagement, and gender-conscious product offerings. The Bloomberg GEI was created to bring transparency to the opaque arena of social data. The Bloomberg gender reporting framework is voluntary and has no associated costs. The GEI is a reference index. All public companies can submit data to Bloomberg. Those with a security listed on a U.S. exchange and a market capitalization of USD1 billion or greater are eligible for index inclusion. For more information on the GEI, please visit: https://www.bloomberg.com/professional/solution/gender-equality-index/

About Yum China Holdings, Inc.

Yum China Holdings, Inc. is a licensee of Yum! Brands in mainland China. It has exclusive rights in mainland China to KFC, China's leading quick-service restaurant brand, Pizza Hut, the leading casual dining restaurant brand in China, and Taco Bell, a California-based restaurant chain serving innovative Mexican-inspired food. Yum China also owns the Little Sheep and East Dawning concepts outright. The Company had more than 8,300 restaurants in over 1,200 cities at the end of September 2018. For more information, please visit http://www.yumchina.com/en/.

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SOURCE Yum China Holdings, Inc.

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