7" Also Featuring … A Celebration of National American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage Month • Catalyst • Perspectives

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It’s people from all walks that make the $
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PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

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notebook
publisher’s notebook
editors notebook

Crisis Reminds Us that

We Stand Together

I
James R. Rector
PUBLISHER

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the economic crisis John Murphy
MANAGING EDITOR
we’re in, and I’ve come to believe that—perhaps in an odd way—the
Cheri Morabito
crisis only reinforces our role as a magazine in advancing diversity. I say CREATIVE DIRECTOR

this because we have always viewed diversity as, fundamentally, a human Damian Johnson
MARKETING DIRECTOR
endeavor. We’re not like the other diversity magazines that so often are
Laurel L. Fumic
policy- and process-oriented. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Instead, we’re storytellers. We focus on individuals who are doing, Alina Dunaeva
O verseas C orrespondent
thinking, and leading the way for others. That’s why we share your
Jason Bice
stories throughout the year, celebrate your successes, and give you a voice WEB MASTER

within our pages. What you do is powerful evidence of the commitment

to diversity made by your organization, and sharing it with others is LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Commentaries or questions should be

incredibly important.
addressed to: Profiles in Diversity Journal,
For example, in this issue we are hearing from HR executives— P.O. Box 45605, Cleveland, OH 44145-0605.
diversity champions who share their stories from the front lines of hiring. All correspondence should include author’s
full name, address, e-mail and phone number.
Also, we recognize National American Indian & Alaska Native Heritage
Month with 5 profiles that help us learn about and appreciate the DISPLAY ADVERTISING

contributions and culture of peoples native to America. Catalyst reports Profiles in Diversity Journal
on the value of Employee Resource Groups. And we round out the Gemini Towers #1
1991 Crocker Road, Suite 320
issue (and the year) with thought-provoking perspectives from our
Westlake, OH 44145
regular columnists. Tel: 440.892.0444
Marriage counselors will tell you that when communication stops, Fax: 440.892.0737
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Ever thankful for your patronage and friendship, we look forward to Reprints:
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Photos & Artwork:
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Publisher

2 Pro f i les i n D i ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

features
contents
table of contents
Volume 10 • Number 6
November / December 2008

22
22
On the Cover
HR Executives as Diversity Champions
Over the years, much of the responsibility
for diversity has fallen to human resources
executives. We thought it was about time to
avis

meet some of these HR executives, whom we aflac

axa
booz allen

HR
burger king

recognize as the often unsung, first champions Executives

as
diversity
cdw

of diversity. hartford

Champions

MGM Mirage

prudential

terex
wellpoint
sodexo wake
county

national american indian

42 &alaska native
HERITAGE MONTH
42 Special Feature
National American Indian
& Alaska Native Heritage Month
November is National American Indian & Alaska Native
Heritage Month. We present five individuals who share
their background, experience, and attitudes with us.
They offer a unique perspective on their heritage.

4 Pro f i les i n D i ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

And that may be the one true link that brings us all together,

regardless of race, creed or color. Boeing proudly supports

those courageous enough to make discrimination, history.

 contents
table of contents
departments
Volume 10 • Number 6
November / December 2008

8 Momentum Diversity Who, What, Where and When

13 From the Publisher Introducing the Diversity Leader Award:

Recognizing the Communication Efforts of
Leading Companies
diversity AWARD
2008

Leader

14 Catalyst E
 mployee Resource Groups: Valuable to
Employees; Valuable to Business

54 MicroTriggers More Instruction Stories from

Janet Crenshaw Smith

perspectives

12 T
 houghts Through the Office Door …
by Carlton Yearwood, Waste Management, Inc.

16 From My Perspective by Linda Jimenez, WellPoint, Inc.

diversity
18 Viewpoint by Melanie Harrington, AIMD Leader
20 My Turn by Shirley A. Davis, PhD, SHRM

56 Last Word by Marie Y. Philippe, PhD

Yearwood Jimenez Harrington Davis Philippe

6 Pro f i les i n D i ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

Some call it diversity.
To us, it’s a business plan.

When you serve over 200 million weekly customers,

including 13 markets outside the U.S., diversity isn’t an
option. It’s not only the right thing to do – it’s the right
way to build your business. Our 2 million associates
need leadership in merchandising, marketing,
finance, transportation and logistics. So we
actively recruit leaders with diverse backgrounds,
individual skills, and lots of enthusiasm. If that sounds
like you, please visit us at walmartstores.com.
momentum
momentum
ComEd’s George Williams
Elected to Underwriters
Laboratories’ Board of Trustees
NORTHBROOK,
Ill. – Underwriters
Laboratories (UL)
has announced
that George
Williams has been
elected to UL’s
williams board of trustees.
Williams is currently senior vice
president of operations at ComEd,
a Chicago-based unit of the Exelon
Corporation and one of the nation’s
largest electric utilities with 3.8 mil-
lion customers in Northern Illinois.
He is responsible for the coordina-
tion of operations including electric
distribution, maintenance and con-
struction, new business, and work
management.
Prior to ComEd, Williams held a
number of other key leadership posi-
tions within the nuclear and fossil
industry. He was vice president of op-
erations at Entergy, an integrated en-
ergy company that provides electricity
in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi,
and Texas. He has also worked at PPL
Susquehanna, Progress Energy (for-
merly Carolina Power & Light), and
Exelon’s PECO, an electric and natu-
ral gas utility in Pennsylvania.
Williams received a bachelor’s
degree in electrical engineering from
Widener University and an MBA
from Saint Joseph’s University. He
has completed Wharton’s Executive
Development Program at the
University of Pennsylvania, the
Leadership Development Program at
the Center for Creative Leadership,
and Harvard University’s program for
senior executives.
Williams is an active board mem-
ber in numerous civic and profes-
8 Pro f i les i n D ive rsit y Journal
who…what…where…when
sional organizations including the
American Association of Blacks
in Energy (AABE), Association of
Edison Illuminating Companies
(AEIC), and Executive Leadership
Council (ELC).
K&L Gates’ Martin Garza
Named Latino Lawyer of
the Year by Hispanic National
Bar Association
Dallas, Tex.
– K&L Gates
LLP real estate
partner Martin E.
Garza has been
named the 2008
Latino Lawyer of
garza the Year by the
Hispanic National Bar Association
(HNBA). Garza, a partner in K&L
Gates’ Dallas office, was presented
the award during the HNBA Annual
Convention in Los Angeles, Calif.
In 2006, Garza helped create the
Dallas Diversity Task Force to pro-
mote hiring and retention of minori-
ties in the city’s larger law firms. The
program has served as a model for
similar studies and diversity initia-
tives around the country. Garza and
the task force members were honored
earlier this year with the State Bar of
Texas Presidents’ Award for outstand-
ing legal service to the profession.
Garza’s law practice includes com-
mercial real estate development and
retail leasing. He counsels and repre-
sents a varied group of clients from
the development, retail and energy
industries, and has extensive experi-
ence assisting gas producers in North
Texas with local permitting and regu-
lation issues.
Garza is currently a director of
the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association
Scholarship Foundation, which he
November/December 2008
helped to found in order to facilitate
the DHBA’s funding and scholar-
ship efforts. He is also president and
director of the Friends of Dallas Law
Magnet High School Foundation,
supporting programs and activities
for high school students interested
in government and the law. A 1987
graduate of Harvard University, Garza
earned both a Juris Doctor degree
and an MBA from the University of
Texas at Austin in 1996.
KPMG Names 51 New
Students to Future Diversity
Leaders Program
NEW YORK – KPMG LLP, the
audit, tax, and advisory firm, has ad-
mitted 51 new students to its Future
Diversity Leaders (FDL) program, an
initiative intended to provide leader-
ship training and financial support
for outstanding minority undergradu-
ate business students.
This year’s FDL class, consisting
of students representing 33 schools
nationwide, recently completed a
two-day leadership conference in
Hollywood, California. The confer-
ence provided the students the oppor-
tunity to interact and network with
leaders in the profession, professors
and KPMG professionals. The stu-
dents also attended leadership-style
courses that were co-instructed by
KPMG partners.
KPMG launched
FDL last year as
part of its con-
tinuing effort to
increase and sup-
port minority rep-
resentation in the
fernandez accounting profes-
sion. “We are committed to help-
ing to build the business leaders of
tomorrow,” said Manny Fernandez,
national campus recruiting partner
at KPMG.
Upon completion of their summer
internship prior to their junior year,
the students will become eligible for
additional scholarship money and
an offer to remain in the intern pro-
gram the following summer. The in-
ternship before their senior year is
a “Practice Internship,” where the
participants will gain hands-on ex-
perience with clients in their chosen
business area. In addition to gaining
work experience, students will be
mentored by the FDL faculty advi-
sor from their school, as well as by a
KPMG professional.
KPMG LLP is the U.S. member
firm of KPMG International. KPMG
International’s firms have 123,000
professionals, including more than
7,100 partners, in 145 countries.
KPMG Names Angela Avant to
Lead Diversity Programs
NEW YORK –
KPMG LLP has
announced that
Angela Avant, 49,
has been named to
the newly created
position of partner
avant in charge of di-
versity. Avant is currently co-chair of
the firm’s national African American
network and a member of the firm’s
Diversity Advisory Board. She will
be responsible for leading the firm’s
diversity strategy and fostering an en-
vironment of inclusion that embraces
diversity among KPMG’s partners,
employees, vendors and clients.
Avant, who joined KPMG in
1999 and was named an advisory
partner in 2004, has been responsible
for business development and advi-
sory services in KPMG’s mid-Atlantic
area’s state and local, nonprofit, and
higher education sectors. She will
continue to serve a select group of cli-
ents. Before joining KPMG, she was
the inspector general of the District
of Columbia. Before that, she was
mergers and acquisitions manager
for New York-based Corning Inc.’s
opto-electronics business group and
also served as Corning’s director of
internal audit.
A certified public accountant,
Avant is a lifetime member and
three-term past national president
of the National Association of Black
Accountants (NABA) and numer-
ous professional organizations. Avant
graduated cum laude with a bache-
lor’s degree in accounting and finance
from Virginia State University. Avant
currently resides and will continue to
be based in Washington, D.C.
Myrna Soto Named One
of 2008’s Top Hispanics in
Technology
LAS VEGAS,
Nev. – MGM
MIRAGE’s Myrna
Soto has been
named one of the
“Most Important
Hispanics in
soto Technology” by
Hispanic Engineer & Information
Technology magazine (HE&IT). Soto,
who serves as VP of Governance and
Chief Information Security Officer,
was chosen from a field of more than
1,000 nominees.
To select the 2008 highest-
achieving Hispanics, HE&IT editors
evaluated and ranked individuals
who have demonstrated leadership
in both the workplace and the com-
munity. Executives, technologists, and
researchers in industry, government,
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
and academia were eligible for
the award.
Soto is serving as interim chief in-
formation officer. She joined
MGM MIRAGE in 2004 as the
corporate director of solutions with
the Mandalay Bay Resort Group.
From October 2005 until January
2007, she was vice president of busi-
ness solutions and project manage-
ment officer.
Soto was recognized at the
National Women of Color Science,
Technology, Engineering, and
Mathematics (STEM) Conference
in Dallas, Texas, in October. She
will also be featured in the magazine’s
fall edition.
MGM MIRAGE (NYSE: MGM),
one of the world’s leading and most
respected development companies
with significant holdings in gaming,
hospitality and entertainment, owns
and operates 17 properties located in
Nevada, Mississippi, and Michigan,
and has investments in four other
properties in Nevada, New Jersey,
Illinois, and Macau. For more infor-
mation about MGM MIRAGE,
visit the company’s website at
www.mgmmirage.com.
American Airlines Captain
Dave Harris, Retired,
Honored for Trail Blazing
FORT WORTH, Texas – American
Airlines will serve as the title spon-
sor of the Organization of Black
Airline Pilots (OBAP) 32nd Annual
Convention, where retired Captain
Dave Harris will be honored for
being the first African American to
fly for a commercial airline. Harris,
73, retired from American Airlines in
1994 after more 30 years of service.
After rejections from several of
the major airlines at the time, Harris
November/December 2008 9
momentum
momentum
wanted to avoid any misunderstand-
ing down the road. Following his in-
terview with American, Harris recalls,
“I felt compelled to tell (the inter-
viewer) I was black.” The chief pilot,
who conducted the interview, re-
sponded, “This is American Airlines,
and we don’t care if you’re black,
white or chartreuse. We only want to
know, can you fly the plane?”
Harris began training with
American Airlines in December
1964, preparing to pilot the airline’s
DC-6 aircraft.
American Airlines today has one
of the most diverse flight crews in the
industry. American and its regional
affiliate American Eagle Airlines to-
gether employ 163 African-American
pilots, some of whom are African
American female pilots.
Several other current and former
American Airlines employees also
will receive special recognition for
their outstanding career achieve-
ments in aviation, including Joan
Dorsey, who became the first African-
American flight attendant. Dorsey re-
tired from American Airlines in 1999
after more than 36 years of service
with American.
Headquartered in Silver Spring,
Md., the mission of OBAP is to pre-
pare young people to realize a success-
ful future in the aerospace industry
through educational opportunities,
mentoring, and aerospace projects.
For more information on OBAP, visit
www.obap.org.
Floyd Pitts New Chief Diversity
Officer at the Red Cross
Floyd Pitts will join the Red Cross
as Chief Diversity Officer in
mid-November, according to an
announcement by President and
CEO Gail J. McGovern.
10 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal
who…what…where…when
“The position of chief diversity
officer is essential to our goal of
better reflecting the communities
we serve. That is why I am happy
to tell you that we have hired an in-
spirational chief diversity officer to
lead our corporate diversity efforts,”
she announced.
Pitts has more than 20 years of
management experience in EEO, di-
versity, and equal-rights issues. For the
past eight years, he has directed the
diversity programs for Hilton Hotels,
a company recognized by Fortune
magazine seven years in a row as one
of the Top Companies for Minorities,
and by DiversityInc as one of its 2008
Top Companies for Diversity.
Pitts is known for creating innova-
tive programs to engage diverse part-
nerships and expanding Hilton’s reach
into diverse communities.
“I believe teamwork is the founda-
tion to accomplishing all of our pri-
orities, and I couldn’t be more excited
about the talented team that we are
building,” said McGovern.
WellPoint Executive to Receive
2008 Award for Outstanding
Leadership Achievement
Indianapolis,
Ind. – Tonya
Maxey-Fuller, staff
vice president of
operations strategy,
will be honored as
a recipient of the
maxey-fuller CareerFOCUS
Eagle Award for Outstanding
Leadership Achievement.
One of only 16 recipients na-
tionally, Maxey-Fuller will receive
the award at the National Eagle
Leadership Institute (NELI) awards
gala in November. This year’s winners
join a network of more than
November/December 2008
250 award recipients recognized
for outstanding leadership achieve-
ment since the award was established
in 1993.
The CareerFOCUS Eagle Award
recognizes Black/African American
and Hispanic/Latino profession-
als who excel in both corporate and
community leadership. The award is
presented to individuals who prac-
tice principled leadership and whose
records of performance uphold the
highest standards of dignity, integrity,
and honor.
As part of the award, Maxey-Fuller
will serve a two-year appointment to
NELI’s Eagle Roundtable Advisory
Council through which winners are
instantly connected to a national
network of leaders—all of whom
are past Eagle Award recipients.
She will also become an advisor to
NELI’s Corporate Bound Academy
Leadership Challenge, where she will
help college students preparing for
corporate leadership.
New York Life Announces
Executive Promotions
NEW YORK – New York Life
Insurance Company has announced
that Katherine O’Brien has been
promoted to first vice president and
chief diversity officer; Dorothea
Rodd has been promoted to first vice
president in the human resources
department; and Gayle Yeomans has
been promoted to first vice president
in the office of governmental affairs.
O’Brien is respon-
sible for identifying
and implementing
best practices in
the areas of recruit-
ment and train-
ing of a diverse
o’Brien workforce, and the
development and promotion of
culturally diverse and women em-
ployees. She joined New York Life in
1995 as a litigator and has held posi-
tions of increasing responsibility in
employment litigation and benefits
compliance. She was appointed
chief diversity officer in 2006.
O’Brien earned a JD degree from
Brooklyn Law School and a BA
from Wesleyan University. She lives
in New York City.
Rodd is now
responsible for
overseeing all
operations and
services functions
in the HR de-
partment, which
rodd include service de-
livery for employee and agent benefit
plans, management of outsourced
vendor relationships, data manage-
ment and reporting, payroll, and
budgeting as well as accounting and
financial controls.
Rodd joined New York Life in
1981 as an auditor trainee. She be-
came a senior auditor in 1987, and in
1988 moved to the corporate finance
department as a senior accountant.
She became a director of accounting
in 1989, assistant vice president in
1991, and corporate vice president in
1995. In 2003, she was elected vice
president in the corporate services
department, where she was respon-
sible for procedures and systems for
accounts payable, credit card admin-
istration, and financial analyses for
procurement.
Rodd earned an MBA from
Dowling College and a bachelor’s de-
gree from Lehman College. She lives
in Manorville, New York, with her
three children.
Yeomans is respon-
sible for directing
all state govern-
ment relations
efforts. She has
broad experience
in life insurance
yeomans
regulation and
legislation, including solvency, and
serves as the company’s representa-
tive to the American Council of Life
Insurers (ACLI) Insurance Regulation
Steering Committee. Additionally,
Yeomans has been a key voice with
the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners (NAIC) on a range
of issues.
Yeomans rejoined New York Life
as vice president in 2002. Prior to
that, she was at the New York State
Assembly, where she was the chief
counsel and secretary to Minority
Leader John Faso. Previously, she was
with New York Life for four years in
the office of governmental affairs.
Yeomans earned a JD degree from
New York University School of Law
and a BS from Cornell University.
She lives in New York City.
NMSDC Names
Johnson Controls
“Corporation of the Year”
Johnson Controls chairman and CEO,
Steve Roell (left), and diversity business
development director, Reginald Layton,
accept the 2008 (NMSDC) “Corporation of
the Year” award.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
Milwaukee, Wis. – The National
Minority Supplier Development
Council (NMSDC) has presented
Johnson Controls, Inc. with its
“Corporation of the Year” award
in recognition of the company’s
achievements in minority business
development. Johnson Controls is
the only business-to-business com-
pany to receive this honor twice since
NMSDC’s founding in 1972.
While many major companies are
working to consolidate and reduce
their number of suppliers, Johnson
Controls nearly doubled its number
of minority suppliers from 140 in
2006 to 276 in 2007.
Johnson Controls has consistently
implemented best practices recom-
mended by NMSDC for world-class
supplier diversity performance.
Reginald K. Layton, diversity
business development director at
Johnson Controls, received the
Minority Supplier Development
Leader of the Year award from
NMSDC in recognition of innovative
supplier development activities and
leadership across industry groups and
across the country.
Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI)
is the global leader that brings inge-
nuity to the places where people live,
work and travel. For more informa-
tion, visit www.johnsoncontrols.com.
The National Minority Supplier
Development Council (NMSDC)
network includes a national office
in New York and 39 regional councils
across the country. The regional
councils certify and match more
than 15,000 minority-owned busi-
nesses with member corporations
that want to purchase goods and
services. For more information, visit
www.nmsdc.org. PDJ
November/December 2008 11
 thoughts through the office door…

Diversity Expectations
Can Change in an Instant
By Carlton Yearwood

C
Chief Ethics and Diversity Officer
Waste Management, Inc.

Comfortably So now we come face-to-face with a nation that, by a

watching World majority and in an instant, has both pushed the baseline for
Series action on the wide- expectations about diversity and inclusion to a wonderfully
screen in my family room, higher level, and declared that, yes, we are truly a multi-
the high-def pinpointed racial, gender-blind American society. Our country has come
with startling clarity a to a place through voter mandate where we all have tried
well-hit baseball carving an arc over the Philadelphia sta- tirelessly for years to elevate our individual companies and
dium’s outfield lawn. Into the stands, for sure, I thought. their cultures.
But, from the far corner of the screen, one of Tampa Bay’s What’s a diversity leader to do? Well, for one thing,
rookie outfielders sprinted an outlandish distance to spear I’m making a point to feel like a winner, too. There’s cause
the ball on the fly, diving full-length at

“
absolutely the last instant to snare a tro-
phy in his mitt.
“Wow, that kid’s a game changer!”
intoned Fox Sports announcers. Hard to
How do we collectively take
disagree. the next steps of relevancy

Again in front of the TV weeks later,
I was thinking of that situation and that
exclamation. But the broadcast scene
was Chicago’s Grant Park on Election
Day evening. As electric and emotional as any partisan
sports crowd, the throng welcomed our new President and
family with cheers, tears and every other emotion-on-your-
sleeve.
One can’t help but think whether that electric shift in
our politics has changed the game for what we do, too. Or
at least causes us some serious self-assessment.
Take a second, step back from our professional work
and look at what we do under the penetrating light of the
November 4th outcomes. For a long time—for some of us,
now 25 years or more—it seems we’ve lived out a fairly well
tested paradigm of how to manage diversity and inclusion
in business circles. We know the issues, we’re pretty good at
structuring solutions, and our organizations accept and pro-
mote our results. Oh, things have evolved, but even on our
best days we’d characterize that all as incremental.
”
in our profession?
to celebrate for a long time in this one. We’ve seen the
triumph of ability, of reason, of possibility, of individual
worth and potential realized. These are all things that
we’ve long espoused, and we should rejoice in such an
encompassing result.
But this new environment raises the ante for us, too.
How do we collectively take the next steps of relevancy in
our profession? And what might those leaps forward be?
Certainly not more of the same. Or is it exactly more of the
same, with more energy, focus and higher expectations?
As a profession, can we be up to defining the new challenges
and even more thoughtful solutions in this captivating
national environment? One can’t help but answer, “Yes …
yes, we can.” PDJ

Waste Management, Inc. is the leading provider of comprehensive

waste and environmental services in North America.
The company is strongly committed to a foundation of financial
strength, operating excellence, and professionalism.

12 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

from the publisher
Diversity Leader Award™
Recognizing the
Communication Efforts
of Leading Companies
In January 2009, this magazine will confer the Profiles
in Diversity Journal “Diversity Leader Award” to several
organizations with outstanding diversity communication
practices. In successive years, companies will be added to
the list, and many companies that already enjoy the distinc-
tion will earn recognition for a second year, and then a third
year, and so on.
It could not be more appropriate for Profiles in Diversity
Journal to bestow such an award on an organization. We
are, after all, in the business of helping organizations tell
their own success stories. We are the people side of diversity.
Our mission is to give voice to diversity efforts around the
world by offering a variety of editorial opportunities—
totally independent of advertising, I might add—that allow
companies to share their commitment to diversity.
The Diversity Leader Award is given to companies who
share their stories with our readers on a regular basis by tak-
ing advantage of our special features, by sharing their news
releases, and by offering profiles of their thought leaders.
Such ongoing communication serves as a beacon to others
to proclaim their own commitment to diversity.
One such opportunity is our regular feature Momentum,
a report of people on the move who are championing
diversity. Additionally, we regularly offer profiles of African
American leaders, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans,
and Native Americans, and give them the chance around
major holidays or observances to share their own thoughts
The Diversity Leader Award will be presented to companies whose executives have shared personal stories, thoughts, and
profiles with our readers. The dots in the symbol indicate the number of issues in which the company has participated in a
given year; they do not suggest any sort of ranking.
diversity
2008
Leader
AWA R D
with our readers. And, of course, our Women Worth
Watching® issue is unmatched in the industry. It typically
includes more than 100 gifted women whose mentoring
essays inspire the next generation of leaders.
You might ask, Why is communication so important?
The answer is not complicated, but it is far from simple.
Diversity is about building relationships between and
among people of different backgrounds. Communication
is at the heart of relationships, whether between a
husband and wife, parent and child, or a company and
its employees.
In business, effective marketing communication fos-
ters strong customer relationships that drive brand value.
Similarly, in the arena of diversity, communication deep-
ens understanding and helps broaden the acceptance
and advancement of diversity. It’s not enough to be commit-
ted to diversity. You must shout that commitment to
the world. Otherwise, you are like the light hidden under
a bushel basket.
If your company is lighting the way for others, we want
to help you get the word out. Plenty of opportunities are
coming in 2009. Review our editorial calendar and make
the decision to shine the light of your efforts for all the
world to see. Put our Diversity Leader Award symbol on all
your corporate communications and press releases so that
there can be no doubt about where you stand.
We are proud to stand with you.
James R. Rector
Publisher
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l November/December 2008 13
 www.catalyst.org

Employee Resource Groups

Valuable to Employees; Valuable to Business

F
By Catalyst

For seven years, Catalyst Member Benchmarking has assessed the scope of diversity and inclusion programs, policies,
and initiatives of participating member organizations that contribute confidential data. This year, the 2008 Catalyst Member
Benchmarking Report expanded its global reach through the first-time participation of members of Japan Women’s Innovative
Network (J-Win), Catalyst’s sister organization, which works with its member organizations to address diversity issues and
advance women in the workplace in Japan. The report now provides workforce statistics for Asia, Canada, Europe, Japan,
and the United States derived from 212 participating organizations representing 11 industries. In 2008, the report focuses on
employee resource groups (ERGs)—also known as employee network groups, affinity groups, or caucuses—and, in particular,
women’s networks.
ERGs serve multiple purposes. Important workforce development benefits include the advancement and retention of
women, and, in particular, women of color, and the development of potential leaders. Marketplace development benefits in-
clude providing relevant insights on emerging markets, product development and design, as well as multicultural marketing. On
the workplace development front, ERGs influence workplace culture by identifying unexamined assumptions, educating em-
ployees and senior leadership, and changing norms. Finally, ERGs serve an important community development and corporate
social responsibility function by linking employees to their communities through donations and volunteerism.

Findings
The vast majority of participating members—83 percent—
had at least one employee resource group. Among members
with ERGs, women’s networks were by far the most preva-
lent. Other popular ERGs develop and support lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees and racially
or ethnically underrepresented groups. At nearly one-half of
responding members—45 percent—ERGs were open to all
employees. In addition, senior-leadership support was strong:
91 percent of organizations with ERGs reported that their
ERGs had organization-appointed senior-level champions
or sponsors.
More than three-quarters (77 percent) of organizations
Nearly all members with ERGs—94 percent—had
with ERGs for women said that their women’s network had
an ERG for women. Fifty percent of these members said
a formally stated business case linking the group to the orga-
that the women’s ERG’s primary focus was to provide op-
nization’s strategy or performance. Moreover, 88 percent of
portunities for leadership development and/or management
respondents with women’s ERGs said that these groups were
experience. Members headquartered in Japan or Canada were
extremely important or very important to their organization’s
more likely than members headquartered in Europe or the
strategy to increase gender diversity.
United States to say that the primary purpose of their women’s
More than a quarter—27 percent—of responding members
ERG was to provide social support to address women’s profes-
said that their total annual organizational budget for all em-
sional challenges.
ployee resource groups exceeded $250,000. Organizations with
higher revenues, as well as Catalyst Award-winning members,
tended to have higher annual budgets for their ERGs.

14 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008


Of responding members who allocate a portion of
their organizational budget to ERGs, 29 percent of respondents
said that 11 to 25 percent of their total ERG budget went to
women’s ERGs.
Respondents to the survey expressed the belief that ERGs
can be especially powerful when it comes to advancing women
within organizations. In particular, they said ERGs would
best serve women by emphasizing leadership development
opportunities. While there is value in providing social support
to women to help them address their professional challenges,
responding members said that ERGs should make developing
women leaders their top priority.
Less than $10,000
$10,000-$24,999
$25,000-$49,999
$50,000-$99,999
$100,000-$149,999
$150,000-$199,999
$200,000-$249,999
$250,000 or more
Despite the feeling that networks should be used in this
way, only 19 percent of those that track network activities—31
respondents—actually measured or linked women’s network
leadership with promotion and/or retention statistics. If women’s
ERGs are most valuable in this respect, organizations must mea-
sure and provide more explicit links between network leadership
and participation, and metrics relating to advancement, reten-
tion, performance, and accountability. PDJ
The lead sponsor for this report was McDonald’s Corporation. The contributing
sponsor was HSBC Holdings plc.
Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership
organization working globally with businesses and the professions
to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women
and business. Visit Research & Knowledge at www.catalyst.org to
download free copies of this and other Catalyst reports. While there,
visit the Catalyst E-News sign-up page found under Newsroom to
begin receiving our monthly email updates.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l November/December 2008 15
 from my perspective…
Why Diversity Matters
By Linda Jimenez
Staff Vice President – Workforce Diversity
WellPoint, Inc.
T
The state of diversity
is good, bad and perplex-
ing. On the bright side,
diversity and inclusion
are part of the everyday
language in most work-
places and initiatives to make workplaces more inclusive,
inviting, and equitable are having a positive impact. The bad
news, however, is that even where there are solid diversity
strategies in place, there are still pockets of discrimination
and harassment, recruitment remains a difficult challenge,
and intolerance is still raising its ugly head in some instances
of individual behavior.
Most perplexing of all is that in the face of powerful
statistical evidence about demographic changes in the work-
force and marketplace, many people still ask the question:
Why is diversity so important? Why spend resources, time
and energy on diversity, when other business needs seem
more compelling?”
Diversity is a measure of the demographic complexity
in a particular environment, and the harmony between differ-
ent groups. But our idea of diversity goes one step further: we
make an assumption that the relationships between diverse
groups are characterized by peaceful coexistence—that is,
not subject to open hostility, aggression, or the expectation
of violence.
Toward that end, companies have worked to recruit and
retain greater numbers of women, persons of color, and in-
dividuals of diverse sexual orientations and gender identity.
These efforts have been motivated by a range of objectives—
from a compliance perspective to a desire to have workforces
that reflect customer bases, to strongly felt moral imperatives
of fairness and equity.
I believe the three most important reasons diversity
matters include:
Gaining access to a changing marketplace. Today’s
domestic marketplace is being transformed by powerful
demographic forces.
16 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008
Maximizing and leveraging the impact of your
human capital. The same diversity in the marketplace affects
the pool of potential employees. It is clear that the workforce
will continue to have more women, people of color, and im-
migrants each year. In addition, employees of all groups are
expecting more from organizations: from hostile-free, non-
discriminatory workplaces to flexible schedules and benefits,
child care and family-friendly policies.
When employees feel valued and respected, when there
is a fair, open promotional system, and when resources are
spent on developing employees, they stay. What’s more, they
often tell others why their company is a great place to work.
Inclusion is the key. Increasing diversity is important,
but we must be clear about what it does not do. Greater rep-
resentation does not guarantee that members of previously
excluded groups will enjoy engagement in the important
work of the business or increased learning opportunities, or
stronger contributions to the bottom line.
Exclusion and lack of support work to undermine per-
formance in a variety of ways. High turnover rates result in
people leaving the business before they can really learn it.
“Glass ceilings” block access to positions of responsibility at
the leading edge. And the related phenomenon of “stacking,”
where minorities and women are greatly over-represented in
non-strategic areas of the business, hurts diversity efforts.
Inclusion is a critical answer to the question of why diver-
sity matters. Having a strategic management strategy ground-
ed in inclusion is the essential answer to why diversity should
be an imperative for any organization.
The only certainty ahead is continued change. Respond-
ing to varied perspectives and preferences keeps an organiza-
tion flexible and creative. Change is fraught with difficulty,
demanding creative, serious, and continuous management by
skilled leaders who understand the importance of inclusion to
organizational productivity. PDJ
Linda Jimenez is a native of San Antonio, Texas, and attended
the University of Texas at Austin where she received her BA
with honors. She is also a graduate of the University of Texas
School of Law and has spent 20 years specializing in labor
and employment law.
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Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l November/December 2008 17
Ú  H A L L M A R KC A RD SI NC 
 viewpoint
The Diversity Dialogue
After the Presidential Election
By Melanie Harrington
B
President
American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc.
By the time you read this
article, the nation will have
elected the 44th president of
the United States. It will be
an historic election, and there
will be many who will rush
to examine every aspect of the entire campaign season.
There have been presidential elections where race and civil
rights were major themes, but not the broader more expansive
view of diversity that institutions have adopted around the
globe. Some believe that our continued preoccupation about
our differences will divide and weaken the country. Others feel
that the national dialogue on diversity is long overdue.
I believe that this election has exposed the nation’s diversity
challenges. We tend to overly simplify diversity by lumping
people into a very small set of diversity buckets: for race, gen-
der, ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. Malcolm Gladwell in his
book, Blink, The Power of Thinking Without Thinking, stated
that decisions and judgments are made through “thin-slicing,”
using limited information to come to conclusions. As people
are less willing to be defined by those few buckets, we risk
reaching dangerously inaccurate conclusions because of a lazy
reliance on thin-slicing.
Additionally, resolving the global economic crisis will
require innovations and the skillful collaboration of leaders
around the world. The diversity issues that will confront us
will grow more complex and require more sophisticated and
mature diversity management approaches.
The call to action for diversity practitioners is to help indi-
viduals and organizations develop the capability to generate
the diversity collisions 1 and broad spectrum vision.2 This will
require a more sophisticated diversity management maturity
and capability. According to diversity expert and AIMD
founder Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr., diversity maturity
requires that you acknowledge being diversity challenged, rec-
ognize the costs of being diversity challenged, accept diversity
management responsibility, and demonstrate contextual knowl-
edge—that is, you are clear about your personal priorities, your
organization’s priorities or your community’s priorities. 3
Diversity maturity requires us to act on the basis of require-
ments, not preferences, conveniences, or traditions; challenge
conventional wisdom; engage in continuous learning; and be-
come comfortable with the dynamics of diversity.
18 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008
Diversity practitioners must prepare the public for the
diversity conversations that should occur the day after the
most historic presidential election in modern times. As I pre-
pare myself and the AIMD team to meet these new challenges,
I thought I would share excerpts from our preparation plan.
Envision the future. I am a fan of futurists and their abil-
ity to project trends. The future perspective helps me to iden-
tify information and solutions gaps and informs my decisions
on where to focus our resources.
Prepare for the future. I spend a great deal of time finding
great minds and practitioners in the diversity field. Many orga-
nizations limit their search for new ideas to the practices used
at competing organizations. I look for new ideas from different
professions, researchers, and emerging experts. These include:
• Dr. Elizabeth Mannix at Cornell University;
• Dr. Scott Page, author of The Difference: How the Power of
Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies;
• Dr. David Kravitz at George Mason University and his
work to bridge the gap between academic research in
diversity and diversity practice;
• Dr. Quinetta Roberson at Villanova University and her
work on organizational behavior and justice;
• Dr. Laura Morgan Roberts’ work at Harvard School of
Business on the social construction of identity in
organizational contexts;
• Diversity Collegium, a network of North American
diversity experts.
As we develop our diversity maturity, we become more
acutely aware of other diversity dimensions, but unresolved
issues around race, gender and religion cannot be forgotten.
As this presidential race has revealed, there is much progress
that has been made but more work to be done. PDJ
1 Joel Barker, Innovation at the Verge. (lecture).
2 Frans Johansson, (2006) The Medici Effect. Harvard Business School Press.
3 Thomas Jr., R. Roosevelt, (2005) Building on the Promise of Diversity:
How We Can Move to the Next Level in Our Workplaces, Our Communities,
and Our Society. AMACOM.
Melanie Harrington is president of the American Institute for
Managing Diversity, Inc., a 501(c)(3) public interest organization
dedicated to advancing diversity thought leadership through research,
education, and public outreach. AIMD works to strengthen our com-
munities and institutions through effective diversity management. For
more information, please visit www.aimd.org.
 Supplier diversity isn’t just good
for business. It’s good for people.
The men and women of Lockheed Martin are involved in some of the most important projects in the U.S.
and around the world. We support our customers in their efforts to improve communities. Save lives. And
protect freedom. Though naturally diverse, our team shares one common thread: we are all linked to the same
enterprise. Our differences make us stronger because we can draw on the widest possible range of unique
perspectives. Resulting in innovative solutions to complex challenges. Lockheed Martin. One company.
One team. Where diversity contributes to mission success.

www.lockheedmartin.com
© 2008 Lockheed Martin Corporation

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l November/December 2008 19

 my turn
What Keeps Diversity
Professionals Up at Night?
By Shirley A. Davis, PhD
I
Director of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Society for Human Resource Management
In this installment
of the series, “What Keeps
Diversity Professionals up
at Night?”, I will discuss
three more challenges: glo-
balization; immigration; and
religion, spirituality, and faith. These challenges have significant
correlation to each other and overlapping implications.
Globalization
Globalization is becoming synonymous with organizational
competitiveness and sustainability. It is changing how businesses
operate. Global GDP is shifting as the growth rates of economies
in Asia (excluding Japan) outpace GDP growth everywhere else
in the world.
In 2006, the United States was by far the world’s largest
economy with a GDP of $13 trillion; Japan was a distant second
at $4 trillion. By 2050, China will be the largest ($45 trillion),
followed by the U.S. ($35 trillion), with India a close third
($27 trillion). India is predicted to become the world’s largest
English-speaking country by 2010.
English is the language of business.1 English-speaking
companies can more easily set up and run global supply chains
(which is occurring). However, success in a globalized world
depends on speaking more languages than one. Few Americans
speak a second language, and Americans under-appreciate what a
competitive disadvantage this is. Rather than feeling threatened
by the prospect of a diminished portion of the global economic
pie, America will be better served by seeing the gains to be had
by embracing globalization. The United States can—if it lever-
ages its still-strong position—have a large piece of a much larger
global pie. Globalization for the U.S., as for other nations, is
good news.
These macroeconomic shifts have numerous business rami-
fications. The number of middle-class consumers is ballooning
rapidly, raising incomes in emerging economies. Between 2000
and 2030, per-capita income in developing countries is projected
to double.
As business opportunities arise from new demand, companies
are increasingly taking their operations global. They are selling
into global markets, setting up shop in different countries, and
sourcing products and labor from low-cost nations.
20 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008
(part 4)
Additionally, workplaces are changing as a result of global-
ization. SHRM research released earlier this year identified ten
global trends that are expected to have a major impact on the
workplace of the future:
1. Desire of companies to expand into the
global market.
2. Economic growth of Asia.
3. Continued acceleration of global change.
4. Stricter cross-border policies for global
business settings.
5. Cross-cultural understanding/savvy in
business settings.
6. Growing economic interdependence among the
world’s countries.
7. Increased off-shoring.
8. Heightened awareness of cultural differences.
9. Pressure for development of global labor standards.
10. Increased security for expatriates abroad.
Talent acquisition is becoming more global. Finding talent is
seen by business executives as their most important management
challenge over the next five years. And as HR managers and
Diversity professionals work to find talent, emerging markets are
increasingly providing access to large, skilled talent pools.
Additionally, businesses’ priorities are changing as corporate
social responsibility (CSR) becomes more relevant. At least 80
percent of companies in the United States, Australia, India,
China, Canada, Mexico, and Brazil have CSR-related practices.
As companies pursue modifying their workplaces in response to
global trends, diversity management will become an increasingly
critical business imperative.
And not just a business imperative, but one with a new set of
required competencies. According to more than 100 global diver-
sity thought leaders and practitioners, there are too few globally
competent leaders that can help organizations adapt to changing
demographics, a global marketplace, talent shortages, and having
four generations in the workplace. The best global leaders are
adaptable, fluent in the language and culture of local environ-
ments, understand how to integrate D&I into business strategies,
and possess excellent communication skills. Diversity workers
must cultivate these competencies through training, language
immersion, and foreign assignments.
 “ Globalization; immigration; and religion, spirituality,
and faith. These challenges have significant correlation
to each other and overlapping implications.
Achieving successful results amid these new global business reali-
ties will require unprecedented levels of interaction between people
of diverse cultures, religions, histories, and perspectives. Diversity
practitioners must understand the trends that are reshaping business
and learn to manage diversity and inclusion issues for the benefit of
the organization and its people.
Immigration
One of the challenges that immigration presents is a new, multi-
lingual work environment. While English remains the official
global language for business, 80 percent of respondents to a 2007
survey 2 said they employ English-deficient employees. Foreign-born
Americans comprise more than 12 percent of the population (the
highest percentage since WWI), and roughly 15 percent of the labor
force. Assuming current immigration levels continue, immigrants
will account for about half of the growth in America’s working
age population by 2015 and will account for most of the growth
through 2025. But nearly half of all non-English-speaking immi-
grants to the United States self-report that they are unable to speak
English well.
In 2006, we saw a record number of proposals introduced in
the United States, trying to help employers comply with the federal
Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). Of the 570
proposals, 84 were enacted. Of that group, the largest single
issue was hiring.
According to a SHRM Workplace Forecast report that was re-
leased this summer, HR professionals reported that they are focused
on several aspects of immigration legislation. The first is related to
worries about skills shortages and involves immigration laws that
affect high-skilled workers. The second is the development of any
legislation that prosecutes employers for hiring illegal or undocu-
mented workers. Giving HR professionals the tools they need to
ensure that they do not hire illegal workers is therefore critically
important, especially as states and cities develop their own immigra-
tion laws.
As HR and Diversity professionals, we must pay attention to the
changing political landscape and ensure that we plan accordingly for
our organizations. So stay tuned; there is still much legislation com-
ing to address this issue.
1 Dr. Fareed Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International and host of CNN’s new show, GPS,
in a speech given at the 2008 SHRM Leadership Summit on Diversity and Inclusion.
2 The Survey of Targeted Skills Training within the Firm (The Conference Board, 2007).
”
Religion, Spirituality, and Faith
Conversations about religion, spirituality, and faith are increasing in
the workplace. These cover a wide range of topics—from holidays,
food, and prayer, to complaints and conflicts among employees,
and affinity group organizations. Many companies with employee
network groups have groups focused on individual religions or on
religion and faith generally. Because of increased dialogue about
faith by our nation’s highest leaders, demographic shifts, terrorism
by religious extremists, and church-state conflicts in the courts,
this issue has taken on greater importance about where it fits in
our workplaces.
Immigration will likely further expand workforce religious and
faith diversity. Today, most immigrants come from Latin America,
the Caribbean, and Asia. The trend from Europe is primarily Eastern
Europe and Russia. The impact of these trends on religion in the
workplace can be seen by considering the primary religions or faiths
in each region.
According to the 2008 World Book of Facts, Islam is the religion
of 21 percent of the world’s population, topped only by Christianity
at 33 percent, and Hinduism is the world’s third most common reli-
gion. Yet most Americans know little about Islam and Hinduism—
and most U.S.-based businesses are unaccustomed to accommodat-
ing the customs of Muslim and Hindu employees.
With an increase of religious and faith diversity, we’ve also seen
an increase in complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC). Complaints based in part on religion in-
creased from 2.1 percent in 2001 to 3.4 percent in 2005. Moreover,
religious accommodation requests are on the rise.
Summary
Of course, all of these are the same issues that are keeping your
CEOs up at night as well. I hope that this article has provided some
additional food for thought that will help you implement solutions
that will add value in your organizations. Perhaps that will allow you
to sleep well and also ease the insomnia of your CEO.
In the next issue, I will address the ninth challenge
that keeps Diversity and HR professionals up at night: rising
health care costs. PDJ
Shirley A. Davis, PhD, is Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Initiatives for the Society for Human Resource Management in
Alexandria, Virginia. She can be reached at sadavis@shrm.org.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l November/December 2008 21
 diversity
HR Executives as

champions
In January 2007, SHRM, in conjunction with the American Institute

for Managing Diversity Inc. (AIMD), asked HR professionals and

diversity practitioners about diversity management practices in their

organizations and their perceptions of the field. The research results

were published in the 2007 State of Workplace Diversity Management

Report. It contains the thoughts and perceptions of SHRM members,

nonmember practitioners, diversity experts, and many others. In all,

more than 1,400 people were surveyed for the study.

aflac

cdw
burger king
booz allen
hartford
axa
avis

22 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

Over the years, much of the responsibil-
ity for diversity has fallen to human resources
executives. Diversity practitioners and HR
professionals who took part in the SHRM/
AIMD study agreed there are several significant
strengths in the field of diversity, such as greater
visibility, an emphasis on strategic benefits, and
an increase in the amount of information and
expertise available. But they also report the field
is, unsurprisingly, filled with challenges.
Long gone is the notion that the job of HR
is to simply fill seats. Today, the job is to place
the right person in the right seat, help them
become as productive as possible, tailor a role
that matches their strengths, lead the team
Diversity
Champions
MGM Mirage
prudential
sodexo
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
toward business success, and help build a
diverse network of people who want to connect
with each other.
We thought it was about time to meet some
of these HR executives, whom we recognize as
the often unsung, first champions of diversity.
In the pages that follow, representatives from
13 companies share their experiences with us
through answers to questions we put before
them. We think their stories are instructive, in-
formative, sometimes entertaining, and usually
thought-provoking. If you work for one of these
proud organizations, go ahead and hug your
HR executive. We give you permission. They’re
doing a great job as Diversity Champions.
terex
wellpoint
wake
county
November/December 2008 23
HR Executives as diversitychampions
Eric Seldon
Vice President, Support Services
Aflac, Inc.

Concerning diversity and inclusion (D&I), what challenges have you had to
overcome during the last 10 years?
Aflac has continued to be a leader in diversity within the workforce. The company
has been repeatedly recognized as a corporation providing some of the best career
opportunities for minorities.
Now, with the continued help of HR, we are seeking to expand that success into
the supplier diversity realm. While we have started to become recognized for
our supplier diversity efforts over the past few years, we continue to seek ways
to implement easy and efficient processes and procedures for certified minority-
owned businesses to become suppliers with Aflac.
We also continue to seek the best ways to educate and encourage small
companies to become certified suppliers. We are committed to identifying smaller
companies to help mentor and challenge them to meet certification requirements.
Our goal is to help minority-owned companies obtain a great level of success
in which they can apply for business opportunities not only with Aflac, but
other Fortune 500 companies that seek the services they offer.

What have been your most significant D&I successes or achievements during the
Aflac, Inc. last 10 years?
Aflac’s HR department has successfully implemented diversity and inclusion
Headquarters:
Columbus, Georgia within the workplace as a part of the company’s overall corporate culture, which
Web site: extends to supplier diversity. Over the last ten years we have sponsored business
www.aflac.com
Primary Business: Voluntary benefits development educational opportunities and mentoring programs, provided finan-
sold at the worksite. cial support to attend networking events, and provided corporate sponsorships
Employees: 5,000 corporate
headquarters employees and 70,000
for agency events promoting supplier diversity. Our programs are dedicated to
independent field force agents. encouraging, educating, and enriching these growing operations to help them
achieve a great level of success.
Today, more corporations recognize that diversity can have a positive impact
on a company’s bottom line. Companies will not only be required to have a
diverse workforce, but also corporate initiatives like supplier diversity, to better
reflect the communities in which we do business.
Aflac understands that providing opportunities to diverse suppliers is impor-
tant to the growth and success of its business. Last year alone Aflac spent over
$30 million with diverse suppliers. We continue to look for opportunities in
which we can do business and support these growing companies.

24 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

 HR Executives as diversitychampions
Mark Servodidio
Executive Vice President and
Chief Human Resource Officer
Concerning diversity and inclusion (D&I), what challenges have you had to
Avis Budget Group
overcome during the last 10 years?
Our biggest challenge has been to maintain consistent initiatives to address diver-
sity and inclusion across the company in an ever-changing corporate structure.
Avis Budget Group has undergone multiple ownership and structural changes
since 1998, including the acquisition of Budget Rent-A-Car in 2002 and our
establishment as a stand-alone company in 2006 from former corporate parent
Cendant Corporation.
As a result, Avis Budget Group has faced the challenges both of integrating
its D&I programs into new parent companies, and having to integrate new em-
ployee populations into these programs. Earlier this year, the company’s board
of directors encouraged management to place an even higher level of priority on
the actions we are taking to support all diversity efforts. We want to ensure we
are recruiting the most talented individuals, sustaining employee satisfaction, and
reflecting the customers we serve.
Another challenge over the years has been in complying with evolving
airport leaseholder and supplier diversity requirements. In addition to partnering
with disadvantaged-, minority- and women-owned business enterprises, we also
attend trade fairs and market directly to those organizations to develop mutually
beneficial business relationships.
What will be the biggest diversity and inclusion (D&I) challenge you and/or your
peers will have to face in the future?
Greater emphasis will be placed on companies to find resources to support all Avis Budget Group
diversity audiences, including evolving ethnic minority groups, and changes in Headquarters:
workplace demographics. Understanding and supporting evolving societal norms Parsippany, New Jersey
relating to gender identity will continue to be a challenge. Web site:
www.avisbudgetgroup.com
It is critical that we as human resource leaders adapt those changes to current
Primary Business: Car rental
policies, guidelines and training, as well as find additional ways to support those
Employees: 30,000
groups of individuals. The corporate culture is constantly shifting, and under-
standing how we have to shift along with those changes is critical.
What have been your most significant D&I successes or achievements during the
last 10 years?
Our supplier diversity program continues to be a strong and integral part of
our diversity efforts. We have been recognized by several national organizations
including AARP, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the
Women’s President’s Education Organization, DiversityBusiness magazine, and
MBN Magazine.
In February 2008, the company formed our Diversity Steering committee to
provide further support towards creating a culture that respects all individuals in
the communities in which we live, work, and serve our customers. The initiative
has received undying support from our board of directors and our executive lead-
ers. We recently signed on with the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to par-
ticipate in the UNCF Corporate Scholars Program, where we will provide intern-
ships to students attending historically black colleges and universities. In addition
to our partnership with UNCF, we support the Tom Joyner Foundation, After
School All Stars, the Achilles Track Club, and various gay and lesbian events.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l November/December 2008 25
HR Executives as diversitychampions
Jennifer L. Blevins
Executive Vice President
and Director of Human Resources
AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company

What have been your most significant diversity and inclusion (D&I) successes or
achievements during the last 10 years?
Demonstrating to our employees that the company is committed to a diverse and
inclusive culture, and that it comes from the top.
AXA Equitable’s CEO, Christopher “Kip” Condron, has been very vocal about
how he sees diversity and inclusion (D&I) as business critical, and he’s active in
fostering an inclusive culture. At his direction, in 2005, the company created a
Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council (DIAC).
The DIAC comprises 15 individuals from across the company. It meets quar-
terly with the CEO and Executive Management Committee (EMC) members.
DIAC’s role is to advise and support senior management in driving business
excellence through D&I, serving as the voice of employees.
The diversity and inclusion office and DIAC facilitate an employee-driven
culture of inclusion through networking events and initiatives that bring a
heightened sense of engagement, awareness, and acceptance of people from all
backgrounds. These activities provide a forum for employees to interact with
their peers, share their backgrounds and build relationships with people who are
different from them.
AXA Equitable Life The diversity and inclusion office created a D&I education program for
Insurance Company
company officers and manager-level employees. The program promotes an under-
Headquarters: standing of why D&I is a compelling business issue, provides an opportunity to
New York City
deepen individual understanding of D&I and its link to leadership effectiveness,
Web site: www.axa-equitable.com
and explores steps leaders can take to leverage D&I as a competitive advantage
Primary Business: Financial services
– financial protection and wealth in their areas of responsibility. Every EMC member and the majority of officers
management. have completed this program.
Employees: AXA Equitable has over
11,000 employees and sales personnel How important has D&I become to your company’s business goals over the last
throughout the United States and 10 years?
Puerto Rico.
For AXA Equitable, D&I is business critical. The greatest percentage of growth in
income over the next 20 to 30 years is going to come from non-white households.
Our goal is to build an organization and local branches that are reflective of the
communities we serve, and to provide excellence in each and every client experi-
ence, taking into account changing demographics, while leveraging the talents of
all of our people through a culture of inclusion.
We have an enterprise-wide initiative called Ambition 2012, a global goal
set by Henri de Castries, CEO of AXA Group, to be the preferred company in
the industry for our customers, shareholders, and employees. There are tangible
measures around this, but it will also be measured on how the company arrived
there—through employee engagement and customer centricity.
Embracing and engaging professionals and customers of all backgrounds is not
just the right thing to do; it is essential to maintaining our competitive position in
an increasingly diverse marketplace, and to remaining a preferred company where
talented people build a career.

26 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

 HR Executives as diversitychampions
Betty Thompson
Vice President,
People Services
Booz Allen Hamilton

What will be the biggest diversity and inclusion (D&I) challenge you and/or your
peers will have to face in the future?
If we only measure diversity the way we do today—using traditionally accept-
able categories such as ethnicity and gender—we will not fully leverage, focus
on, or value diversity of culture, physical ability, perspective, thinking style, etc.
As a result, we face the challenge of establishing new means of tracking progress,
identifying gaps and opportunities, and developing effective strategies to address
emerging dimensions of diversity.
In addition, changes in the way we work—social networking, remote delivery,
non-traditional schedules—require us to think about how our way of working
can impact the value of diversity, and develop strategies to maximize the benefits
and overcome challenges. Although companies have seen progress using estab-
lished measures within traditional work environments, we must avoid compla-
cency when there is more work to be done.
What have been your most effective diversity training strategies?
Diversity training has always been central to our efforts to increase diversity
awareness at Booz Allen. In addition to our traditional classroom and virtual
training modules, we have a new take on mentoring.
Our Mentoring Circles Program—in which senior leaders from across the
business come together to learn from one another—creates a safe space for lead- Booz Allen Hamilton
ers to confront day-to-day diversity issues, along with hypothetical situations that
Headquarters:
force them to carefully consider how they would respond to specific diversity- McLean, Virginia
related challenges. Web site:
Since its inception, the program has become more than a think tank of leaders www.boozallen.com
Primary Business: Strategy and
speculating about what they might do in a given situation. Rather, it’s become an technology consulting.
arena to foster widespread understanding, empathy, and true diversity champion- Employees: 20,000
ship. The program has been so successful that we are rolling it down through all
levels and across all teams, creating a model that can be replicated in any office
and across any team.
What have been your most significant D&I successes or achievements during the
last 10 years?
At Booz Allen, we celebrated a major milestone when we successfully embedded
diversity as a core value. We’ve worked hard to weave diversity into everything we
do, and we hold our staff accountable for having the ability to embrace diversity
and value differences, as well as the ability to foster a diverse environment.
Our programs have been quite successful in raising our staff ’s overall diversity
awareness across levels, regions, and business units. Our board diversity initiative
(BDI), a manager led and supported business approach to diversity, has proven
very successful at helping us raise the bar.
Our last People Survey indicated that our programs have helped increase the
firm’s diversity awareness to an all-time high of 91 percent across our employees.
That’s up 21 percent in just two years.

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l November/December 2008 27

HR Executives as diversitychampions
Pete Smith
Chief Human Resources Officer
Burger King Corporation

What have been your most significant D&I (diversity & inclusion) successes or
achievements during the last 10 years?
Burger King Corp. has successfully undergone a major turnaround within the last
five years. Our U.S. restaurant business was the priority “patient on the operating
table” during our turnaround. We realized that beginning our diversity and in-
clusion journey would help make Burger King an employer of choice and a truly
wonderful place to work.
At the beginning of our turnaround initiative, we had to first understand
and identify where we were on our diversity and inclusion journey. We engaged
a consulting firm to conduct a survey of our corporate employees. The survey
garnered a 90 percent response rate and provided us with very clear direction on
what we needed to do.
Our next step was to get our top-level executives involved. They participated
in an in-depth, off-site session for a day and a half. We discussed our employees’
feedback and our executives recommended areas of inclusion that they wanted to
focus on and ultimately stand for as an organization. From that, we established
four Inclusion pillars: Workforce, Guests, Operators and the Community.
Executive team members are responsible for pillars. Additionally, a team is
assigned to work with the executive leadership on each pillar. We are now in our
burger king CORPORATION second year of designing objectives and work streams against our Inclusion pillars.
Performance against these pillars are linked to compensation.
Headquarters:
Miami, Florida
How do you measure the results of your inclusion initiatives?
Web site:
www.bk.com Our CEO and executive team understand and are passionate about the Inclusion
Primary Business: Fast food journey we’ve embraced. HR is responsible for updating the pillars and measuring
hamburger restaurants performance objectives against them.
Employees: 1600 corporate & When our employees develop and perform against the metrics set in their
field employees worldwide
(above restaurant level). objectives, compensation is tied to their results. All officers and directors are
In the U.S., there are approximately required to set inclusion objectives relevant to their function; employees are
1100 corporate employees
(above restaurant level).
encouraged to develop performance objectives around their community outreach,
hiring practices, and supplier management.
Concerning diversity and inclusion, how has your HR role changed during the
last 10 years?
I have worked in an international environment for most of my career. Generally,
there are no regulations in place to help drive diversity and inclusion in the work-
place. In most environments outside the United States, people often wonder why
we need to be concerned about diversity or inclusion.
We have embraced inclusion not only for business reasons, but because our
management genuinely cares about people. We believe that the word “inclusion”
defines our customers and employees, both in the United States and internation-
ally. For example, we are very focused on recruiting more female executive leaders
globally. Our Inclusion journey is borderless and impacts everyone we touch.

28 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

 PepsiCo Celebrates the Life of Edward F. Boyd
1914 – 2007

Edward F. Boyd helped place Pepsi in the hearts and hands of

many Americans. And in doing so, he became an innovative leader
and true pioneer in marketing.

It’s been 60 years since Ed was hired to form the very first team
of African-American marketers, opening up African-American
communities across the nation. He defined target marketing — the
way many businesses today meet consumer needs with products
and services.

Brave, distinguished and endearing, Ed Boyd helped move

America and business to greater racial equality. Today, his spirit
still inspires us.

To learn more about Ed Boyd and all his accomplishments,

read The Real Pepsi Challenge by Stephanie Capparell or visit
careerjournal.com, go to the left column under Article Search and
type in: Ed Boyd.
HR Executives as diversitychampions
Melissa Donaldson
Senior Manager, Inclusion Practices What will be the biggest diversity and inclusion (D&I) challenge you and/or your
peers will have to face in the future?
CDW Corporation The most important thing we can do to secure the future success of the
company is to develop a solid pipeline of diversity champions that inspire
coworker engagement.
Developing this leadership pipeline is a major challenge, not only for our
organization, but for business in general. Recent studies have shown that
customer loyalty is a byproduct of coworker engagement. Emerging leaders
will need to be savvier about how to inspire, encourage, and lead a truly diverse
global workforce.
Those same leaders must be capable of also setting strategy for obtaining
talent from a much wider talent pool, talent they may not be comfortable or
familiar with. To strategically set these expectations and groom our future leaders
we need to:
• support the continued education of all HR leaders to help them sharpen
their skills for cross-cultural competence;
• ensure they understand the ins and outs of inclusive selection;
• teach them how to provide feedback, especially when difference is present;
and
• align coworker engagement with global customer expectations.
As we look to the future, the business world will depend on leaders who can
stave off competitive threats by increasing customer and coworker loyalty. The
time to train those future leaders is now.
CDW Corporation How do you help connect coworkers with one another who share similar or
different interests and goals?
Headquarters:
Vernon Hills, Illinois We have implemented the common diversity best practice of utilizing co-
Web site: worker resource networks as strategic business resources. Our networks, called
www.cdw.com
Connections Nodes, are designed not only to connect coworkers with like
Primary Business: Provider of
technology solutions for business,
interests, challenges, and perspectives, but also to establish a greater connection
government and education. between coworkers and the business overall.
Coworkers: 6,900 Unlike many companies who are planning for the Baby Boomer exodus, our
organization is heavily populated with sharp and talented Generation Xs and Ys
who value relationships and contribution. We offer the connections nodes as a
resource to assist them with building a support network, professional develop-
ment, expanding their contribution to the success of the business, and as a means
to give back to causes greater than themselves.
Concerning diversity and inclusion, how do you define or measure success?
We operate under the belief that if you get the feel of the organization right,
the look will follow. Therefore, while we most certainly invest in and track the
demographic makeup of the organization at all levels, we also focus on coworker
engagement and fostering an inclusive environment where all coworkers can
excel. To that end, we monitor the impact of career mobility systems, such as
mentoring, performance management, and promotions. Through our efforts, we
have seen engagement and retention both increase, which resulted in cost savings
at the bottom line and increased coworker satisfaction.

Melissa Donaldson speaks during the company’s first CDW-HACE Latino Recruitment
Series—a career fair co-hosted by the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement.

30 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

 HR Executives as diversitychampions
Peggy Anson
Vice President, Workforce
Engagement and Inclusion
The Hartford Financial
What will be the biggest diversity and inclusion (D&I) challenge you and/or your
Services Group, Inc.
peers will have to face in the future?
The Hartford recognizes the importance of diversity and inclusion (D&I) as a
means of generating different points of view and fueling the creation of innovative
solutions that secure a successful future.
Chairman and CEO Ramani Ayer has communicated his vision of the value
of a diverse workforce. Although D&I is a core value at The Hartford, it is inter-
preted in various ways across the enterprise. This ‘diversity of definition’ creates a
potential risk that our efforts will become diluted.
The Hartford is proud of the diversity of its businesses, with more than 40
business units in the company; however, this dispersion of businesses reinforces
more of a vertical, siloed view of diversity and inclusion, as opposed to an enter-
prise-wide view, which would leverage best practices across the organization.
Concerning diversity and inclusion, how has your HR role changed during the
last 10 years?
The Hartford has grown tremendously over the last ten years, and now has opera-
tions in Canada, Brazil, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Japan, in addition to
a strong domestic presence across the United States. The Hartford’s employees
bring a diversity of background, experience, and talent to the company.
To address this growth, the company recently introduced a new organization:
Workforce Engagement and Inclusion (WE&I). The three key focus areas of The Hartford Financial
WE&I include employee engagement, contemporary work practices, and build- Services Group, Inc.
ing out the employee brand.
Headquarters:
This work identifies the linkages between the business goals and objectives, Hartford, Connecticut
and D&I as a lever to business success. One current initiative, for example, iden- Web site:
tifies how contemporary work practices help transcend geographic limitations in www.thehartford.com
attracting top talent. The WE&I team partners with generalists, recruiters, talent Primary Business: Financial services.
management, compensation, employee relations, compliance and other key con- Employees: 31,000

stituents within HR, and business leaders to ensure that our business rationale for
D&I continues to be at the forefront of strategic business decisions.
In general, HR professionals at The Hartford have become more strategic and
consulting in their roles, sharing market competitive knowledge, facilitating orga-
nizational change, and identifying change readiness with even greater skill.
How do you help connect employees with one another who share similar or
different interests and goals?
A company such as The Hartford establishes its strong reputation by delivering
on its promises. Recognizing that the company is only as a strong as the employ-
ees which represent it, The Hartford encourages and supports its employees in
their networking and career development efforts.
The Hartford currently has five diversity networks, which are open to all em-
ployees. Each network has an executive sponsor who helps set direction and iden-
tifies resources for the network’s goals. The networks engage employees through
event sponsorship, having forums on topics of common interest and featuring
speakers of interest; and engage the community through mentorships, tutoring at
local schools, and inviting the community to events.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l November/December 2008 31
HR Executives as diversitychampions
Debra Nelson
Vice President of Diversity,
Communications and Community Affairs
MGM MIRAGE

Concerning diversity and inclusion (D&I), what challenges have you had to
overcome during the last 10 years?
The new paradigm for diversity must embrace everyone. Corporations must ap-
proach diversity with an inclusive philosophy. Diversity is acknowledging human
dignity, allowing people to give 100 percent of who they are and embracing their
differences including race, ethnicity, age, class, gender, sexuality, disabilities, reli-
gion, and spirituality.
Communicating and tying measurable outcomes to all diversity initiatives is
a constant mission. At our company, we are fortunate to have three strong pillars
in place to undergird our efforts:
1. Commitment
2. Complexity
3. Communications.
What have been your most effective diversity training strategies?
At MGM MIRAGE we strive to create a culture that inspires 100 percent involve-
ment from all of our employees. Through our “Diversity Champion” training, we
are creating high-performance teams and transforming the way we do business.
The training is a voluntary, three-day course that immerses participants in the
dynamics of transcending racial and cultural stereotyping in a culture of inclu-
MGM MIRAGE
sion. Personal responsibility, the passionate pursuit of excellence, and account-
Headquarters: ability are the touchstones of our workplace.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Diversity Champion training has created more than 6,000 ambassadors of
Web site:
www.mgmmirage.com diversity throughout our organization who personify the core values of our initia-
Primary Business: Hospitality tive: value others, be respectful, be inclusive, be understanding, be considerate, be first
Employees: 66,000 and best.
What have been your most significant D&I successes or achievements during the
last 10 years?
Addressing diversity as a cultural competence has allowed our company to achieve
success by:
• developing a greater understanding of diverse customer needs to better
serve diverse markets,
• gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace,
• attracting and retaining the best talent in the labor pool,
• effectively using the talent of diverse associates for increased productivity
by enhancing teamwork and reducing interpersonal conflicts,
• increasing employee satisfaction, morale and commitment to
organizational goals,
• enhancing communication.

Nelson (on right) with Patricia Norman, MGM MIRAGE Director of National Diversity
Relations, at the 2008 Annual Diversity Report.

32 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

 [ BANK OF THE WEST ]

WANT TO WORK FOR A

TRULY GREAT BANK?

AT BANK OF THE WEST, WE BELIEVE OUR CUSTOMERS ARE

WELL SERVED BY EMPLOYEES WHO ARE WELL SERVED.
Different perspectives generate fresh ideas. That’s why at Bank of the West, we value diversity and
equal opportunity for all our employees. Year after year, we continue to grow stronger thanks to our
unique blend of people. After all, in today’s competitive banking environment, it is our employees with
innovative ideas that keep us a step ahead of the rest.

www.bankofthewest.com

Bank of the West and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity/affirmative action employers. M/F/D/V © 2007 Bank of the West. Member FDIC.
HR Executives as diversitychampions
Ronald K. Andrews, SPHR
Vice President, Human Resources,
U.S. Businesses
Prudential Financial
Concerning diversity and inclusion (D&I), how has your HR role changed during
the last 10 years?
Ten years ago I was responsible for providing HR support to a group of asset
management businesses. Diversity had always been an important priority for the
company and my clients as well. I viewed my role as making sure we reached our
objectives in the right way.
At the time, I supported plenty of diversity programs that focused on building
awareness and creating sensitivity. In fact, I created a number of them to support
broader company efforts to increase diversity representation and create a culture
that would help sustain it.
Now, 10 years later, my role has changed dramatically. I now lead human re-
sources for all of Prudential’s U.S. businesses. My role as it relates to diversity has
likewise evolved in two important ways.
First, I spend less time trying to convince clients of the very clear business case
for diversity. More of my time is spent measuring results for which I hold leader-
ship accountable. Ten years has taught me that in business, good results are better
than good intentions.
To drive results in my own organization, I created an approach that measures
the net change in a variety of company diversity metrics over time. This reveals
the impact of leaders on key outcomes. It focuses accountability for results and
Prudential Financial facilitates the kind of pointed discussion between HR and leaders, and leaders and
their teams that produces traction and progress.
Headquarters:
Newark, New Jersey
Secondly, my personal mindset has evolved from being a supporter of making
Web site: progress to being a full partner with leaders in ownership for diversity outcomes.
www.prudential.com For me, this eliminates the option of settling for good faith efforts and instead
Primary Business: Financial services drives me to challenge businesses when results lag. And just as with other business
Employees: 20,000 in U.S. priorities, managing talent, of which diversity is a part, is a bottomline issue.

Ronald Andrews delivers

remarks at one of Prudential’s
2008 Black History Month events.

34 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

DIVERSITY... the one thing we all have in common

WWW.ROHMHAAS.COM

> SIMPLY STATED, DIVERSITY MEANS DIFFERENCES

At Rohm and Haas, we know that understanding, valuing and
leveraging diversity will result in a healthier, more enriched
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Leading the way since 1909, Rohm and Haas is a global pioneer in the creation and development of innovative
technologies and solutions for the specialty materials industry. The company’s technologies are found in a wide range
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world. Based in Philadelphia, PA, the company generated annual sales of approximately $8.9 billion in 2007.

Visit www.rohmhaas.com for more information.

imagine the possibilities™

HR Executives as diversitychampions
Peri Bridger
Senior Vice President &
Chief Human Resources Officer
Sodexo What will be the biggest diversity and inclusion (D&I) challenge you and/or your
peers will have to face in the future?
The battle for talent is a tremendous challenge. Our competitive advantage is our
people, and attracting and retaining the best talent to serve our clients is essential
to our success. That is why Sodexo has made recruiting diverse and highly skilled
talent a cornerstone of our diversity and inclusion initiative. In fact, 91 percent
of our candidate slates contain gender or ethnic diversity.
Our focus to become the employer of choice is driven by a recruiting
strategy which includes using multiple communications channels—including
social media—and new technologies to reach potential employees. This year
we will be launching a military sourcing team to identify and recruit former
military personnel.
Sodexo also depends on a variety of career fairs, a robust internship program,
and aggressive recruiting strategies at Historically Black Colleges and Universities,
Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Asian Serving Universities. In addition, we
have instituted a diversity-focused recruitment team to develop and manage rela-
tionships with diverse schools and associations.
What have been your most significant D&I successes or achievements during the
last 10 years?
Just over six years ago Sodexo launched its diversity and inclusion strategy and
embarked on a journey of organizational and cultural change. Not only have we
Sodexo successfully sustained that strategy, we have built on it by weaving diversity and
Headquarters: inclusion into all aspects of our approach to business. As an organization, we now
Gaithersburg, Maryland recognize and embrace our differences as our strongest competitive advantage.
Web site: And we hold ourselves accountable by measuring our progress through an innova-
www.sodexousa.com
tive scorecard that tracks both qualitative and quantitative results.
Primary Business: Food and
facilities management services
How do you help connect employees with one another who share similar or
Employees: 120,000
different interests and goals?
Employee Network Groups (ENGs) and mentoring are both strong catalysts at
Sodexo for ensuring a fully inclusive and open environment that provides oppor-
tunities for personal and professional development.
Our six ENGs, with more than 2,260 members, 48 regional chapters, and 8
local chapters across the country, have brought our culture of diversity and inclu-
sion to life. Members receive networking and learning opportunities and have
the possibility to acquire project management skills by organizing professional
development workshops and community involvement work. Officer and com-
mittee member responsibilities provide hands-on leadership development that
goes beyond regular job responsibilities.
Sodexo’s Spirit of Mentoring initiative demonstrates our commitment to de-
veloping employees and supports cross-functional communication, teamwork,
and learning. The initiative is designed to prepare employees, at all levels of the
organization, for future leadership roles. This initiative underscores the value
Sodexo places on the development, success, and retention of our talent.

Peri Bridger giving remarks at a Sodexo recognition event last March.

36 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

 Diversity &Inclusion
drives innovation and success
Kodak’s commitment to diversity and inclusion touches customers,
consumers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and more. While our
vision is global, we focus upon the distinctive cultures and communities
in which we live and work.

We champion diversity as a business imperative to help drive innovation.

Working together, we create technologies and services that unleash the
power of pictures and printing. Become part of our picture—and join us
on our journey to enrich people’s lives.

www.kodak.com/go/diversity

© Eastman Kodak Company, 2008

HR Executives as diversitychampions
Amy George
VP Talent Development, What will be the biggest diversity and inclusion (D&I) challenge you and/or your
peers will have to face in the future?
Diversity and Inclusion
I think the biggest challenges we will need to face are globalization and the
Terex Corporation need to demonstrate cultural competence. Our ability to grow depends on
our ability to be successful in developing markets around the world. We need
to be able to understand other cultures so that we can operate effectively in
other countries. This will require increased global business acumen, as well as
cultural competence.
It means that our current workforce must be willing to be open, non-
judgmental and adaptable. It means we must seek new talent that is mobile and
embodies these attributes, as well. It also means that we need to build strong
local talent, so that decisions are not made by people who are far removed from
marketplace realities.
What have been your most significant D&I successes or achievements during the
last 10 years?
I have been deeply involved with diversity and inclusion for roughly the past six
years. During that time, my most significant accomplishments have been help-
ing others understand the value of diversity and inclusion to themselves and the
organization. Personally, I find the greatest reward when I am able to facilitate a
personal “aha” moment, where an individual gains additional understanding and,
most importantly, changes his/her behavior.
Change like that doesn’t happen overnight and there are a myriad of ways
to help drive it. First and foremost, I found that I needed to increase my own
expertise in this area to become an effective change agent. That meant reading
Terex Corporation
extensively, talking to experts in the field, and exploring my own biases so that I
Headquarters: could come to others from a knowledgeable and aware place.
Westport, Connecticut
Web site: How have you personally changed as a result of being involved with D&I?
www.terex.com
Being involved in diversity and inclusion has taken me on a very personal
Primary Business: Diversified global
manufacturer of equipment used in the journey that has helped enrich me beyond the workplace. It has led me to
construction, infrastructure, quarrying, expand my thinking, enhanced my cultural awareness, and stimulated my
surface mining, shipping transportation,
refining and utility industries.
intellectual curiosity.
Employees: Approximately 21,000
It has caused me to explore my own diversity characteristics and better under-
stand the influences that have made me who I am today. Fundamentally, I think
and behave differently than I did 10 years ago. I am a more vocal proponent of
fairness, and I strive to be far less judgmental. I try to live by the tenets I teach:
assuming positive intent, seeing the world through others’ eyes, being open to
that with which you are unfamiliar and perhaps uncom-
fortable. I am conscious of being a positive role model to
my children, have grounded them in principles of respect
and have taught them that different is not necessarily bad
or good… just different.

Far Left: George with Terex Director of Diversity and Inclusion

Rueben Stokes, at the Sanhe facility in China, where Terex
manufactures mini-excavators.
Left: Speaking at the Terex Annual Leadership Conference in
Paris in January 2008.

38 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

Thanks to you,
Winona is as confident about her future as she is about
her past.

At WellPoint, you can be addressing tomorrow’s health care

issues, today. Significant issues, like being culturally sensitive
and meeting the health care needs of the Native American and
Alaska Native communities. WellPoint educates and enables
associates through comprehensive diversity training to create
solutions that improve health care and the quality of life for all
of the communities we serve. Working to better people’s lives
is not something you do every day. But it can be – at WellPoint.

Better health care, thanks to you.

Visit us online at wellpoint.com/careers and wellpoint.com/diversity
Contact us at diversityrecruiting@wellpoint.com
EOE ®Registered Trademark, WellPoint, Inc. ©2008 WellPoint, Inc. All Rights Reserved
®Registered Trademark, DiversityInc Media LLC
HR Executives as diversitychampions
Teresa Lynn Cunningham-Brown
Director of Recruitment and Retention
Wake County Public School System

What will be the biggest diversity and inclusion (D&I) challenge you and/or your
peers will have to face in the future?
Closing the achievement gap that exists between the academic performance of
minority students and their Caucasian peers is the greatest D&I challenge that
educators are addressing, both now and in the future.
Research suggests that one of the root causes of this gap is that minority stu-
dents perform better when they are taught by teachers of color. Unfortunately, the
diversity of educators in public schools is not reflective of their student popula-
tions. In fact, in the Wake County Public School System, 84 percent of the teach-
ers are white, while only 54 percent of the students are white. School superinten-
dents will need to demonstrate their commitment to closing the achievement gap
by implementing diversity recruitment plans strategically designed to target the
hiring of male and minority teachers.
What have been your most significant D&I successes or achievements during the
last 10 years?
Recently, I became the first educator in North Carolina to earn Cornell University’s
credentials and certification as a Cornell Certified Diversity Professional. Earning
this certification required a rigorous year-long program with extensive course-
work, a successful diversity-related work project, and passing an examination.
Wake County
I also developed the first comprehensive diversity recruitment plan in my
Public School System
district, which included creating a Teacher Education Diversity Roundtable with
Headquarters: district HR leaders and representatives from HBCUs. The goals of the roundtable
Cary, North Carolina
are to facilitate the hiring of minority teachers, to build stronger relationships
Web site:
www.wcpss.net with college career centers, and to encourage minority candidates to enter into
Primary Business: Education the education profession. We are now using the feedback from the roundtable to
Employees: 9250 Certified Staff enhance our diversity recruitment efforts.
(Teachers) Another significant accomplishment is securing a $2 million federal grant to
“Grow Our Own” teachers. As a member of a three-person grant-writing team,
I have been able to contribute to the design of the program that targets para-
professionals who wish to become teachers. The first cohort of 21 includes eight
minority teaching assistants who will be certified to teach in low-wealth schools
by June 2009.
Concerning diversity and inclusion, how has your HR role changed during the
last 10 years?
In the beginning, my responsibilities were geared toward recruiting, hiring, and
retaining teachers in critical needs areas such as math, science, and special educa-
tion. Very little concern or planning was devoted to our faculty’s demographics.
Capitalizing on my passion for diversity recruitment, my supervisors have
increasingly expanded their view of effective recruitment to include diversity
initiatives. Reaffirmed by a system-wide curriculum audit, recruitment efforts
are now targeting minority candidates, male candidates, and candidates who will
succeed with low wealth populations.

Cunningham-Brown as an HR team captain with the Juvenile Diabetes Research

Foundation (JDRF), where she has volunteered for several years.

40 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

 HR Executives as diversitychampions
Randy Brown
Executive Vice President and
Chief Human Resources Officer
Human Resources
Executive Management

What will be the biggest diversity and inclusion (D&I) challenge you and/or your WellPoint, Inc.
peers will have to face in the future?
Although we have made a lot of strides, not just at WellPoint, but in our com-
munities, we still have a lot to do. Our affiliated health plans work with numerous
business partners, and they will be doing more to reach out to an ethnically diverse
customer base, which represents a disproportionate number of the uninsured.
We also need to address disparities in health care. Many of the causes of dispar-
ity are related to understanding our cultural differences. WellPoint has developed
a toolkit available to providers to help them communicate with diverse patients.
We are also finding ways to retain the talent and knowledge of baby boomers
as they “age in” to retirement years. These associates bring significant knowledge
and understanding of WellPoint, and the industry in general. We have altered our
benefit packages to provide more flexibility for part time workers and medical
benefits, which are key concerns for this group of associates.
What have been your most significant D&I successes or achievements during the
last 10 years?
One of our most significant achievements has been to develop an inclusive con-
ceptual clarity on diversity. We do not define diversity as simply gender, race, and
ethnicity. We include diversity of thought, which means each associate is defined
as a uniquely diverse and talented individual, and associates don’t feel as though
they have to “check their identity” at the door.
WellPoint, Inc.
In 2007, WellPoint’s board of directors appointed Angela Braly as president
and CEO. Today, WellPoint is the largest company in the Fortune 500 led by a Headquarters:
Indianapolis, Indiana
female CEO. Additionally, 57 percent of WellPoint management and 39 percent
Web site:
of WellPoint executives are female. www.wellpoint.com
In 2003, under a three-year, $750,000 key sponsorship from WellPoint’s Primary Business: Health benefits
affiliated health plan in Indiana, Indianapolis became the first city outside Atlanta Employees: 41,700
to launch the Diversity Leadership Academy. The academy is a community-
based leadership development program committed to equipping business, civic,
and community leaders with effective diversity management leadership skills.
With the support of Mrs. Coretta Scott King at the inaugural launch of the
academy, we brought the nation’s leading diversity authorities to our city.
How do you help connect employees with one another who share similar or
different interests and goals?
WellPoint has connected associates to its diversity initiatives through the estab-
lishment of resource groups and culture ambassadors.
Associate resource groups represent grassroots groups of associates that come
together united by a dimension of diversity: race, gender, cultural background,
disabilities, sexual orientation, work status, etc.
Diversity and workplace culture ambassadors focus on raising awareness and
engagement among our associates. WellPoint has more than 200 ambassadors
who represent different business units, job levels, and geographic locations and
reflect the diversity of our associate population.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l November/December 2008 41
 national american indian
&alaska native
HERITAGE MONTH

Heritage month celebrations

have become more common,
but as a country, we still
appreciate too little the
contributions and culture of
peoples native to America.

In his proclamation to the American people that established

the heritage month, President George W. Bush referred to
the unique spiritual, artistic, and literary contributions of
native peoples. Without question, their vibrant customs and
celebrations enrich our country.

In the pages that follow, we present five individuals who

share their background, experience, and attitudes with us.
Each offers a unique perspective on their heritage. We think
you’ll enjoy meeting them, and welcoming them into a
Nation of Leaders.
 national american indian & alaska native HERITAGE MONTH

Who are/were your mentors? What were the lessons What is your philosophy
learned from them? of life?
I had strong parents and grandparents who taught me that A complete life is
all things in life are possible if you have faith, if you don’t made up of public and
forget or compromise who you are and where you come private moments, and
from or those who helped you along the way. taking the time to ap-
preciate both is crucial.
Do you teach anything different to those you mentor?
If so, what is it?
I see my life as pages of
I feel a strong sense of responsibility to develop, motivate, a photo album—you see Trudy Fountain

and emotionally support others as they forge their own graduation ceremonies,
Senior Vice President
path in life. These words have helped me: “Expect more parties, reunions, promo- Contract and Business
than others think is possible; dream more than others think tions, anniversaries, time Management

is practical; risk more than others think is safe.” spent with family and ACS
friends, and moments of
Who in your family had the most impact on your religious reflection.
upbringing and success?
What is your most rewarding accomplishment?
My parents and my grandparents. My grandfather, who
grew up in abject poverty in Indian Station, Oklahoma, Spearheading an Adopt-A-Town program in Tunica,
and escaped from a German POW camp during WWII, Mississippi—a model job readiness program that empha-
taught me perseverance. My grandmother taught me the sizes life skills training for minorities. By 2003, it had
philosophy of the Daylily, which most people consider changed the lives of over 1,000 Delta residents. The impact
weeds. But in her mind they were beautiful flowers. She of this program is felt community-wide and will continue
taught me to see the Daylilies in all people. for generations.
If given the chance, what would you do differently?
What are your two favorite books/authors and what
impact have they had on your career and personal life? I would have pushed a little harder, laughed a little louder
The Education of Little Tree, by Forrest Carter. I read it as a at myself and told my grandparents before they died that I
child. It is the story of a Cherokee boy who lived with his loved them and thanked them for making me who I am.
grandparents after his parents died. They taught him how
to hunt and survive and see the beauty in life. I related to
Little Tree’s lessons of life’s cruelty and how you have to
learn to persevere to succeed.
Good to Great, by Jim Collins. How leaders can take
companies from good to great and how life is about what
you bring to the table.
How are you involved with your community?
I support the Dallas Voluntary Attorney Program where I
help poor people and minorities receive legal guidance.
If you were to have lunch with the President of the United
States, what would you ask or suggest?
As our leader, what fundamental facts does this nation
have to face to ensure we prevail in the end, and how will
you prevail?

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l November/December 2008 43

national american indian & alaska native HERITAGE MONTH

Who are/were your How are you involved with your community?
mentors? What were the I am a founding member of the Okemos Community
lessons learned Business Alliance; former President of the Michigan
from them?
State University Downtown Coaches Club; and a former
Ed Feiman, previous
President of the MSU Varsity Alumni “S” Club. I am a
branch manager for the
member of the Saginaw Symphony Orchestra board of
Great Lakes Branch of
Sedric Audas directors, and also a member of the Okemos Education
AXA Advisors. Ed taught
Foundation. I also serve on the executive committee for the
me many things about
Executive Vice President Mid-Michigan Area Eight Special Olympics.
being a leader. I believe
AXA Advisors’
Great Lakes Branch I adopted his manage- If you were to have lunch with the President of the United
ment skills and style. States, what would you ask or suggest?
I also learned how to I would suggest he resolve the financial crisis as soon and
adapt to new situations and have the ability to be tough as painlessly as possible.
but fair. What is your philosophy of life?
Do you teach anything different to those you mentor? Do your duty and history will do you justice.
If so, what is it?
What is your most rewarding accomplishment?
No. I try to be consistent across the board, whether
Raising children.
mentoring or not.
If given the chance, what would you do differently?
Who in your family had the most impact on your
Nothing.
upbringing and success?
My mother. She was the one who was always in charge
of discipline and taught me the values of hard work
and determination.
What are your two favorite books/authors and what
impact have they had on your career and personal life?
Jacked Up, by Bill Lane—an unauthorized biography of
Jack Welch. It gave me insight on attention to detail.
High Hopes, by Gary Barnett. High Hopes taught me how to
dream big and that you can accomplish anything you put
your mind to.

44 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal November/December 2008

 I AM
Terry Bradley, SPHR
Manager, R&D Recruitment
GlaxoSmithKline
Member since 1993

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER.
And no one knows that better than Terry Bradley. When Terry prepares
for a critical public speaking engagement, SHRM is her ultimate
resource for all the facts on workplace trends.
www.shrm.org
keyword: Trends

08-0757
national american indian & alaska native HERITAGE MONTH

Who are/were your The second book is Shift – Inside Nissan’s Historic Revival,
mentors? What were by Carlos Ghosn. He explains how an outsider with a dif-
the lessons learned from
ferent cultural perspective can bring a different viewpoint
them?
to management and personally make a difference in the
I feel it is important to
business by challenging tradition-bound thinking.
have several different types
of mentors. The most How are you involved with your community?
important lessons I have I serve as a trustee on the American Indian Science and
learned are to be true to Engineering Society (AISES) Foundation and have been
myself, never compromise active in AISES for many years as a Sequoyah Fellow.
my integrity, and to stand For the past 7 years, I have served as the executive co-
David Herbert Daniel firm for my own beliefs chair of IBM’s Native American Executive Task Force,
and principles. supporting IBM’s Diversity focus on the Native
Vice President, American Constituency.
IT Delivery, Latin America Do you teach anything
different to those you
In my local community, I participate in many STEM
IBM Global Services
mentor? If so, what is it? activities (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
I do try to pass this same for middle and high school students. I also have served
lesson to those I formally mentor. Mutual respect for one as an IBM Diversity Campus Executive, working with
another and having an open mind towards other view- the University of Oklahoma and Fort Lewis College in
points with a calm, rational, and factual discussion can be a Durango, Colorado.
mutually beneficial experience for everyone involved. If you were to have lunch with the President of the United
States, what would you ask or suggest?
Who in your family had the most impact on your
upbringing and success? I would ask why is it that we, as a country, will spend over
My parents gave me my work ethic and the realization that $20 billion dollars on foreign aid this year and yet only
nothing comes easily without hard work. Setting goals and $2 billion on programs internally for Native Americans
maintaining the perseverance to achieve those goals was and Alaska Natives. While the foreign aid budget grew 12
instilled in me at an early age. percent year to year, there was a decrease of 4.4 percent to
support the 1.7 million Native Americans in this country.
What are your two favorite books/authors and what
impact have they had on your career and personal life? What is your philosophy of life?
Two very recent books come to mind, but for different I have a great reverence for the gift of life, and I believe we
reasons. The first is 1491, by Charles C. Mann. His pre- are all bound together in a common journey.
sentation of history is a thought provoking and wonderfully
What is your most rewarding accomplishment?
different interpretation of our Native American history and
My most rewarding accomplishment will be seeing my
our culture.
two children mature into adults with their own respective
personalities and individualism. Imparting ones values,
beliefs, and morals to your offspring and then seeing them
start their own life’s journey as an adult is the greatest ac-
complishment I can imagine.
If given the chance, what would you do differently?
I really do not truly regret any decisions or actions I have
taken. Even those which may not have been the wisest,
served as a good lesson or education, which only made me
stronger over time.
David Daniel (3rd from left), along with members of the IBM
Diversity team and others, meet with teachers and pre-schoolers
at a Sandia Pueblo School in New Mexico.

46 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal November/December 2008

IDEAS PEOPLE WANTED
US LOCATIONS
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And we like it that way. After all, the more different perspectives we
have on board, the more great ideas we can come up with.

With a presence in more than 130 countries, we’ve learned for

ourselves that being an inclusive business is an advantage. Now
we’re looking for more people who can bring fresh thinking to the
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&INDOUTMOREANDAPPLYONLINEATwww.shell.com/careers/usjobs.

Shell is an Equal Opportunity Employer

national american indian & alaska native HERITAGE MONTH

Who are/were your KPMG to my involvement in the community. Being in-

mentors? What were volved in the community is critical, not only so we can give
the lessons learned
back but also to create visibility about what is possible.
from them?
I’ve had a number If you were to have lunch with the President of the United
of mentors through- States, what would you ask or suggest?
out my career, and Tell me about your personal understanding of the chal-
still do. For me, it’s lenges of the Native Americans and how did you arrive at
Kathy Hannan critical that there is that understanding? I would suggest that there is so much
diversity among my more that must be done to make things right.
Midwest Area mentors; that diversity What is your philosophy of life?
Managing Partner, Tax provides me powerful Take risks; challenge yourself. Know that you will not al-
KPMG LLP insights and a range ways succeed, and that you can learn as much from your
of perspectives. failures as you can from your successes. Help others see
Generally, I’ve the possibilities by sharing experiences that can help them
learned that people want to feel they can make a difference succeed. Give credit away, and never assume you ever will
in or have an impact on the career or life of others. Also, know it all. Never take yourself too seriously, and don’t
what works for one situation and time may not for another, forget to laugh!
so always refresh your thinking.
What is your most rewarding accomplishment?
Do you teach anything different to those you mentor?
I can honestly say I’ve had a number of rewarding experi-
If so, what is it?
ences. One recent accomplishment would be that I ran
One of the keys to being a good mentor is understanding
the New York City marathon on a dare and finished! But
that you can learn as much from your mentees as they can
broadly speaking, I’m very proud of the impact I’ve had on
learn from you.
KPMG’s culture of diversity and inclusion.
Who in your family had the most impact on your
If given the chance, what would you do differently?
upbringing and success?
One of my aunts; she was a widow, a mother, and also had Nothing. I have NO regrets. I do however hope for
a career. She taught me the importance of personal strength as much time as possible as there are so many things I want
and determination. to do and experience. One of my dreams is to play golf
at Augusta!
What are your two favorite books/authors and what
impact have they had on your career and personal life?
I can’t say that I have any one favorite book or author.
I read the works of several Native American and eastern
European authors. I love history, fiction, and particularly
golf books—I need all the help I can get.
How are you involved with your community?
I serve on a number of civic, educational, and diversity-
related boards and advisory councils, including the National
Advisory Council on Indian Education (NACIE), the
American Indian Council (AIC), and the Anti-Defamation
League, to name a few. I strive to connect my roles within

48 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal November/December 2008


In a time of rapid change for our company and for our
industry, we believe that the unique perspective of each
Pfizer employee is vital. Why? Because the tough health
care challenges people are facing today call for new,
different, and diverse ways of thinking.
That’s why we’re implementing a global strategy to ensure
Pfizer’s culture not only respects, but also leverages each
individual employee’s background, character, and life
experiences. We’re putting those unique perspectives to
© 2007 Pfizer Inc Printed in USA
work to find new, innovative solutions for patients, and
better ways of working with our customers, our partners,
and the communities we serve.
At Pfizer, we believe diversity means an inclusive and
empowering work environment. The result? A happier,
healthier tomorrow for us all.
www.pfizer.com
national american indian & alaska native HERITAGE MONTH

Who are/were your Destined to Witness: Growing Up Black in Nazi Germany,

mentors? What were by Hans Massaquoi. This book shook the very foundation
the lessons learned
of all that I thought I knew about discrimination. I am of
from them?
Chickahominy descent, and on the official census records,
I actually have several.
my ancestors were not afforded the dignity of register-
Sandy Shaw, our VP of
ing their names. Each was listed only as “Chickahominy
Talent Development, has
woman.” Their given names were lost to my family.
always given me room
David L. Miles to dream about the fu- How are you involved with your community?
ture while balancing it I do some volunteer work at the Washington National
Senior Director, with a good dose of Cathedral, have just recently applied to be a court-
Talent Development honest feedback. appointed special advocate for children in Arlington
Sodexo My current boss, Gerri County, and I volunteer for the local election commission.
Mason-Hall, market VP
If you were to have lunch with the President of the United
of human resources, has States, what would you ask or suggest?
such a natural talent for mentoring. I am glad she has come This one is easy. I would suggest that it is time that we,
into my career path at this point in time. I don’t know that as a nation, overhaul our educational system. Our public
I was mature enough to work with someone of her caliber education system was engineered in another time and is
before now. woefully inadequate for today’s kids.
Do you teach anything different to those you mentor?
What is your philosophy of life?
If so, what is it?
I have actually adopted an excerpt from a quote from
I recently recommended a book I had read to someone and
Marianne Williamson. “Our deepest fear is not that we
told them, “After you read it, I would be more than happy
are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful
to discuss it with you, but don’t look for me to provide
beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most
guidance around the content.” The book touched me at
frightens us.”
such a core level; I couldn’t possibly hope to pull off acting
like I had the concepts mastered. What is your most rewarding accomplishment?
My family and friends.
Who in your family had the most impact on your
upbringing and success? If given the chance, what would you do differently?
I would have to point to my mother. My mother and I Take a bite of humble pie and share some of the big mis-
did genealogy research when I was in elementary school. takes I made in life with my daughter earlier in her life.
We used to take long hikes in the woods and up to the base
of the mountain behind our home. Friends are amazed
when I walk by a tree, plant or flower and call it by name.
She instilled a natural curiosity in me that stays alive to
this day.
What are your two favorite books/authors and what
impact have they had on your career and personal life?
Lost Between Lives, by Daniel Holden. This book literally
changed my life. It literally helped me give myself permis-
sion to show up fully and embrace who I am and why I
am here.

50 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal November/December 2008

At UnitedHealth Group, unique is everywhere. In our approach to health care. Let us hear your unique voice in these careers available nationwide throughout
In each segment of our business. In every professional. In the career op- our family of businesses.
portunities we offer. As a global leader in health care, UnitedHealth Group
is committed to creating a workforce of unique individuals. Their unique per-
spectives bring about innovative ideas.
• Business Analysts
• Customer Care Professionals
It is the unique backgrounds, lifestyles and beliefs our professionals bring to
their work that fuels innovation, creates a healthy environment and drives us • Financial Analysts
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Founded in 1974, UnitedHealth Group has since grown into a Fortune 100 • Inside & Field Sales
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Through innovative leadership in health care, UnitedHealth Group provides ongoing
As unique as the many businesses that unite to form UnitedHealth Group, are career opportunities for diverse individuals, enriching the employment experience
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Regardless of their unique talents, our professionals are united to improve UnitedHealth Group is an equal opportunity employer and employs individuals
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origin, age, or other protected characteristics. M/F/D/V.

To view current career opportunities, and to apply

online, visit our CAREERS page at
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52 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

stories
microtrigger stories
editors notebook

Have You Experienced

These Kinds of Triggers?

The Frustrated Manager “It’s not overt nor something I can easily describe,

“ I am the Diversity Manager for my company and

realize that I represent diversity for my organization
but it’s there. For example, people will over-explain
a concept or idea as if I haven’t been working for 15
at all times. However, I get triggered whenever years. Sometimes I think it’s because they are trying
individuals are talking about race or gender, and they to prove they know more, but other times I think it’s
look directly at me and say, ‘diversity.’ simply patronizing. I’d like to stay at this company,
“It triggers me on a couple of levels. First, but I feel I may have to leave to get respect for my
diversity is defined so narrowly. Second, it’s the same professional experience and my current capabilities.”
as when the topic turns to the black
market, someone looks at me. The Ode to Canada
“I became concerned
diversity conversation has become
so sensitive that whenever the word when she started talking lived
“ I am a Canadian who has
abroad, in the Middle
is spoken, everyone stares at me. East and Asia. A comment
I don’t see this, when for example, about people…feeling that triggers me and fellow
the budget is discussed. No one as though they are the Canadians is when people
automatically look at us and
stares at finance as if they are the
only individuals vested in the ‘lowest man on the assume we are from the United
States. Similarly, we are driven
budget conversation.” totem pole.’” crazy when we hear those from
Memo to Diversity Trainers the United States refer to their

“ I was recently working with

a fellow co-worker delivering a piece on diversity.
homeland as ‘America.’ We
all come from America, be it South America, Latin
Her presentation was quite insightful, but I became America, Central America, or North America.” PDJ
concerned when she started talking about people
feeling displaced and feeling as though they are
the ‘lowest man on the totem pole.’ This is a
real MicroTrigger for me, because, as an American
Indian, I know there is no hierarchy on these
poles. In fact, they are story boards or simply
mark a person’s property!
Janet Crenshaw Smith is
Career 911 president of Ivy Planning

“ I started out my professional career at the same

organization I’m at now 15 years later. However, I
Group LLC, a consulting
and training firm that
specializes in diversity
can’t get rid of the label of the new kid that doesn’t
know what she’s talking about. Even though I now strategy and leadership.
am at the same level as my older counterparts, I still Her book is titled, MicroTriggers: 58 Little
struggle to get the same degree of high expectation Things That Have a BIG Impact. Have a MicroTrigger
that indicates I’m a professional. story to share? Send it to: JSmith@ivygroupllc.com.

54 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

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their global presence, managers and team
leaders are increasingly called upon to provide
training results formerly executed by
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Ivy’s Train-the-Trainer services give

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result in effective training and development
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 last word

Riding the Wave of “Doing More with Less”

A practical approach to keeping Diversity Initiatives alive in tough financial times

By Marie Y. Philippe, PhD

R
Corporate Vice President, Culture and Organizational Effectiveness
The Lifetime Healthcare Companies

Regardless of To access the learning from important conferences

industry, there is and maintain a presence at out-of-town critical
increasing pressure these events, think “Technology.”

days from management
to tighten the belt. When
competing priorities exist,
the initiatives considered “soft”—despite their solid busi-
ness case—receive the short stick either through budget
and resources reduction, or in senior leaders’ time alloca-
tion and focus.
If you happen to be left with the short stick, there is
hope, but it means tapping into your creativity. Here are
a few ideas that have helped change-management profes-
sionals do more with less, particularly in the world of
inclusion building.
To keep community connections alive, think
“in-kind.”
Often, community-based organizations look to their
partners in the diversity and inclusion office for financial
support. Rather than saying your budget does not allow
you to participate, offer instead the direct services of
your organization.
The trick is to have built internal relationships within
your organization that will allow you to call on them for
a timely collaboration. For example, instead of sponsoring
an educational program for teenage fathers about savings,
responsibilities, etc., invite fathers in the organization to
select a topic for delivery and present the educational
series, rather than sponsoring it.
To offer a Lunch-and-Learn program without lunch,
think “snacks.”
Do employees run to the presentation to hear the topic
being discussed or for the free pizza, or perhaps both?
If free food is no longer part of the equation, attendance
could drop. Try sharing snacks as you would in a potluck
dinner, or make it a BYOL (bring your own lunch) to
preserve the social aspects of the program.
Not attending conferences may be a solution when travel
funds are limited. However, you can still have access to
the learning through technology. Ask about the sale of
the workshop audio tapes or CDs in which you are inter-
ested and selectively purchase these. Another increasingly
popular alternative is Webinars. Employees at their work
desks can benefit for a small fraction of the cost of having
someone there in person.
To sustain the connection with universities and
colleges when hiring or internships are temporarily
suspended, think “Long Range Visibility.”
Just because students do not see you on campus to inter-
view for internships or open positions does not mean they
forget your company. Surveys have shown that students
want to be associated with corporations that make them
feel special.
One approach that works relatively well is to offer a
contest—perhaps a marketing campaign proposal for a
new toothbrush—resulting in an award, trip ticket, logo
brief case, or a meeting with a senior company executive
for the winner. Publicity comes from putting posters in all
the high traffic areas on campus and on your Web site.
In summary, diversity initiatives can and do survive
in difficult times. The idea is to find ways to keep your
strategy in the implementation mode, even if the method-
ology shifts a bit. Being flexible and creative will help you
through the rough waters. PDJ
Marie Y. Philippe, PhD is well known for
her leadership contribution in corporate culture
transformation through strategic diversity initiatives
and organizational change management. She can
be reached at marie.philippe@lifethc.com.

56 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal November/December 2008

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