Diversity Journal - Spring 2016

® Spring 2016

LYNNE DOUGHTIE $IBJS BOE $&0 t ,1.( JOURNEY OF EXCELLENCE

CEO IN ACTION AWARDS Exclusive Profiles Inside SPECIAL DETAILED SECTIONS

DIVERSITY IN: STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) HIGHER EDUCATION BLACK LEADERSHIP

Women Redefining Corporate America GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH EXAMINES THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN TODAY’S GLOBAL ECONOMY.

Unlocking the Power Of Inclusion LINKAGE’S INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM INFLUENCING THE C-SUITE AND DRIVING THE BOTTOM LINE.

PUBLISHER'S COLUMN

Since 1999

OPENING PATHWAYS AROUND THE WORLD

ÂŽ

FOUNDER/CEO/PUBLISHER

“Strength lies in differences, not similarities‌â€?

- Stephen R. Covey

James R. Rector EDITOR

Ruth Hawk Life’s all about pathways. Sometimes you choose the right one. Other times, you bounce around until the right one comes along.

VP OF OPERATIONS

James Gorman

Among the following pages, our editor profiles select 2016 CEO in Action Award winners who are paving the way for growth in a global economy. These trailblazers are opening pathways for future generations by leveraging our differences! Their leadership tips the scales for accountability at the highest levels in taking action with diversity and inclusion. We’re proud to share several of their stories with you, offering in-depth profiles representing different industries and regions who are at varying stages in the D&I journey.

These leaders are influencing a broad cultural understanding of world views; interpreting different communication styles; and overseeing unique ways of thinking, being and doing. We showcase how they’re leveraging all of our differences to successfully drive business outcomes. They are attracting, building and retaining the best and brightest workforces from all walks of life and all backgrounds. They’re innovators in an increasingly complex society who are widening pathways in our increasingly global marketplace.

I’m excited to be part of a time when diversity is opening pathways for driving growth and innovation around the world. I’m even more excited to share this issue with you as we continue to delve into why diversity matters, the demographic shifts, advances in technology, and the impact of globalization.

Our congratulations to all of the Profiles in Diversity Journal CEO in Action Award winners!

Inside this issue, there’s also special sections with in-depth discussions about diversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), higher education, and black leadership. We share some of the institutions that are shaping the landscape for future generations, the leaders who are opening pathways for others by turning roadblocks into opportunities, and showcase why diversity and inclusion in STEM is important to us all. While the approaches differ, they’re all on similar paths in the quest for turning a D&I vision into a reality.

As these companies and organizations are moving full speed ahead in opening the pathways for future generations, they’re mapping out the geography of our changing world. Among them, a Silicon Valley executive with customers all over the world and partners on different continents shares why diversity is critical for innovation. She shares insight on changes in technology and society, and says diversity and inclusion are imperative for a winning marketplace.

Most recently, our popular Women Worth Watching edition opened for 2016 nominations. This is our 15th year anniversary edition and we’re amazed by how many early nominations are flowing in already. Is there a woman worth watching in your company, organization, government agency, or higher education institution? Nominate her today at womenworthwatching.com and let us recognize and celebrate her achievements.

What a value diversity creates!

James R. Rector, Publisher and Founder profiles@diversityjournal.com

CORPORATE PHOTOGRAPHER

Hal Stata DESIGNER

Dave Potokar HUMAN RESOURCES

Vicky DePiore EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Elena Rector LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

3

IN THIS ISSUE Since 1999

®

CEO IN ACTION

03 | PUBLISHER’S COLUMN 06 | EDITOR'S HIGHLIGHTS 22 | FEATURES: Women Redefining Corporate America: Groundbreaking research examining the influence of women’s leadership in today’s global economy.

62 | Unlocking the Power of Inclusion: Linkage’s Inclusive Leadership Program influencing the C-Suite and driving the bottom line.

65 | CORPORATE INDEX

08

COVER: LYNNE DOUGHTIE

TABLEOF CONTENTS

2016 CEO IN ACTION AWARDS PROFILES OF SELECT WINNERS 08 | KPMG LLP Chairman & CEO Lynne Doughtie: 10 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 |

Journey to Excellence, KPMG moving full speed ahead with diverse talent.

Sodexo, Inc. CEO Schools Worldwide & Region Chair for North America Lorna Donatone: Sodexo’s global program driving corporate growth.

WilsonHCG CEO John Wilson: Diversity driving growth and innovation - collaboration is key.

FordHarrison LLP Firm Managing Partner C. Lash Harrison: FordHarrison making a vision a reality.

Thermo Fisher Scientific CEO Marc Casper: Driving innovation for successful business outcomes.

Cutting-edge thinking in the workplace.

Minnesota Department of Transportation Commissioner Charles A. Zelle: Making a vision a reality Minnesota - Transformation underway at transportation agency.

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SPECIAL SECTIONS INSIDE: 24-39 DIVERSITY in STEM 24-25 Tripping.com – Jen O’Neal 26-27 USG Corporation – Claire Yu 28-29 KPMG – Miriam Hernandez-Kakol 30-31 AT&T – Juan Flores 32-33 AT&T – Debbie Dial 34-35 Sandia National Laboratories – Edward Steven Jimenez 36-37 Diversity & Inclusion, LLC – Elizabeth Pizarro 38-39 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology (National Diversity Council) 40-49 DIVERSITY in HIGHER EDUCATION 40-41 Duke University – Benjamin Reese 42 The PHD Project 44-45 The PHD Project, KPMG Foundation – Bernard J. Milano 46-47 2U - Susan Cates 48-49 Teachers College, Columbia University 50-61 DIVERSITY in BLACK LEADERSHIP 50-51 Sodexo, Inc. – Mia Mends 52-53 Capital One Investing – Yvette Butler 54-55 KPMG – Milford McGuirt 56-57 Sandia National Laboratories – Melonie Parker 58-59 Depaul University – Veronica S. Appleton 60-61 Cooley LLP – Yvan-Claude Pierre

Be innovative.

Be inspired.

Belong.

3M is where individuality is celebrated. Where you’ll connect and take risks. Where you can truly be yourself and be heard. Where you’ll shine.

I’m in. Are you in?

64

© 3M 2015. All rights reserved. 3M is a trademark of 3M.

Connect with us Explore opportunities at 3M.com/careers

EDITOR'S COLUMN

MAKING A VISION A REALITY PATHWAYS

in DIVERSITY and INCLUSION With the scope widening of an interconnected and interdependent world, today’s CEO’s are put to the task of merging a changing world into cohesive business practices.

In the following section, we delve into the roles of the highest levels of leadership. We share why diversity matters to them, how they are infusing D&I in their corporate planning, and reveal the success that’s emanating from it all. Collectively, these leaders speak to driving growth and innovation within their organizations and say it’s positively impacting the bottom line.

These CEO’s profiled are among Profiles in Diversity Journal’s 2016 CEO in Action Award winners.

Those appearing in this edition are with KPMG LLC (cover story), Sodexo, Inc., WilsonHCG, FordHarrison, Thermo Fisher Scientific and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (See pages 7 – 21).

Their profiles differ in the paths they are on along the D&I journey.

As do their scope and company size, with the number of employees ranging from 275 to 420,000.

Their combined business is in 155 countries, with an individual

client or consumer base ranging from the hundreds to $8 billion.

They represent a mix of sectors at different stages in their progress.

Sectors included among them are a Big Four professional services firm, a labor and employment law firm, the world’s leader in science, a global facilities and food management company, an innovative talent solutions provider, and a state government agency. All are making a vision a reality!

These CEO’s identify the value of diversity and reveal some of their corporate equations for achieving results. Their common threads include launching a D&I program into action that’s intertwined with daily business operations that’s opening pathways for change. These trailblazers are changing business dynamics and attracting, creating and retaining some of the best and brightest workforces from all walks of life and all backgrounds.

JOURNEY OF EXCELLENCE Our cover story is KPMG LLP Chairman & CEO Lynne Doughtie, who is at the helm of the fastest growing Big Four professional services firm in the United States with diversity and inclusion woven

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into the firms’ DNA. She shares how D&I is giving the company the ability to differentiate and win in the marketplace. It shows in the numbers. In fiscal year 2015, KPMG revenues surged by a billion dollars to $7.9 billion.

In each of the CEO in Action award profiles, we share the pathways these leaders are opening by aligning diversity with business goals and how they are leveraging our differences with varying strategies and business objectives. It’s creating value for each of them.

These are people serving as strategic partners in inspiring others to work toward D&I change in areas where we’ve historically been geographically worlds apart from one another. They are identifying value in diversity and inclusion, sharing their strategies for success and opening pathways around the world. They are among the trailblazers in a complex global marketplace helping shape the future for generations to come.

Ruth Hawk Editor in Chief ruthhawk@diversityjournal.com

CEO in ACTION AWARDS EXCELLENCE IN EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP CREATING PATHWAYS FOR DRIVING BUSINESS OUTCOMES

Our congratulations to all the PDJ 2016 CEO in Action Award winners.

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SPECIAL SECTIONS INSIDE: DIVERSITY IN 45&. t )*()&3 &%6$"5*0/ t #-"$, -&"%&34)*1 Special sections on STEM (Pages 24-39), Higher Education (Pages 40-49) and Black Leadership (Pages 50-61) appear in this issue. Read about the initiatives and experiences of 18 companies and institutions shedding insight on diversity and inclusion trends.

Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

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CEO IN ACTION

JOURNEY TO EXCELLENCE KPMG MOVING FULL SPEED AHEAD WITH DIVERSE TALENT

LYNNE DOUGHTIE s CHAIRMAN & CEO As Chairman and CEO of the fastest growing Big Four professional services firm in the United States, KPMG’s Lynne Doughtie is moving full speed ahead with a diverse pipeline of talented professionals.

“In these transformative times driven by rapid technological and social change, diversity and inclusion give us the ability to differentiate and win in the marketplace,” Doughtie said.

For years, diversity and inclusion have been strategic priorities at KPMG. “This is an intrinsic and vital part of who we are – it’s part of our firm’s DNA. Our diverse and inclusive culture drives innovation and growth, attracts top talent, and enables us to help our clients address their greatest opportunities and challenges,” Doughtie said.

INCLUSIVE CULTURE A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE She says a major focus for her is ensuring people at every level of the organization take ownership for strengthening the firm’s diverse and inclusive culture. “Our inclusive culture reflects how deeply we care about our people and how energized they are in serving the capital markets, solving complex challenges of clients and enhancing our communities. Culture is a true competitive advantage for us,”

Doughtie said.

This is evidenced by the firm’s numerous accolades. KPMG was once again named one of the country’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” by FORTUNE magazine, advancing 20 spots to no. 43 – its best ranking in history on the prestigious annual list. It achieved the added distinction of being the highestranked Big Four professional services firm on the list for the second consecutive year.

And it was also recently recognized for being among the Top 10 companies for executive women by the National Association for Female Executives for the sixth consecutive year.

FIRM GROWTH KPMG in the U.S. posted a 14.8 percent revenue increase for its 2015 fiscal year – adding more than $1 billion in revenue – to $7.9 billion. KPMG’s year-over-year revenue percentage growth makes it the fastest-growing Big Four professional services firm in the U.S. for the second year in a row, according to analysis by industry publications. Nearly 60 percent of its employees and partners are diverse, and nearly 57 percent of its most recent promotions into and within management were women or ethnically diverse. The firm has

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178 local diversity networks and councils in offices across the country and about half of its employees and partners are actively involved as members.

“Diversity and inclusion underpin our vision for KPMG to be the ‘Clear Choice – with our people, our clients and the public,’ while our commitment to diversity and inclusion is a tangible example of how we live out KPMG’s values,” Doughtie said.

Demonstrating a commitment to diversity that goes beyond the rhetoric, Doughtie says diversity and inclusion influence everything that KPMG does. “This ranges from how we recruit, train, and grow our people, serve clients, engage in corporate citizenship, invest, and build public trust,” she said.

DIVERSITY ADVISORY BOARD Doughtie also serves as executive chair of KPMG’s Diversity Advisory Board (DAB), which is instrumental in driving KPMG's commitment to diversity and inclusion. The DAB focuses on achieving three key objectives: t &TUBCMJTIJOH EJWFSTJUZ TUSBUFHJFT and objectives, monitoring progress, and continuing to integrate diversity and inclusion objectives into the

LYNNE DOUGHTIE

business strategy. t "MJHOJOH UIF BDUJWJUJFT PG UIF diversity networks and leveraging best practices. t 1SPWJEJOH TVQQPSU BOE accountability to ensure continual enhancement of the recruitment, retention, and advancement of a diverse team of professionals.

“We are intentional about ensuring that diversity and inclusion objectives radiate throughout our entire organization. These are business goals with business leader accountability,” Doughtie said.

CREATING VALUE THROUGH DIVERSITY One example of how KPMG enhances value through diversity is its focus on creating diverse account teams. “Our clients are facing unprecedented challenges and unlimited opportunities.

This requires fresh thinking, new combinations of skills and experiences, and a higher level of teaming and collaboration in the ways we serve our clients. Our clients desire and appreciate the innovative solutions and ideas delivered by our diverse account teams,” Doughtie said.

KPMG tracks diversity and inclusion-specific key performance indicators. These include talent acquisition, attrition, career progression, and leadership and account team composition. “I view this information at an enterprise level to set aspirational goals for senior leaders and their direct reports,” Doughtie said. The firm’s DAB scorecard also provides business leaders with a dashboard of relevant metrics specific to their business units, location or function by diverse demographics.

HELPING FUTURE LEADERS DEVELOP AND GROW Doughtie says the most gratifying thing for her is creating opportunities to help others grow and succeed. “I want to empower and help develop our next generation of leaders.

That aligns with my leadership role around diversity – cultivating and strengthening our inclusive culture so that all of our people can succeed,” Doughtie added.

KPMG LLP is the U.S. member firm of KPMG International Cooperative, which member firms have 174,000 professionals, including more than 9,000 partners in 155 countries.

Ruth Hawk - Editor PDJ

KPMG LLP Headquarters: New York Business: Professional services (audit, tax, advisory) Lynne Doughtie CEO: Employees: More than 29,000 Website: kpmg.com/us

Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

9

CEO IN ACTION

SODEXO’S GLOBAL PROGRAM DRIVING CORPORATE GROWTH -03/" %0/"50/& t CEO SCHOOLS WORLDWIDE REGION CHAIR FOR NORTH AMERICA SODEXO, INC. Headquarters: Gaithersburg, MD Business: Facilities & Food Management Employees: 420,000 Website: sodexousa.com As a CEO with one of the world’s largest global corporations, Lorna Donatone says diversity and inclusion are cornerstones of the culture for 420,000 employees and a fundamental part of the corporate growth strategy at Sodexo Inc. “Tapping into the full potential of our employees’ diversity makes us a stronger and more innovative company, better able to serve our clients and 75 million consumers around the world,” Donatone said. “Diversity and inclusion is not a separate offer, special program or stand-alone marketing campaign, but an element woven into the DNA of our business,” she added.

With headquarters in Paris, France, Sodexo has 34,000 locations in 80 nations and represents 130 nationalities.

“As we strive to meet the demands of an ever-changing local and global marketplace, we must have access to the widest possible range of diverse ideas, perspectives, experiences and backgrounds to draw upon as we seek to generate innovative solutions,” Donatone said.

SYSTEMIC CULTURE CHANGE Sodexo’s successful global diversity and inclusion strategy focuses on five key areas: individuals with disabilities, gender, generations, culture and origins, and sexual orientation and gender identity. “Our diversity and inclusion commitments help us innovate, grow, and enhance the quality of life for our employees and those we serve,” Donatone said.

The company is in its 14th year of a diversity and inclusion journey; one that has resulted in systemic culture change for Sodexo and its employees, clients and customers. Diversity and inclusion are embedded into the fabric of the organization, becoming a key business driver, increasing employee engagement and expanding business development opportunities.

“It has been an essential factor in transforming our organization to becoming the leader in quality of life services. Diversity is a business imperative and an ethical and

LORNA DONATONE

social responsibility. It’s grounded in our core values of team spirit, service spirit, and spirit of progress,” Donatone said.

She says the future of D&I lies in a global approach.

“Organizations need to integrate diversity into other aspects of the business, and be open to emerging dimensions of diversity and inclusion,” Donatone said.

BUSINESS GROWTH STRATEGY We go far beyond just talking about the value and impact this has on our organization,” she said.

Demonstrating its commitment, Sodexo has various programs and initiatives that continually drive accountability and support its diversity and inclusion goals. “Globally, we establish gender targets for senior executives. Our target of 25% women in our global senior executive ranks was surpassed with 31% representation.

The Global CEO, Michel Landel, set a new benchmark at 35% women in the senior executive ranks by 2020 and 40% by 2025,” she said.

An example of driving accountability is the diversity scorecard, which has been in place in the U.S. since 2003.

“We not only hold our people accountable, we’ve established metrics and measurements that drive tangible results, such as our scorecard, which ties diversity and inclusion results to incentive compensation,” Donatone said.

Sodexo’s scorecard in the US monitors gender and racial/ethnic representation in hiring, promotions, retention rates, high potential promotions, and participation in activities that drive a diverse and inclusive environment. The intent is ensuring the company is recruiting, developing, engaging and retaining a genderdiverse workforce.

SODEXO’S DIVERSITY INDEX Sodexo’s Diversity Index (SDI) is a strategic management tool that measures progress in hiring, promoting, and retaining women and people of color.

It’s compiled in a scorecard format delivered each month

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to senior leaders. There are outcome metrics as well as a qualitative component that tracks participation in initiatives such as mentoring, training, and engagement in the community.

Depending on management level, the diversity incentive is worth between 10 to 15 percent of their total incentive.

For executives, it’s worth no less than 15 percent of their total incentive.

Throughout the US organization, each business segment has its own SDI comprised of the thresholds and actions taken by the respective business line. There are separate diversity indices created for its headquarters population and the total enterprise. “This enables each segment to have a line of sight into their organization, while still allowing the CEO and executive team to have accountability for the entire company. The result is a robust, comprehensive SDI and accountability measurement system that is an innovation in diversity practice,” Donatone said.

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE With diversity and inclusion as a competitive advantage, the global organization strives to expand its cultural competencies and further engage its employees. “We recognize that engaged employees have a heightened emotional connection to the organization, which can result in enhanced retention, greater commitment, increased productivity and stronger alignment with the organization’s culture and values,” she added.

In measuring employee engagement, Sodexo conducts a bi-annual global employee engagement survey that is inclusive of both the managerial and frontline workforce.

The company surpassed expectations in diversity engagement; a surge in positive perception for D&I. LEVERAGING A MULTICULTURAL WORKFORCE One of the realities of today’s workplace is the need for cross-cultural understanding in an increasingly global workplace. Examining how people work, how they want to work, and when they are most productive can create significant value for an organization and enable employees to be more engaged and productive.

While diversity and inclusion continue to be a challenge in the global marketplace, Donatone says understanding how workforce demographics and workplace needs are changing provides Sodexo with an opportunity to support and leverage a multicultural workforce for professional development while meeting business objectives.

It’s a differentiator and a competitive advantage for us,” Donatone said.

Throughout the world, generational diversity continues to affect the workplace as older workers work longer and younger workers enter in larger numbers. “We have five generations in the workplace. Companies can no longer discount the importance of diversity on performance and effectiveness,” she said.

“Success for today’s leaders often entails coping with differing modes of communication, reconciling disparate views of what constitutes work and work/life balance, building shared cultural references and shared historical experiences,” Donatone said. “The need for culturally competent leaders is urgent as the workforce becomes more diverse on a number of different dimensions,” she added.

Donatone explains that the role of a corporate executive is to model behavior that embraces diversity of thought and inclusion of people. “It’s imperative that leaders understand how demographics are changing and how their needs differ to create the workforce and workplace that will be successful today and in the future,” she said.

As Sodexo continues to embed diversity and inclusion into its business plan, the company is identifying highpotential employees through its Employee Business Resource Groups and its mentoring program for emerging leaders. Additionally, the company leverages an array of global taskforces, councils and networks to drive diversity & inclusion at the grass roots levels around the globe.

Donatone said key focal areas include understanding where Sodexo needs to take action, especially regarding women and minorities in operational roles, and systematically unlocking barriers to allow talent to continue to move up in the organization. Sodexo has conducted analysis to understand where the barriers lie and taken steps to remove them. “We calibrate talent, particularly women and minorities, in succession planning and use our scorecard with the incentive compensation links,” Donatone said.

With global headquarters in Paris, France, Sodexo works with private sector, government agencies, educational facilities, hospitals, assisted living facilities and military bases. Its services touch millions of people on everything from energy and construction services to delivering wellness solutions and diversity awareness programs.

Ruth Hawk - Editor PDJ

“Diversity is a strategic priority because it makes sound business sense. It allows us to recruit and retain the best talent, to engage talent to provide innovative solutions.

Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

11

for succeeding together.

At PNC, we value diversity and recognize the value of fresh perspectives, ideas and the efficiencies it brings to our company and the communities we serve.

That’s the reason we are committed to building and maintaining relationships with diverse businesses and the organizations that support them.

To learn more about supplier diversity at PNC, visit pnc.com/supplierdiversity.

©2015 The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. All rights reserved. PNC Bank, National Association. C[cX[hî<:?9

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CEO IN ACTION

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DIVERSITY DRIVING GROWTH AND INNOVATION

$0--"#03"5*0/ *4 ,&: 50 46$$&44 Collaboration is the key to success and different perspectives, backgrounds and experiences are critical to having a productive and innovative workforce, says John Wilson, CEO of the global talent solutions leader WilsonHCG. “We see the extensive value in having a diverse workforce internally and for our clients. We also understand that collaboration alongside transparency and appreciation are the keys to corporate success,” Wilson said.

This past year, WilsonHCG experienced the largest annual growth in its 13-year history. A few months ago, the company was recognized for its innovative forward-thinking direction and honored with the 2016 Leadership Excellence Award for Best Global/ International Leadership program.

“As a collaborative leader, I have opened the gate to innovative thinking and positioned our company as a thought leader in our industry,” Wilson said. “By doing my best to lead with transparency, I believe I have done everything I can to enlist trust and loyalty among our team. Our people are at the core of everything we do,” he added.

STANDING APART FROM THE COMPETITION As an organization in the business of people, Wilson says a diverse employee population is critical to both corporate success and its clients’ successes. “I’ve seen first-hand the effects a diverse group of employees has on innovation and growth,” he said.

He identifies WilsonHCG DNA as what sets the company apart from the competition. The company’s DNA pillars are built on collaboration, ownership, integrity, communication and passion. The momentum is fueled by talent.

“Simply put, we value our people and their ideas. The environment we create is one where employees don’t just work for WilsonHCG — they’re hands-on contributors, fostering a company culture that makes them proud,” Wilson said.

With diversity and inclusion as strategic priorities in the company, the message on diversity is an essential ingredient in the organization’s communication strategy. “This message is simple yet effective and applies to everyone at the organization. It’s our goal to create a workforce of employees as diverse as the world around us,” Wilson said.

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DYNAMICS OF DIVERSITY At the company, the diversity and inclusion message emanates from the initial candidate experience, through their onboarding period, and evolves as they grow with the company. “We also make it our message to take this thinking and strategy outside of our company to our clients, partners, vendors and future employees,” Wilson explained.

The company aims to communicate to employees that its commitment to diversity starts internally and it’s their responsibility to carry that strategy forward when recruiting candidates and communicating with clients.

“A diverse workforce builds a dynamic company and we want people to thrive by simply being who they are. By embedding diversity and inclusion into our business, we’re positioned to better serve our employees, clients and communities,” he said.

WilsonHCG goes beyond the traditional dimensions of diversity to include diversity of thought and diversity of experience. Wilson says the company focuses on hiring people that can bring a wide array of knowledge and skills, and then leverage their different backgrounds to best help clients. As a talent

WILSONHCG Headquarters: Business: Employees: Website:

acquisition consultancy, WilsonHCG works with clients to help them understand and develop this broader view toward diversity and inclusion in their own companies.

EMPLOYEE AND CLIENT ENGAGEMENT At WilsonHCG, when employees are first hired, during their training period they’re encouraged to join at least one committee, or suggest an idea for a new initiative. When an employee reaches a yearly anniversary, Wilson personally sends them a congratulatory email applauding a year well done and asking for at least one idea that could be implemented that would better the company. The ideas are passed to the chief people and culture officer, who works to implement the ideas while garnering input from the employee who initiated the idea.

“This allows our leadership team to hear new and diverse ideas they may have not normally thought of, while also encouraging engagement among employees,” Wilson said. “Everything we do as a company was once someone’s idea. Every single idea or improvement is welcomed, and more often than not, implemented. We hire a diverse range of individuals, because we understand the knowledge they bring to our organization is invaluable.”

VETERAN RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING One of the programs evolving from the company’s Veteran Recruitment

JOHN WILSON

Committee is Operation Transition, an initiative that focuses on assisting veterans transitioning from military service into the civilian workforce.

“WilsonHCG is not only passionate about hiring veterans, but also sharing our employment expertise to give back,” Wilson said. Operation Transition provides monthly group trainings that cover resume writing, LinkedIn profile creation, interviewing tips and marketing advice. “These services not only help others, but they also keep our employees engaged by being part of something they’re passionate about,” he added.

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Wilson stressed the importance of leadership in fostering a diverse and inclusive corporate community and encouraging teams to reach their potential. “Mentoring is essential for growth and development,” he said.

Last year, the company launched an internal mentorship program to ensure employees were matched with a mentor in a leadership position for guidance. Regularly scheduled oneon-one meetings are also established with managers and each of their direct reports to make sure ideas are heard.

Tampa, FL Talent Solutions Provider More than 600 WilsonHCG.com

which runs robust programming within the company and sets guidance for diversity initiatives with clients.

“Our diversity program is not just a program - it’s a basic way of doing things which is integrated into the company’s operations and culture,” Wilson said.

He identifies two key areas of value that diversity adds to WilsonHCG. The first he says is employee engagement and retention and the second is accountability.

“When employees can actually voice their opinion and see their ideas implemented, it instills a tremendous sense of value, which leads to increased employee engagement. When these employees are engaged and understand the work they put in is valued, their desire to stay with the company longterm grows,” Wilson said.

Accountability comes in with finding the best people for clients and improving their business as a whole. “By having a diverse group of employees who are innovative and full of fresh ideas, we can ensure that they will recruit the best people for our clients. We also have to be the example and by sharing our culture, values and diverse thinking with clients, it is easier to prove how effective our methods are,” Wilson said.

Ruth Hawk - PDJ

The company has an active Diversity and Inclusion Committee,

Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

15

CEO IN ACTION

FORDHARRISON LLP Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia Business: Labor and Employment Law Firm Employees: 275 Website: fordharrison.com

C. LASH HARRISON FIRM MANAGING PARTNER

FORDHARRISON

MAKING A VISION A REALITY As our world is shrinking, the strength of our business model depends on our ability to connect with people from all parts of the world, says FordHarrison LLP Managing Partner C. Lash Harrison.

C. LASH HARRISON

“If we want to partner with companies throughout the world, it only makes good business sense to know and understand their culture, customers, needs and languages,” Harrison said. “I believe in celebrating our uniqueness and building on our differences instead of trying to be someone we are not, simply to fit a preconceived model of who we should be,” he added.

Harrison’s vision is that better and more creative solutions come from a group of individuals who are different.

Under his leadership, the law firm looks at problems from all sides and angles, engages in robust dialogue and discussion, and provides clients with strategic solutions that makes sense.

LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY “Diversity for me is value-driven at my core and vision-driven from a business perspective,” Harrison said. “I see diversity as a pivotal and integral factor in the long-term sustainability of a business with my name on it,” he added.

Harrison believes every individual deserves an equal opportunity for

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growth and success. “Although not everyone may come into this world on equal footing, we are all human and shouldn’t be treated differently because of characteristics we can’t change.

Those opportunities may look different for different people. In this way, a one-size-fits-all approach fails every time. I try to ensure that we always consider this fact in developing and implementing any program, initiative or rule within our firm,” he said.

PUTTING ITS BELIEFS INTO ACTION FordHarrison has actively demonstrated its commitment to diversity since its inception. Harrison explained that when the firm launched in 1978, its leaders had a viewpoint that was different from most other law firm leaders at the time. “Our partners were all under the age of 40, and this provided us with a unique leadership perspective. We wanted to attract the best lawyers possible regardless of race or gender. We hired a number of minorities and women but we quickly found out that if we wanted to build a diverse firm, we had to do more than recruit,” he said.

Harrison says he will never forget a time in the mid 1980’s when an African-American female lawyer who had been working at the firm for several years resigned. “She said she

loved the firm and the work she was doing, but she needed to be at a firm where she could have a mentor more like her,” Harrison said.

Since that time, Harrison has worked relentlessly with firm leaders to implement initiatives to confront the challenges in recruiting and retaining its lawyers. Among those programs is the Diversity Pipeline Initiative that is actively recruiting minority law students at job fairs and working closely with recruiters who specialize in hiring minority lawyers.

Alongside the Diversity Pipeline Initiative, the firm has a Diversity Mentoring Program, where minority associates are paired with partner mentors in the firm. “I understand that it is often difficult for a minority associate to take the first step in approaching a partner for guidance, especially when partners are often still white men,” Harrison said. To assist, the firm instituted a lateral attorney recruiting incentive program to encourage its lawyers to recruit minority lateral attorneys and facilitate their successful hire and integration into the firm. The recruiting attorney is required to make a three-year commitment to the mentoring team.

FordHarrison also has an Alternative Work Schedule Program, which Harrison says is a key to retaining talented young lawyers by recognizing the importance of work-life balance, and allowing them to return to their full-time position when they are ready.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL VALUE Harrison said the firm’s commitment to diversity has created value in numerous ways, both internally and externally.

“Looking internally, the firm is creating an environment that attracts top talent and creates a higher level of employee fulfillment. We’re seeing our efforts rewarded in real terms,”

he said. To date, 16 attorneys have gone through the firm’s Diversity Mentoring Program. One is an equity partner, two are salaried partners, and three have reached counsel status. A counsel level attorney and another senior associate who went through the program were recruited and then hired by clients. Today the firm’s relationship with those clients is stronger than ever.

“Looking outside the firm, I know that our clients want and expect their outside counsel to mirror their own organizations,” Harrison said. “We want to make clients happy and continue to make the firm attractive to potential clients. If we can do the right thing in the firm by fostering a more inclusive environment, and make clients happy at the same time, it would be foolish do otherwise,” he said.

As managing partner, Harrison is part of the firm’s Diversity Executive Council. It meets bi-weekly to review the firm’s progress on its five-year strategic diversity plan.

The goals are measured by reviewing hiring and retention rates, professional development, client development, and advancement of employees, as well as employee and client feedback surveys.

“The dialogue has deepened as people of different backgrounds have broken through artificial barriers historically built by white males. I have personally witnessed the changes to the face of the legal profession that have undergirded significant change in our system of justice to ensure equality for all, not just the ones who look like me,” Harrison said.

CELEBRATING DIFFERENCES While the transformation is still unfolding, Harrison said diversity is one of the key building blocks that forms the foundation on which he has built his life and business.

“My goal is to help build a world where differences are celebrated, not

marginalized. I want the members of our firm to think differently. Our first reaction to someone should not be to silo them into categories based on their physical characteristics,” he said.

In an effort to achieve this goal, Harrison fosters an environment within the firm where people feel comfortable talking about differences, asking questions about culture, religion and race, and challenging historical stereotypes. “This vision is becoming a reality through our firm’s annual diversity focus, training, discussion/ focus groups, and building a group of lawyers who are like-minded in our focus on diversity,” he said.

Harrison ensures that all of the firm’s strategic decisions, from hiring to promotion and leadership, are made through the lens of diversity and inclusion. Ensuring that there are no homogeneous committees is one way he says they are moving toward this goal. Facilitating a Diversity Executive Council to spearhead the firm’s diversity initiatives is another example.

“Appointing a highly talented African American female partner to not only lead our firm’s diversity efforts, but also join our Executive Committee, which sets policy and compensation and drives the direction of our firm, is another way I am making my vision a reality,” Harrison said.

He says to be an effective leader and grow a team of effective leaders; we all must be open to a critical examination of cultural identity, our biases and ourselves. “We cannot build on our strengths or acknowledge our weaknesses if we do not first know what they are. In the same way, in order for our leaders to motivate, inspire and develop our lawyers and staff, we need to know and understand who they are – their culture and diversity,” Harrison added.

Ruth Hawk - Editor PDJ

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17

CEO IN ACTION

."3$ $"41&3 s $&0 DRIVING INNOVATION FOR SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OUTCOMES MARC CASPER

As the CEO of Thermo Fisher Scientific, Marc Casper knows the power of embracing the unique qualities and differences of 50,000 employees in 50 countries to achieve growth.

“We’re a company with very high aspirations, and the only way we’ll be successful is if we involve and inspire our colleagues around the world,” Casper said. “This requires us to encourage and embrace different backgrounds and points of view, which is really at the core of our philosophy around diversity and inclusion.”

The company views inclusion as the connection between its 4i Values of Integrity, Intensity, Innovation and Involvement. “These values are the foundation of our culture and guide our colleagues’ interactions with our customers, suppliers and partners, and with each other. They are fundamental to our continued growth,” Casper said.

EMBRACING GLOBAL DIVERSITY Casper says it’s imperative to

involve and inspire employees in order to effectively involve and inspire customers. “You can’t have one without the other. The two are directly related,” he said.

Four years ago, Thermo Fisher created its Global Office of Diversity and Inclusion (D&I), spearheaded by Alan Nevel, Vice President, Global D&I. “We believed that building a more inclusive culture would allow employees to feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work,” said Casper.

He emphasized his desire for Thermo Fisher to be a company where every employee has the opportunity to reach his or her personal best – whatever that may mean to them individually. “For us, diversity and inclusion means creating a global environment that embraces and leverages the unique qualities and differences of our individual colleagues,” he said.

The Office of Global D&I looks specifically at different ways to ingrain inclusive thinking into the work

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experience, and it’s an integral part of the company’s goal to become one of the world’s most admired companies, as stated in its Vision for 2020.

“Creating a global environment that values diversity allows us to continue to bring cutting-edge thinking to the workplace that will drive innovation.

This is critical to achieving our Vision,” he added.

VISION FOR 2020 The company’s Vision for 2020 includes a focus on building an incredible team of colleagues who bring unique perspectives, talent and a passion to serve. “We must create an environment for our colleagues where they feel that their full talent, potential and aspirations can be developed and met. This is something I consistently emphasize with our leaders,” Casper said.

The company embraces diversity in its broadest sense, not just by traditional markers of race, gender, and ethnicity. It also focuses on working style, thinking style, communications style and other

CUTTING-EDGE THINKING IN THE WORKPLACE

dimensions of diversity. “Diversity and inclusion are a way of life for us at Thermo Fisher,” Casper said.

The company’s leaders are proactive in making sure they have a diverse candidate pool, particularly for the most senior 300 positions. In the general management function, the leadership is putting enhanced emphasis at the vice president and general manager level to ensure a strong pipeline of diversity.

In tracking progress, the company’s annual Employee Involvement Survey includes an "Inclusion Index," which provides insight into how the business is progressing toward its D&I objectives. “We have increased our score year-over-year, signaling to me that we are making progress on our journey,” Casper said.

The company also recently launched a pilot training program for developing leaders. In this instance, the focus is on high-potential women to enable them to find positions where they will have clear paths for career advancement. “Our focus is on

THERMO FISHER SCIENTIFIC Headquarters: Waltham, MA Business: Life Sciences Employees: 50,000 Website: thermofisher.com

growing and developing our people internally and not just looking to the outside for talent,” he added.

CREATING VALUE WITH INCLUSION FIRST Thermo Fisher’s primary D&I goal is to ensure it’s building a sustainable, inclusive culture in which employees feel empowered and involved. “This is leading to a highly valued, diverse organization that understands the need for involvement to drive growth,” Casper said.

The company has six global employee resource groups (ERGs) and more than 60 local ERG chapters in various cities, regions and countries to provide employees the opportunity to get involved.

Casper developed a diversity and inclusion company statement back in 2012 that’s communicated on the company intranet, on posters at its facilities, and through its D&I and executive communications to employees, customers and suppliers.

The statement reads: “I believe we strengthen our culture by ensuring

that everyone participates. We all play a role in making our work environment a more inclusive one and in making it more comfortable for all views and perspectives to be heard and valued. This in turn makes our business more successful.”

ACHIEVING A VISION Casper says the focus is creating an inclusive environment and fostering a culture in which more views and perspectives are shared and encouraged. The company’s Vision is predicated on building this kind of culture.

“We are well on our way toward achieving our Vision and we have made significant progress, but I look at it as a journey that we will continue to pursue. We strive to get better and better, and there is really no end point,” Casper said.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science with revenues of $17 billion and more than 50,000 employees spanning 50 countries.

Ruth Hawk - Editor PDJ

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19

CEO IN ACTION

$)"3-&4 " ;&--& s $0..*44*0/&3

MAKING A VISION A REALITY IN MINNESOTA TRANSFORMATION UNDERWAY AT TRANSPORATION AGENCY With diversity and inclusion embedded in its core values, the Minnesota Department of Transportation is taking its framework to a new level in diversifying its workforce and developing an inclusive workplace.

With an intentional and unified D&I strategy, the agency is focused on recruiting, hiring, developing, retaining, engaging and motivating a diversified and high-performing workforce, says Commissioner Charlie Zelle.

CHARLES A. ZELLE

MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (MNDOT) Headquarters: St. Paul, Minnesota Business: State Agency Employees: 4,741 Website: dot.state.mn.us

In a discussion with Diversity Journal, he says thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a clear business advantage with having a diverse and inclusive team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re making a core value a reality by integrating diversity into the way we do business. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a strong business case as to why this is essential and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re working toward expanding our intercultural competence and diversifying our workforce,â&#x20AC;? Zelle said.

ALIGNING STRENGTHS WITH SHARED VISION â&#x20AC;&#x153;My commitment to diversity starts with my interest in personal growth, and effectively advancing a further transformation for our agency and our region,â&#x20AC;? Zelle said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My leadership style is rooted in collaboration and aligning different strengths toward a shared vision. The essence of inclusion is being open and adaptable so differences as a team can advance that vision with holistic strength,â&#x20AC;? he added.

EXECUTIVE INCLUSION COUNCIL The agency has a comprehensive diversity and inclusion plan that lays out both goals and measurements.

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Its Executive Inclusion Council is comprised of the agency’s senior leadership and the group is responsible for strategically advancing the agency’s Diversity & Inclusion Work Plan and managing accountability to the plan.

The group meets monthly to compare progress with goals and continue developing individual and organizational cross-cultural competence. All agency leaders are responsible for ensuring progress toward D&I. “It’s important this work starts at the top of the organization with senior leadership leading the way. It’s a part of every manager’s performance review,” Zelle said.

Outside of the agency, Zelle is active in various state-wide D&I initiatives.

Among them he serves on Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton’s Diversity and Inclusion Council. He’s also actively involved in the Contracting Practices Committee that’s charged with identifying changes to policies and practices with the intent to achieve equity in state procurement and contracting.

“Diversity and Inclusion is important in both my personal and professional life. My deep-seated beliefs come from a background in the arts and urban planning.

My volunteer and professional life missions have centered on advancing a civic ideal of shared prosperity, understanding and vitality,” Zelle said.

DIVERSITY CREATING VALUE “Diversity creates value when we have the skills to effectively work with people and groups who are different than ourselves – however that difference is defined,” Zelle said.

“Without these skills, we may find ourselves participating (implicitly or explicitly) in actions that devalue others, perpetuate stereotypes/ prejudice, or contribute to existing inequities,” he added.

The agency’s mission is to plan, build, operate and maintain a safe, accessible, efficient and reliable multimodal transportation system that connects people to destinations and markets throughout the state, regionally, and around the world. In order to fulfill this mission, Zelle says it’s essential to have a highly skilled staff and effective partnerships with the communities.

The agency’s D&I work plan has measurements attached to all of its objectives. It’s using the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity as a framework for developing cultural competency skills and the Intercultural Development Assessment to measure the progress.

Internally, the agency has hiring goals that reflect the diversity within the Minnesota workforce.

Externally, it has contracting goals for contracting with minority- and women-owned businesses. But beyond these numerical goals, Zelle is committed to increasing individual and organizational effectiveness in working across differences.

With diversity and inclusion central to the agency’s vision, mission and values, Zelle says it produces value.

This includes employees feeling they can bring their whole selves to work, be respected and contribute their best; and responsiveness to the needs of the communities within Minnesota.

“It’s essential for our long-term success as an organization that every employee and contactor play a role in achieving these goals,” Zelle said.

WORKING EFFECTIVELY ACROSS DIFFERENCES Zelle says the agency is steadfast in its commitment to expanding its intercultural competence and diversifying its workforce. MnDOT’s Business Case states:

competence and diversifying its workforce in order to be: t 5SVTUFE CZ UIF DPNNVOJUJFT we serve. t &ČFDUJWF JO EFMJWFSJOH IJHI RVBMJUZ dependable transportation systems t $PNQFUJUJWF GPS B IJHIMZ skilled workforce. t 4VQQPSUJWF PG B XPSL FOWJSPONFOU where all employees feel valued and contribute their best.

Key activities include: t *ODSFBTFE JODMVTJPO UISPVHI public engagement. t 5SBJOJOH UP JODSFBTF DVMUVSBM competency and reduce unconscious bias. t &NQMPZFF HSPVQT PSHBOJ[FE to provide feedback from diverse perspectives. t )FJHIUFOFE SFDSVJUJOH UP increase participation in the mentor-protégé program. t "DUJWFMZ XPSLJOH XJUI community leaders, Disadvantaged Business Enterprises & Workforce Collaborative, and the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota to better address barriers to minority contracting.

“When we are able to effectively work across differences, we see high-quality work from employees, communities working with us on projects, and an increased ability to accomplish our mission,” Zelle said.

“We live in an increasingly diverse state and in order to be effective we need to successfully work with many cultures and across many differences,” he added.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is a cabinet level agency that oversees transportation by land, water, and air in Minnesota. Zelle holds a BA from Bates College and a MBA from the Yale School of Management. Ruth Hawk - Editor PDJ

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21

WOmEn ReDEfININg COrPoRATe AMeRICA GROUNDBREAKING RESEARCH EXAMINES THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP IN TODAY’S GLOBAL ECONOMY PAM CARLTON

F

emale executives are creating corporate cultures of change and innovation, according to a recently published research study conducted by The Everest Project.

The project is the first theoretical and practical research initiative to take a multicultural and gender specific perspective in examining the role of women executives in corporate America.

The findings presented in Everest’s first published research study, Eve of Change: Women Redefining Corporate America, breaks new ground for women and for businesses that understand that managing the status quo is not enough. Leading change is the new normal.

The study examines the influence of women’s leadership in today’s global economy and provides insight into how the intersection of gender, race, ethnicity, culture, and sexual orientation impacts women in the workplace.

“In today’s global economy, having more women in senior leadership positions with unique expertise and diverse perspectives is critical to remain competitive and enhance business performance,” said Ronald C. Parker, President and CEO of The Executive Leadership Council.

He added that “These findings underscore the value of diversity as more than just good corporate social responsibility – it’s a business imperative.”

BlUEpRINt On COrPoRATe EnVIRoNmEnT “The findings are stunning and speak to the transformative impact women executives are making at their organizations,” stated Lily Tang, President and Co-Founder of The Everest Project. “Contrary to the constant messages about what women have to do to succeed, women are consistently succeeding in leading change; from the massive to the incremental.”

The study’s findings are the result of over two years of confidential interviews with 132 senior-level female executives in the United States. Participants - who identified as Black, Hispanic, LGBTQ, Pan Asian or White - represented over eighty Fortune 500 corporations from a range of different industries and regions. An additional 260 executive level interviews with the interview subject’s manager and her direct report were conducted for a more comprehensive perspective. In total, The Everest Project’s findings are based on 392 interviews.

“Our study offers companies a blueprint on how to create a corporate environment that not only empowers women, but also their business,” said Pamela Carlton, Co-Founder and Lead Researcher of The Everest Project. “We hope our findings will help rewrite the script for business success and illuminate how women are shaping corporate cultures and unleashing creativity for sustainable innovation.”

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LILY TANG

FEMALE EXECUTIVES AT THE CENTER OF CHANGE AND INNOVATION Below are the five key findings presented in Eve of Change: Women Redefining Corporate America: 1. Women are leading change and transformation Over half of the change initiatives catalogued in the Everest interviews represented strategic or structural change that women led, with significant organizational impact, from contributing billions of dollars to bottom lines, building new businesses, or rebuilding failing ones, to inspiring social movements beyond their corporate doors. They lead from the known to the unknown, transforming the hearts and minds of their people in the process and creating cultures more open to innovation.

2. Women embrace smart risk Contrary to popular belief, women take risk – often, significant risk on behalf of their organizations.

Being unafraid to fail, throwing assumptions out the window, trying new things and voicing a contrarian opinion: these are just a few ways that interview subjects take risks, which they see as a critically important aspect of leading change.

3. Humility is the new power tool Humility, often considered a weakness, is the new power tool in leadership. In this era of flat organizations and a flat world where everyone is called upon to collaborate and work effectively across silos, humility is a critically important skill.

When used strategically, humility fosters a vibrant environment where it’s “safe to make change and to break some things” – fertile ground for innovation.

4. Collaboration is not consensus In the new reality of hyper connected environments, collaboration is king. If consensus involves equal voice and an emphasis on collective decision making, collaboration is a different animal.

Leaders are always at the helm, responsible for taking action that is best for their business.

5. Difference is more Being different means having more to contribute and collaboration is the currency for navigating a flat world. Women who have figured out how to use their gender, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, and cultural background, as part of their leadership toolkit, bring far more to the table for their corporations and teams.

Women today are designing a new corporate culture for a time of rapid change. They possess a leadership vision, approaches, and skill – that have not been previously identified and have too often gone unrecognized, underappreciated, and misrepresented in mainstream research. Women use that portfolio of skills and qualities as part of an integrated process for fostering innovation. For women leading this charge, innovation is not a selfcontained endeavor. It’s a process that

evolves and emerges, fashioned from a culture that interview subjects have imagined and have made real.

ReMAININg COmPeTITIVE Research partners for the study included leading affinity-based professional organizations Ascend, The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) and Out Leadership. These groups provided thought leadership and helped identify senior level female executives for the study.

Time Warner and Walmart are the lead underwriters of The Everest Project. Other organizations providing corporate sponsorship for the study include Bank of America, American Express, Amgen, 3M, Ernst & Young, Comcast, Comerica, Viacom, Godiva and the ColgatePalmolive Company.

“Women are leading our businesses at Time Warner in record numbers but more importantly, they have been instrumental in driving our growth and sparking innovation," said Lisa Garcia Quiroz, President, Time Warner Foundation and SVP and Chief Diversity Officer, Time Warner Inc. “This report masterfully highlights and explores the many contributions of women and how women are critical to the future of our businesses.”

The full report is available online at everestproject.org. PDJ

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23

DIVERSITY IN STEM

+&/ 0 /&"- s FOUNDER AND CEO TRIPPING.COM

TRIPPING.COM Headquarters: San Francisco, California Business: Online travel booking 29 Employees: Tripping.com Website: twitter.com/tripping Twitter:

As a young female CEO in Silicon Valley, Jen O’Neal is a success across both the technology and travel sectors. Founder and CEO of the flourishing San Francisco based Tripping.com, she spearheads the world’s largest vacation site, with over 8 million vacation rentals in 150,000 destinations around the world.

O’Neal initially launched her career during college as part of the startup team at StubHub, now owned by eBay. That kicked off her fast-paced lifestyle that has cultivated several startups in Costa Rica, the United Kingdom and New Zealand. She ultimately launched Tripping.com, took three years to build it and over the next three raised $21 million in funding from investors in Silicon Valley, New York, Europe and Asia. Today, she owns one of the world’s fastest growing technology and travel companies in the midst of a $100 billion market between the U.S.

STEM DIVERSITY IN A GLOBAL ECONOMY SILICON VALLEY CEO: DIVERSITY CRITICAL FOR INNOVATION

and Europe alone.

As a global company, O’Neal says D&I is incredibly important both today and for the future. “Our users live all over the world. We have partners on every major continent. Our site is translated into many languages and understanding the dynamics of our diverse userbase is absolutely critical,” O’Neal said. “Diversity is something we embrace throughout our organization, both because it’s good for business and because it’s the right thing to do,” she added.

Born out of her passion to save travelers time and money (she likes to build companies as well), Tripping.com is experiencing explosive growth. Traffic to the site is averaging three million unique visitors a month from all different cultures. The company has a proprietary and innovative technology platform that partners with sites

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BY RUTH HAWK, EDITOR

including VRBO, TripAdvisor, Booking.com, HomeAway, FlipKey and dozens more to provide travelers one stop access to search, compare, and book vacation rentals across providers.

DIVERSITY IN STEM – “UNBELIEVABLY IMPORTANT” In an interview with Diversity Journal, O’Neal talked about being a woman CEO in the midst of a fast-paced career. She emphasized diversity being critical for innovation in a global economy. And says the greatest challenge in D&I in the STEM sector is the lack of diversity at the venture level.

“We’re living in an increasingly global world. In the past hour, I’ve sipped coffee imported from Colombia, chatted with a Syrian Lyft driver in his Japanese car, booked a flight to Hong Kong on a site based in the Netherlands, and I said hello to

JEN O'NEAL

PHILOSOPHY: DO WHAT YOU LOVE. THE REST COMES. my upstairs neighbor who just moved to San Francisco from Sweden to get a PhD in Physics,” O’Neal said. “STEM played a role in every one of those things, from the engineers who built the car’s engine to the mathematicians who figured out how to price my airline ticket. Diversity in STEM will better enable us to create products and services for a diverse global economy. It’s unbelievably important,” she added.

FUNDING DIVERSE START UP TEAMS O’Neal underscored the challenge in D&I in the STEM sector as the extreme lack of diversity at the venture level. In America today, over 75 percent of venture partners are white and 92 percent are male. “In the Valley (Silicon), people often joke about ‘bros funding bros’ but it’s not so funny: research shows that venture capital firms lacking diversity are less likely

to fund diverse startup teams,” she said. “Without funding, startups led by women or minorities may never have a chance to build new technologies and disrupt established industries.

Since money is the lifeblood of innovation, this lack of diversity is actively stifling progress across the STEM sector,” O’Neal added.

She said enhancing diversity will spur competition and economic growth by enabling companies to better address the needs of their consumers. “I’m a woman and the CEO of a travel company. Although 70 percent of travel-based purchase decisions are made by women today, there are almost no female CEOs at the helm of the world’s top travel companies,”she said. “This disconnect is discouraging for female entrepreneurs entering the travel space. It can also be detrimental to the future success of those travel brands,

as they may not be able to keep up with the growing needs of their female-driven consumers,” she added.

The team at O’Neal’s company is around 40 percent women, and they are striving for a 50/50 gender balance in the San Francisco headquarters.

“We’re interviewing an increasing number of female engineers, which is a positive sign that more women are entering STEM fields," she said.

O’Neal holds degrees in English and Italian Studies from the University of California at Berkeley. Her advice to women entering the business sector is to believe in themselves. “It sounds simple but it’s so easy to doubt yourself when you’re in an environment that doesn’t support your gender, sexuality, or skin color.

But stay strong, keep your head up, and always believe in yourself,” she said. PDJ

Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

25

DIVERSITY IN STEM

USG CORPORATION Headquarters: Chicago, IL Business: Manufacturing, Building Products & Solutions Website: usg.com/content/usgcom/en.html CLAIRE YU

CLAIRE YU

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM MANAGER USG’S CORPORATE INNOVATION CENTER

EMPOWERING WOMEN TO EMBRACE STEM Claire Yu is a 2016 recipient of the Manufacturing Institute’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Production (STEP) Ahead Awards, recognizing women for excellence and leadership in manufacturing. She was honored for her integral role at USG in developing innovative products and technologies, as well as her positive contribution to encouraging women to pursue manufacturing careers.

BELOW ARE HIGHLIGHTS OF YU’S CONVERSATION WITH DIVERSITY JOURNAL: What do you consider the greatest challenge in D&I in the STEM sector?

One of the greatest challenges in STEM as it relates to manufacturing is the shortage of women in the workforce. According to the 2015 study Minding the Manufacturing Gap by Deloitte, the Manufacturing Institute, and APICS Supply Chain Council, women currently make up nearly half of the U.S. labor force and only about a quarter of the manufacturing labor force. As someone who has found so much fulfillment working in manufacturing, I’m passionate about increasing the number of women in manufacturing and promoting the careers of women who are already in the field.

Historically, manufacturing has been a male-dominated field, and I think there’s a perception that it’s still very male-centric, and that manufacturing jobs don’t require advanced skills or creative thinking.

That simply isn’t the case anymore.

At USG, we want to show women that manufacturing careers can be intellectually challenging, technologically advanced and highpaying. One of the most effective ways to recruit women is to show them other working women in the industry who love what they do. If we can demonstrate that there are plenty of fulfilling roles in our field and that the company’s culture is one in which women can succeed, then we’ll have better chances of having more diverse teams.

DIVERSITY AND TEAM DYNAMICS Why does diversity matter in STEM? At the Corporate Innovation Center, I see firsthand how a greater variety of perspectives has a direct impact on the innovations we come up with. Many of my projects involve working on close-knit teams, as is the case for researchers and scientists working in other areas of STEM. Diversity is essential to team dynamics because diverse perspectives are often the key to solving complex problems. It’s the combination of our backgrounds and experiences that see the project through to the end.

One highlight of my career has been leading a team of crossfunctional researchers and engineers to reformulate USG’s Structural Panels. In increasing line speed and

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recovery, we improved operational efficiency, product strength and overall performance. At the same time, we found a way to reduce raw material cost and create new applications for the product. The breakthroughs we made with USG’s Structural Panels were not the result of any one person’s flash of insight.

They were the outcome of our team putting in long hours and combining individual perspectives to come up with original solutions. I strongly believe that the diversity inherent in our teams contributes to successful projects like this.

Working with teams features a component of trust as well. If you don’t feel comfortable within your team or your work culture, you’re not performing at your best. USG ensures that team members work in an environment where people feel comfortable being themselves, so they are able to be their most creative, engaged, and productive. As a team leader, I try to put people at ease. We routinely push boundaries in our work, so we need to know we can depend on each other.

Diversity also means cultivating potential. As manufacturing professionals, if we’re not doing our best to reach excellent candidates, we’re missing out on the talents those individuals have to offer. The more

people we can encourage to consider careers in manufacturing, the wider the talent pool we have to draw from.

How does enhancing diversity impact long-term economic growth and global competitiveness? Right now there’s a shortage of skilled labor in the manufacturing industry, and women are critical to filling this gap. Manufacturing and industrial companies are expressing a growing need for more workers qualified for advanced manufacturing jobs and many women and minority candidates have the skills necessary to fill these roles. By encouraging potential talent, we can tap into reserves of qualified women workers to close the skills gap.

Increasing efforts in attracting and retaining top talent to the field will benefit the industry.

What are you doing unique in your D&I program? I’m passionate about inspiring younger generations, and especially young women, to pursue science careers. I love engaging young people and getting them excited to learn about science and how it’s woven into our lives.

Through my involvement with the American Chemical Society (ACS) and the United Way Science Speaker Initiative, I enjoy participating in outreach initiatives, including involvement in high school classrooms and science clubs. Through the United Way Science Speaker Initiative, I visit middle schools explaining how science is connected to everyday life and providing interactive learning opportunities in science and technology. I’ve been fortunate to work with students of many ages to encourage STEM or manufacturing as career options with widespread opportunities.

What are the D&I trends your company is seeing? There are a number of visible diversity and inclusion trends and opportunities for USG employees to engage with the topic. Currently, 55 percent of all

full-time salaried hires are diverse.

USG is taking steps to improve its hiring practices, and has increased the number of new female engineers hired on college campuses by 300 percent.

USG has a long-standing Diversity & Inclusion Strategy Council (DISC), which includes employees from all levels and offers opportunities to engage in discussions and set strategic direction around inclusion. We also have six employee resource groups, which provide another venue for team members to interact and have valuable discussions. I enjoy participating in the WomenRock! group, which empowers and encourages women throughout the business to move forward in their careers and make their voices heard.

What's the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? Empowering younger generations, especially young women, to embrace STEM and manufacturing careers is essential for growth in the industry.

Growing up, my parents and teachers always encouraged me to pursue my interests in science, and my goal is to do the same for other aspiring scientists and manufacturing professionals.

I believe being a role model for a younger student is a great way to create a welcoming environment and let them know it’s possible to follow their passion. Seeing someone they can relate to who is successful can give a student confidence to pursue their own interests. I always try to make younger researchers and co-workers feel welcome on the USG team. I’ll invite them to coffee and lunch to get to know them better and offer tips that might be useful for them starting out.

It’s important to serve as a resource for junior-level employees, especially women in STEM, who are just learning how to navigate in their field of work.

Developing the skills of younger manufacturing professionals is more important than ever as more baby

boomers retire from the industry. Soon, a large number of millennial workers will be needed to take over advanced manufacturing jobs. High-quality manufacturing talent needs to be fostered in our schools, and encouraged in our workplaces. Mentorship will be crucial going forward.

What does diversity and inclusion mean to the future of your company?

USG makes diversity a priority.

Instead of thinking of diversity programs as something added on to the company, USG leaders believe that diversity is a strategic priority, something that makes our company whole. Diversity is one of USG’s seven core values. The company has a global team and knows diversity efforts will create a quality work environment and ultimately help all of us collaborate and contribute to the business.

USG recently released a Diversity and Inclusion Report titled Inspiring Innovation through Inclusion to share our diversity and inclusion journey and initiatives. By fostering open discussion and reflecting on the impact of USG’s current efforts, the report is another important step toward building an inclusive culture.

Diversity will remain important to USG as we employ the next generation of manufacturing professionals.

Manufacturing is a rapidly changing field that will require STEM skills and even more diverse ranges of experiences, perspectives and backgrounds to advance. By creating room for new voices and different talents, we’ll be better positioned for the era of innovation, and better equipped to deliver for our customers.

Yu was born in Beijing, China, and grew up on the campus of Tsinghua University, where her father was an engineering professor. Yu holds an MBA in finance, marketing and economics from the University of Chicago-Booth School of Business, a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign, and a B.S. in chemistry from Peking University. PDJ

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DIVERSITY IN STEM

MIRIAM HERNANDEZ-KAKOL ADVISORY PRINCIPAL AND U.S. SERVICE LINE LEADER OF KPMG’S CUSTOMER AND OPERATIONS (C&O) BUSINESS EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT CULTIVATING FUTURE GENERATIONS OF DIVERSE LEADERS STEM disciplines are driving innovations that impact how we work and live, says KPMG’s Miriam Hernandez-Kakol. In a dialogue with Diversity Journal, she talks about integrating D&I into business decisions, and the importance of developing young diverse STEM talent.

how we work and live. Disruptive technologies, new business models, and new solutions – these all stem from STEM. Diversity of thought, experiences and skills are needed in the STEM fields to continue to foster this type of innovation in the years ahead.

“We need diverse thinking, experiences and skills to compete and win in today’s fast-changing marketplace,” Hernandez-Kakol said.

She’s a graduate of the Executive Program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business, and an Advanced Technology Graduate Program Certification recipient at the Carnegie Mellon Information Networking Institute.

How does enhancing diversity impact long-term economic growth and global competitiveness? We believe diversity enables innovation and equips us to address the complex economic, social, and other challenges we face in today’s world.

Diversity provides access to solutions informed by broad perspectives and the best thinking, so it’s critical that we continue to develop a diverse workforce and leaders who can contribute to, leverage, and benefit from economically sound and competitive global markets.

Hernandez-Kakol talks about D&I in STEM with Diversity Journal: D&I CHALLENGES IN STEM What do you consider the greatest challenge in D&I in the STEM sector? Attracting diverse youth to the STEM disciplines and then retaining them once they’ve selected the STEM path. Creating an inclusive, supportive environment is critical for retaining diverse youth in STEM because each individual needs to feel confident that he or she has the opportunity to succeed.

STEM DRIVING INNOVATION Why does diversity matter in STEM? The STEM disciplines are driving innovations that impact

COMPETITIVE GLOBAL MARKETS

KPMG EFFORTS AND PERSPECTIVE What is KPMG doing unique in its D&I program? KPMG is consistently recognized for having a diverse and inclusive culture. When it comes to STEM specifically, we’re focused on cultivating future generations of diverse leaders skilled in these important disciplines. KPMG professionals invest their time, passion, and skills volunteering for organizations like Junior Achievement and National Academy Foundation (NAF), which focus on building the

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STEM skills of diverse youth. We also serve on a steering committee that is helping to shape the STEM curriculum for NAF. Another interesting program is our PhD project, which encourages minorities to pursue doctoral degrees, and has increased diversity in the teaching ranks more than four-fold at business programs nationwide.

What are the D&I trends KPMG is seeing? A trend top of mind today is ensuring D&I continues to be integrated into the strategic business priorities of organizations.

Diverse teams working in inclusive settings are proven to provide creative solutions, so this underscores our efforts to identify unique sources for talent and sustain an inclusive culture that drives innovative thinking.

Another trend is the ongoing discussion around diversity in the boardroom, and the role governance plays in having organizational leadership that actively demonstrates a commitment to diversity.

DEVELOPING DIVERSE YOUNG TALENT What’s the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? Developing diverse young talent helps improve you as an individual, and enhances your teams and your organization. I’ve mentored and sponsored diverse professionals throughout my career and I would

PHILOSOPHY:

not have been successful without the lessons they taught me.

The best way to help people develop is to instill confidence in them. I do this by providing them with career growth opportunities and “stretch” assignments. Just knowing that business leaders like myself have confidence in them, trust them – and providing counsel when needed – contributes to their success.

ACCOMPLISHMENT IS FUELED BY STRENGTH AND COMPASSION. SUCCESS IS POSSIBLE WHEN OTHERS AROUND YOU ARE BETTER THAN YOU. HAPPINESS IS KNOWING THIS ABOUT YOURSELF.

Is D&I competitive in STEM and if so in what ways? There’s a lot of focus in middle and high school on STEM. But this focus seems to wane in higher education. And those who graduate college with STEM-related degrees also seem to have difficulties continuing in their STEM careers.

More programs need to be developed to help retain diverse individuals pursuing STEM-related degrees, and those already working in STEM-related careers.

What does diversity and inclusion mean to the future of your company? We want to be the service provider of choice for our clients. And that means we need to have the best talent, with diverse perspectives, to deliver highquality and innovative services.

STEM talent, in particular, is at the heart of what we need to continue developing innovative solutions that incorporate cognitive, robotics, and automation technologies. We need diverse thinking, experiences and skills to compete and win in today’s fast-changing marketplace. PDJ

KPMG LLP Headquarters: New York, NY Business: Professional services (Audit, Tax, Advisory) Website: kpmg.com/us Twitter: @KPMG_US MIRIAM HERNANDEZ-KAKOL

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DIVERSITY IN STEM

AT&T SERVICES, INC. Headquarters: Dallas, TX Business: Telecommunications Website: att.com Twitter: @ATT

JUAN FLORES

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT & OPERATIONS

AGENTOFCHANGE

In a dialogue with Diversity Journal, AT&T’s Juan Flores says diversity is impacting the communications sector and talks about what it takes to be an agent of change. He further speaks to the importance of critical awareness of the impact that differences can have in the work environment and to understand that life experiences have a deep impact on the way people work together.

Flores is a senior vice president of technology management and operations at one of the world’s largest communications companies. AT&T has 230,000 employees spanning 55 counties and a century-long history of innovation.

Below, Flores talks of the competitive nature of D&I in STEM with Diversity Journal: Why does diversity matter in STEM? It expands the availability of talent. The more people you have access to expands choices and creates an increased probability of finding better talent. A workforce needs to be reflective of the diverse cultures, communities and experiences that it serves. That’s especially true for a company like AT&T, which serves

many diverse customers around the world. It also helps drive innovation and products that are aligned and consistent. Diversity in STEM manifests itself in an enrichment of ideas, approach and new ways of thinking.

What do you consider the greatest challenge in D&I in the STEM sector? Increasing awareness and participation amongst diverse groups that promote STEM and career opportunities. Development at an early age—starting from elementary school—and running through college, should be a focal point to make STEM part of our everyday language DIVERSITY DRIVING INNOVATION How does enhancing diversity impact AT&T’s long-term economic growth and global competitiveness?

Diversity makes AT&T a stronger, more competitive company. It drives innovation by allowing a wide range of viewpoints to be heard and considered. We operate in a competitive industry that is driven by technological innovation. One of the reasons AT&T has over 11,500 active U.S. patents and over 12,500 active worldwide patents is that we have a diverse workforce.

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People who have varied backgrounds and life experiences bring a wide range of perspectives and ideas. AT&T realizes that Diversity & Inclusion give our company a competitive edge that’s essential to the company’s culture and business success.

What’s AT&T doing unique in its D&I program? We seek to create a better business environment, one that makes the company an employer of choice, a preferred business partner and an important contributor to the community. It’s critical for us to be aware of the impact that differences can have in the work environment and to understand that our life and experiences have a deep impact on the way we work together.

The following are some of the unique initiatives we are undertaking toward that end: t 4USJWJOH UP CF SFDPHOJ[FE BT BO employer of choice and an admired leader in the global marketplace by customers, suppliers and the communities we serve. t &TUBCMJTIJOH DMFBS EJWFSTJUZ HPBMT and track performance.

t $SFBUJOH SFDPHOJUJPO QSPHSBNT aimed at increasing D&I involvement and organizational participation. t %FMJWFSJOH EJWFSTJUZ training programs. t )PTUJOH NFOUPSJOH DJSDMFT GPS our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). t 1SPNPUJOH BOE FODPVSBHJOH participation in our ERGs, which include African-Americans, women, LGBT, Latinos, Asians and others. t $POTJTUFOU NFTTBHJOH PG % * BU the leadership levels during town hall meetings, staff meetings, performance reviews and setting goals.

SHORTAGE OF DIVERSE STEM APPLICANTS What are the D&I trends AT&T is seeing? There is a shortage of STEM applicants and this becomes even

more limited for diverse candidates.

This requires us to focus our efforts on recruiting and retaining diverse personnel. AT&T realizes that D&I give our company a competitive edge that is essential to AT&T’s culture and business success.

What’s the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that change is inevitable and you must embrace and promote change. That applies to all aspects of what you do, on both a personal and professional basis. It’s also important to stay relevant and add value. Don’t lose sight of the fundamentals: integrity, honesty, character, trustworthy, work ethic. Don’t let adversity define who you are, and be ready to learn anytime, anywhere.

Is D&I competitive in STEM and if so in what ways? D&I in STEM is very competitive. This is due in part to a limited candidate pool, and a recognition by more and more

employers that it makes sense to recruit and retain this talent. It also drives a more select and competitive process for placing qualified STEM applicants.

What does diversity and inclusion mean to the future of AT&T? The company’s diversity and inclusion vision and strategy give it a competitive edge. D&I are essential to AT&T’s culture and business success.

For the future, we seek to create a better business environment, one that makes the company an employer of choice, a preferred business partner and an important contributor to the community. It is critical for us to be aware of the impact that differences can have in the work environment and to understand that our life and experiences have a deep impact on the way we work together.

AT&T Services, Inc. designs, develops, integrates, tests, commercializes and markets internet services.

It is a subsidiary of AT&T, Inc. PDJ

PHILOSOPHY:

STAY HUMBLE AND REMEMBER WHERE YOU CAME FROM, TREAT PEOPLE WITH RESPECT AND VALUE THEIR PERSPECTIVE, SET A HIGH STANDARD OF YOURSELF, WHICH DRIVES OTHERS TO DO THE SAME, AND STRIVE TO BE A CHANGE AGENT.

JUAN FLORES

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DIVERSITY IN STEM

DEBBIE DIAL AT&T SVP & CONTROLLER

OPENING A PIPELINE TO FUTURE TECHNOLOGY LEADERS NEED FOR MORE DIVERSE CANDIDATES IN STEM ROLES AT&T’s Debbie Dial says technology companies have a critical need for more diverse candidates in STEM roles and there’s a demand for heightened efforts in retaining millennials in the workforce. Dial is Senior Vice President and Controller at AT&T, a communications leader with 230,000 employees and a century-long history of innovation.

In a dialogue with Diversity Journal, Dial shares several of the challenges posed for tech companies and a need for talented diverse candidates: What do you consider the greatest challenge in D&I in the STEM sector?

Establishing a suitable pipeline of talented diverse candidates to be future leaders. Our education system is not producing an adequate supply of STEM talent, particularly diverse candidates. This poses a significant challenge for tech companies who are dependent upon these skills and have a corporate commitment to diversity.

MAXIMIZING CORPORATE VALUE Why does diversity matter in STEM? A diverse employee base in STEM produces more well-rounded

and holistic ideas, ultimately creating maximum value for a company.

Diversity is essential to our culture and success.

How does enhancing diversity impact long-term economic growth and global competitiveness? Our commitment to diversity and inclusion aligns with our business goals and leadership priorities in several areas: t (JWJOH VT B DPNQFUJUJWF advantage in the workplace to be a company that attracts the best talent. t 1PTJUJPOJOH VT BT B QJPOFFS BOE true leader in supplier diversity. t &OBCMJOH VT UP NFFU PVS EJWFSTF customer needs through multicultural marketing. t 3FĘFDUJOH PVS QIJMBOUISPQJD efforts in the communities we serve around the world.

What’s AT&T doing unique in its D&I program? AT&T actively and aggressively recruits talent at top colleges across the country. We also regularly participate in job fairs across the country. We place a special

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emphasis on diversity and inclusion in our recruiting efforts. For example, we are increasing our recruiting at historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Each year, we recruit on-site at HBCUs – searching for strong STEM students, graduates and others for internships and employment.

COL BORATIVE, INNOVATIVE WORK CULTURE What are the D&I trends AT&T is seeing? Retention of top young talent is a challenge for any company.

Two years ago, a study by Millennial Branding and Beyond.com showed 30 percent of companies lost 15 percent or more of their millennial workers within a year of their hiring.

One of the most important qualities millennials look for in a prospective company is a collaborative work culture. That makes AT&T a perfect fit for millennials because this company thrives on employee collaboration and innovation.

What’s the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? The importance of being open…As I reflect back on my

AT&T Headquarters: Business: Website: Twitter:

Dallas, TX Telecommunications att.com @att

PHILOSOPHY: ALWAYS BE OPEN TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

DEBBIE DIAL

career, for many years I stayed in the same job. I loved it, because it was rewarding, I worked with a great team and had a great boss. Why the need to be open to other opportunities when you already have a great “gig”?

Well, little did I realize then that there are lots of great gigs out there with equally good teams, bosses, and a whole host of benefits that come along with being open. Those benefits include increasing confidence and recognizing hidden talents. The key is work ethic and knowing the right questions to ask.

Is D&I competitive in STEM and if so in what ways? My belief is always strive to hire the best talent. There are always good jobs for talented folks. The primary issue goes back to the pipeline – we need more diverse candidates in STEM roles.

BROAD - THOUGHTFUL STRATEGIC What does diversity and inclusion mean to the future of AT&T? The company was built on diversity and inclusion, and we are proud of that heritage. We recognize the importance of ensuring our employee base is representative of the greater population around the world. Diversity contributes to broad, thoughtful, and strategic ideas – all important in transformation.

Dial and holds a BBA from the University of Texas at Austin. You’d be surprised to know she’s also quite shy when outside of the realm of the corporate telecommunications world. PDJ

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DIVERSITY IN STEM

EDWARD STEVEN JIMENEZ PRINCIPAL R&D SCIENTIST AND ENGINEER

DIVERSITY BRINGS UNIQUE PERSPECTIVES HOLDS KEY TO NEXT GENERATION OF DISCOVERY

EDWARD STEVEN JIMENEZ

Diversity brings unique perspectives, says Edward Steven Jimenez of Sandia National Laboratories, a premier science and technology laboratory for national security and technology innovation.

In STEM, he emphasizes, those unique perspectives hold the key to the next great discovery.

In a conversation with Diversity Journal, Jimenez says diversity and inclusion are competitive in STEM from a research perspective. “Diverse ideas and trains of thought will lead to more probing questions from researchers coming from a variety of perspectives and yield more rigorous thoughts and refinements,” Jimenez said. The following are some excerpts from the discussion:

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SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES Headquarters: Albuquerque, NM Business: National security laboratory Website: sandia.gov Twitter: @SandiaLabs

PHILOSOPHY:

“THE MOST EXCITING PHRASE TO HEAR IN SCIENCE, THE ONE THAT HERALDS NEW DISCOVERIES, IS NOT ‘EUREKA!’ BUT ‘THAT’S FUNNY…” – ISAAC ASIMOV GREATER INNOVATION, ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES How does enhancing diversity impact long-term economic growth and global competitiveness?

Diversity and inclusion will lead to greater innovation, which will provide economic advantages. In turn, these economic gains will elevate global competitiveness that will then drive further innovation worldwide.

What are you doing unique in your D&I program? I believe mentoring the next generation of researchers and reaching out to students to pursue careers in STEM are of the utmost importance, so I participate in these activities regularly. Informally, I make a concerted effort every day to get at least one person excited about a scientific question.

What are the D&I trends your company is seeing? I feel that Sandia National Laboratories highly values Diversity and Inclusion. That commitment can be seen by observing the talented early career employees who come to work at Sandia.

PATIENCE AND PERSISTENCE What’s the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? The most important lesson I’ve learned is that patience and persistence are the keys to great science. It is the nature of research to frequently encounter failure. Achieving success, no matter how rare, requires patience and persistence.

Is D&I competitive in STEM and if so in what ways? Diversity and Inclusion are certainly competitive in STEM from a research perspective.

Diverse ideas and trains of thought will lead to more probing questions from researchers coming from a variety of perspectives and yield more rigorous thoughts and refinements.

expect to fulfill our mission. The future of Sandia National Laboratories depends on delivering with excellence and performing with exceptional service in the national interest.

Jimenez holds a PhD in applied mathematics from the University of Arizona. You may be surprised that his research involves video gaming hardware! Video gaming hardware allows him to perform very complex scientific calculations over 100 times faster than using traditional computers.

Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corp., for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administation. PDJ

SERVICE IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST What does diversity and inclusion mean to the future of your company?

Given the mission of Sandia National Laboratories, ignoring diversity and inclusion is NOT an option if we

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DIVERSITY IN STEM

ELIZABETH PIZARRO

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION, LLC Headquarters: Lake Placid, NY Business: Professional services and D&I consulting Website: diversityinclusion.io Twitter: @DiversityInclusion

ELIZABETH PIZARRO MANAGING DIRECTOR DIVERSITY & INCLUSION, LLC

D&I IMPERATIVE FOR COMPETITIVE BUSINESS PRACTICES Diversity is imperative for competitive business practices, says Elizabeth Pizarro, managing director of the New York based consulting firm Diversity Inclusion, LLC. In a conversation with Diversity Journal about STEM and D&I, Pizarro talks about challenges in recruiting and retention, and stresses the importance of increasing awareness of D&I in business models.

Below are her comments: What do you consider the greatest challenge in D&I in the STEM sector? Across our spectrum of clients, we experience a series of challenges including: recruitment, articulation of STEM career path, ability to successfully meet STEM pre-requisites, retention of STEM

candidates from being recruited to non-STEM careers.

These challenges are the results of the following: t -BDL PG NFOUPSJOH PQQPSUVOJUJFT including workshops/programs or networking. t /BUJPOBM DPOGFSFODFT workshops, and seminars that address workplace bestpractices, mentoring, inclusiveness, equal opportunity, pay-equity, and educational options for women and minority in STEM. Why does diversity matter in STEM? Diversity in STEM will ensure that all facets are represented in STEM solutions. Without D&I,

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STEM will become a fairly narrow and single threaded focus.

COMPETITIVE STRATEGY How does enhancing diversity impact long-term economic growth and global competitiveness? Our firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s point of view is that by only including Diversity & Inclusion can an organization begin to become competitive. Our firm has performed unique and highly differentiated research in articulating how D&I can assist organizations in becoming more competitive compared to peer firms.

What Is Diversity and Inclusion LLC doing unique in its D&I program? Our firm tracks D&I competitive and economic benefits by class of industry. Additionally, our firm is highly experienced in the

PHILOSOPHY:

.: 1)*-0401)*$"- $0/$&15 *4 #6*-5 0/ 5)& *%&"-4 0' '3&&%0. +645*$& &26"-*5: &26*5: "/% )6."/ %*(/*5: 7*" " .6-5*$6-563"- 803,'03$& 5)*4 "''*3.4 5)& /&&% 50 "44*45 03("/*;"5*0/4 50 13&1"3& &.1-0:&&4 '03 5)&*3 3&410/4*#*-*5*&4 */ "/ */5&3%&1&/%&/5 803-% .: 803, 3&$0(/*;&4 5)& 30-& 5)"5 &.1-0:&34 $"/ 1-": */ %&7&-01*/( 5)& "55*56%&4 "/% 7"-6&4 /&$&44"3: '03 " (-0#"- 40$*&5: 03("/*;"5*0/4 5)"5 7"-6& $6-563"- %*''&3&/$&4 "/% "''*3. 5)& 1-63"-*4. 5)"5 5)&*3 $0..6/*5*&4 3&'-&$5 "3& 8*//&34

coaching and mentoring of executive staff in D&I. TRENDS IN D&I What are the D&I trends your company is seeing? t *ODSFBTFE BXBSFOFTT PG UIF OFFE to include D&I within business models and frameworks. t (FO : t 7JSUVBM 8PSMET t (MPCBM JODMVTJWFOFTT t .VMUJHFOFSBUJPOBM XPSLQMBDF and market.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? Unintentional biases and outmoded institutional

structures are hindering the access and advancement of women and minorities in STEM. Is D&I competitive in STEM and if so in what ways? We do not believe that D&I is competitive in STEM due to the following: t #JBT B MBDL PG NFOUPST BOE ignorance are among the challenges that women, nonwhite minorities and people with disabilities face in STEM careers. t 'BDUPST TVDI BT MFBLZ QJQFMJOF BOE glass-ceiling remain especially strong in STEM fields.

t 0DDVQBUJPOBM EJÄ&#x152;FSFODFT percent of all working women are employed in just 20 occupations, including secretaries and administrative assistants, nurses and school teachers.

What does diversity and inclusion mean to the future of your company?

Our firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sole focus is D&I and as such we are fully committed and vetted to the development of Diversity & Inclusion Solutions and Programs. PDJ

t 1BZ FRVJUZ 8PNFO BOE NJOPSJUZ are not getting equal pay for equal work; and are often passed over for promotions and pay raises.

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DIVERSITY IN STEM

NATIONAL DIVERSITY COUNCIL ANNOUNCES

THE 50 MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY The National Diversity Council has unveiled the 2016 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology, a definitive list of female executives, influencers and achievers impacting the technology industry.

“The 2016 Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology list honors female executive leaders of the highest caliber within the tech industry, said Dennis Kennedy, founder and Chair of the National Diversity Council. “It is my honor to announce this group of powerful and inspirational women who have reached new heights of achievement in business.”

Selection to the list was based on the following criteria: t 5PQ MFBEFS JO IFS PSHBOJ[BUJPO BOE QSPGFTTJPO t %JSFDUMZ DPOUSJCVUFT UP CVTJOFTT HSPXUI PS TUSBUFHJD EJSFDUJPO PG UIF PSHBOJ[BUJPO t .BJOUBJOT B SFDPSE PG BDDPNQMJTINFOUT JO BSFBT PG FYQFSUJTF t &ČFDUJWF SPMF NPEFM XIP JOTQJSFT PUIFS XPNFO BOE JT BDUJWF JO NFOUPSJOH UIF OFYU t HFOFSBUJPO PG GFNBMF QSPGFTTJPOBMT JO UIF JOEVTUSZ t 0QFSBUFT XJUI UIF IJHIFTU JOUFHSJUZ BOE FUIJDBM CFIBWJPS t %FNPOTUSBUFT B DPNNJUNFOU UP DPSQPSBUF DJUJ[FOTIJQ

THE FOLLOWING WOMEN ARE AMONG THOSE RECOGNIZED AS THE MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY: ANGELA AHRENDTS Senior Vice President – Retail & Online Stores Apple ERICA GALOS ALIOTO Senior Vice President – Local Sales Yelp

RAJI ARASU Chief Technology Officer & Vice President of Production and Engineering Stubhub JAN BECKER Senior Vice President – Human Resources Autodesk

LESLIE BERLAND Chief Marketing Officer Twitter

TAWNI CRANZ Chief Talent Officer Netflix

SAFRA A. CATZ Chief Executive Officer Oracle

JENNY DEARBORN Senior Vice President & Chief Learning Officer SAP

MARY CLARK Chief Marketing Officer Syniverse

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JACQUELINE DEMARIA Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer Western Digital ROBYN DENHOLM Executive Vice President, Chief Financial & Operation Officer Juniper Networks

CYNTHIA LAROSE Chair – Privacy & Security Practice Group Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, PC TIFFANY LATHE Vice President & General Counsel Rackspace

LAURA FENNELL Senior Vice President – General Counsel & Secretary Intuit

LORI LEE Senior Executive Vice President & Global Marketing Officer AT&T

SARAH FRIAR Chief Financial Officer Square ROSE MARIE GLAZER General Counsel, Americas Siemens

WENDY LEE Senior Vice President, President – Corporate Services & Digital Tech, Info Tech Kaiser Permanente

KATHLEEN HOGAN Executive Vice President – Human Resources Microsoft

SHERRIE LITTLEJOHN Executive Vice President – Information Technology Wells Fargo

MARIE OH HUBER Senior Vice President – General Counsel eBay

MARIA MARTINEZ President – Global Customer Success & Salesforce, Latin America Salesforce.com

TRACY KEOGH Chief Human Resources Officer HP GEORGETTE KISER Chief Information Officer The Carlyle Group MARY LOUISE KRAKAUER Executive Vice President – Human Resources EMC KELLY KRAMER Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer Cisco COLETTE KRESS Chief Financial Officer NVIDIA

GINA MASTANTUONO Executive Vice President – Finance Ingram Micro Inc. BETHANY MAYER President & Chief Executive Officer Ixia MARISSA MAYER Chief Executive Officer, President, & Director Yahoo KATHY MCELLIGOTT Executive Vice President, Chief Information Officer, & Chief Technology Officer McKesson

MARCIA MORALESJAFFE Senior Vice President – Chief People Officer PayPal ANGIE MORE Senior Vice President – Agency Sales Rocket Fuel DONNA MORRIS Executive Vice President – Customer and Employee Experience Adobe ERIN MULLIGAN NELSON Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer SunPower LUANN PENDY Senior Vice President – Global Quality Medtronic JOANNE PERSINGER Senior Vice President – Information Technology, Americas Tech Data Corporation SANDRA J. PRICE Senior Vice President – Human Resources Sprint KAREN H. QUINTOS Senior Vice President Dell SHELLEY L. REYNOLDS Vice President – World Controller & Principle Accounting Officer Amazon MARYAM ROFOUGARAN Senior Vice President – Engineering Broadcom Corporation

SHERYL SANDBERG Chief Operating Officer Facebook Kamakshi Sivaramakrishnan Chief Executive Officer & Founder Drawbridge HAIYAN SONG Senior Vice President – Security Markets Splunk DR. LISA SU President & Chief Executive Officer AMD DEVON VALENCIA Vice President – Information Technology, Program Delivery Blue Cross Blue Shield, CA PAT WADORS Vice President – Global Talent Organization LinkedIn VANESSA WITTMAN Chief Financial Officer Dropbox SUSAN WOJCICKI Chief Executive Officer – YouTube Google National Diversity Council is a non-profit organization committed to fostering a learning environment for organizations to grow in their knowledge of diversity. The council affords opportunities for organizations to share best practices and learn from top corporate leaders in the areas of diversity and inclusion. PDJ

VIRGINIA M. ROMETTY Chairman, President, & Chief Executive Officer IBM Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

39

DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

#&/+".*/ 3&&4& +3 s 7*$& 13&4*%&/5 OFFICE OF INSTITUTIONAL EQUITY VICE PRESIDENT DUKE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER

EXCELLENCE IN DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION COLLABORATION IS KEY TO TRANSFORMATION

BY RUTH HAWK, EDITOR We live, learn, and work in a world that is increasingly diverse. As the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s view of diversity shifts and widens, higher education has reached a tipping point and thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no turning away from the realities that must be addressed and resolved, says Duke Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Benjamin Reese, Jr. â&#x20AC;&#x153;On college campuses and in society as whole, collaboration and dialogue are the keys to moving the needle forward,â&#x20AC;? Reese said in an interview with Diversity Journal. In education today, he identifies the consistent trends as racial equity and implicit bias. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Institutional transformation is needed in these areas to help shape the higher education landscape,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Among the realities that need to be addressed, Reese says in spite of an increasing pool of diverse candidates thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still a division in higher education leadership. He further points out that heightened racial climate on campuses around the country is attributable to the conversations weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not having

about race. To dismantle systemic racism and positively impact campus climate â&#x20AC;&#x153;all of us need more deeply engaging conversation about race, and deliberate action. Conversations without action miss the mark,â&#x20AC;? he said.

As a visionary leader, Reese has spent the majority of his life committed to racial equity and finding ways to bring differences together for understanding all viewpoints and perspectives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always have to agree with them, but you have to understand them.

Collaboration is the key,â&#x20AC;? he said.

PURPOSE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; PRIDE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; INTEGRITY Over the past two decades, Reese has contributed to improving equal opportunity at Duke, advanced its position as a national leader in promoting diversity, and underscored the value of diversity in strengthening the quality of scholarship, education and patient health care.

His words emanate a clear sense of purpose, pride and integrity in ensuring that Duke lives up to its

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commitment to equity, diversity, and the ongoing work of maintaining a fair and supportive environment.

He talked about the importance of joining forces with international groups for connections between globalization and domestic diversity. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Interdisciplinary work is part of the fabric of Duke,â&#x20AC;? Reese said.

At Duke, in addition to overseeing the D&I office, Reese conducts implicit bias trainings for groups ranging from fraternities to hospital physicians. He also sits on all senior level administrative search committees and works with his staff to develop new diversity trainings for Duke employees.

His enthusiasm heightened as he spoke of DukeEngage, one of Dukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s signature D&I programs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;About three years ago it surpassed Duke basketball as the number one reason to apply here,â&#x20AC;? Reese said. The program launched back in 2007 with $30 million in combined funding from the Duke Endowment and The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

BENJAMIN REESE, JR.

Today, it benefits from the additional support of alumni and friends and has provided opportunities for more than 3,200 Duke students to serve hundreds of organizations in 69 nations on six continents.

LEADER OF LEADERS In additional to his work at Duke, Reese is instrumental in collectively shaping a larger D&I path across the higher education sector. As a founding member and former two-term president of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, he’s an expert on the subject.

The group includes 540 high ranking D&I educators who work with the higher education community and its leadership to create mechanisms for institutional change and dialogue. “It’s essential to integrate diversity and inclusion into the very fabric of the institutions and all of the processes,” Reese said.

He added that it’s imperative to move forward with thoughtful deliberation

and inclusive intent that considers stakeholders and students.

FAIRNESS AND EQUALITY A recent survey by the American Council on Education says roughly half of all college and university presidents say racial climate on campus is a higher priority than it was just three years ago. An increasing number of events on campuses across the nation has propelled the role of Chief Diversity Officers into the forefront.

Reese said it’s an opportunity to expand our knowledge, understanding and skills for working effectively with people who have different world views, perspectives, backgrounds, values and experiences than our own. “Creating a climate where everyone feels valued, respected and included is more important than ever,” he said.

In a discussion about the heightened level of student activism across the country today, Reese

reflected on a memory of his early days as a student in a tuition-free Bronx Community College. In 1965, he was a student outside of the office of then New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller protesting a plan to impose tuition at the free college. "A group of us from Bronx Community College, Queens College and the City College of New York, vowed to sleep on the sidewalk until he changed his mind,” Reese said.

The tuition fees were ultimately imposed and Reese went on to work many jobs while continuing his education. He ultimately went on to get his doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Rutgers and his career in D&I has been nonstop ever since.

Benjamin Reese is vice president of the Office for Institutional Equity at Duke University and the Duke University Health System, a licensed clinical psychologist, and a national expert in implicit bias training. His office oversees diversity, inclusion, affirmative action/equal opportunity activities and harassment/discrimination prevention for the university and its health system. PDJ

Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

41

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DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

PHD PROJECT CALLING FOR DIVERSITY AT UNIVERSITIES

SEEKING NATIONAL EFFORT TO DIVERSIFY FACULTY

BY RUTH HAWK, EDITOR The PhD Project is calling for a comprehensive national initiative for more diversity at the helm of college classrooms and across all disciplines.

The Project is seeking to diversify faculty across America’s higher education system.

Noting the growing number of "goit-alone" diversity efforts by universities to attract minority faculty, PhD Project President Bernard J. Milano said several universities have recently launched independent programs to address students' concerns about diversity on campus, “but they are playing a zero-sum game."

Milano says because minorities are severely underrepresented on college faculties, the only possible result of 'go-it-alone' efforts by individual colleges will be to relocate minority faculty from one school to another.

“That may help the schools that 'win' the game, but it does not address the country's interest in a more diverse higher education landscape nationwide," Milano said. (See related higher education article on Page 44 of this edition.)

INCREASING CAMPUS DIVERSITY Several individual initiatives to increase campus diversity have included professor recruitment because of growing recognition that a more diverse faculty can attract a more diverse student body. As State University of New York Chancellor Nancy Zimpher has said, "Minority faculty are a magnet for minority students."

In recent months, four major universities have allocated over

$200 million into programs for attracting diverse faculty through enhanced recruitment and increased compensation, according to Milano.

"The schools with resources to attract minority faculty may diversify their campuses further – but at the expense of other schools, and students, lacking those resources," Milano said. "The nation needs a comprehensive effort by colleges working together on programs that will attract, encourage and support African, Hispanic and Native Americans to choose college teaching as their profession – and then populate faculties on hundreds of campuses nationwide," he added.

ADDRESSING UNDER-PERFORMANCE Research shows that minority students do not perform at their potential when the environment is uncomfortable or unfavorable for them to flourish. Often in these cases there are few, if any, minority faculty or administrators for students to reach out to, according to Milano.

Dr. Claude Steele, Provost at the University of California - Berkeley, says "Studying this problem of under-performance has morphed into solving the diversity problem. It's one thing to numerically integrate a setting. It's another thing to make that place, a place where everyone feels comfortable and can flourish."

DIVERSIFYING THE BOARDROOM The PhD Project was founded in 1994 with the goal of diversifying the corporate boardroom by diversifying the role models in front of the classroom. The organization has more than quadrupled the number of minority business professors in the U.S. The number of minority business PhDs in the U.S. has surged from 294 in 1994 to over 1,300 today.

The PhD Project member network has proven invaluable in supporting minority groups which have been underrepresented in doctoral programs.

According to data from AACSB International, the successful completion and retention rates of the Project’s members eclipse the U.S. average by a significant margin: t 1I% 1SPKFDU NJOPSJUZ EPDUPSBM program completion rate: 90% t 64 BWFSBHF GPS PWFSBMM EPDUPSBM program completion rate: 70% t 3FUFOUJPO SBUF PG 1I% 1SPKFDU professors/faculty members: 97% t 64 BWFSBHF GPS PWFSBMM IJHIFS education professors/faculty retention: 60% The PhD Project's founding organizations are KPMG Foundation, the Graduate Management Admission Council, Citi Foundation, AACSB nal. PDJ International.

The PhD Project model was developed for business schools, but any discipline can partner with the appropriate professional organizations.

Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

43

DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

#&3/"3% + .*-"/0 s PRESIDENT KPMG FOUNDATION & THE PHD PROJECT THE FUTURE OF CORPORATE AMERICA

PHD PROJECT CREATING DIVERSE FACULTIES Bernard Milano spearheads The PhD Project, a unique collaboration between the corporate and academic communities working to increase the diversity across the higher education sector and into the future of corporate America.

The PhD Project is a national program that has increased faculty diversity at hundreds of colleges and universities. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the only national program aimed at diversifying university faculty, and attracts and enables African-American, Hispanic and Native Americans to choose college teaching as a career. The goal is a significantly larger talent pipeline of African-Americans, HispanicAmericans and Native Americans for business leadership positions.

EDUCATIONAL CHALLENGES In a conversation with Diversity Journal, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what Milano has to say about diversity in higher education: What do you consider the greatest challenge in D&I in the educational sector? Throughout the country, students are demanding diversity and more than $200 million has been committed to faculty diversity by just four universities. All of these appear to be internally focused. A national model, such as The PhD Project, is

needed to increase the pipeline.

What are the D&I trends your organization is seeing in the education sector? Less than 4 percent of business faculty in the U.S. are African-American, HispanicAmerican or Native American as compared to 27.8 percent of undergrad students of color. Only 3 percent of business school deans are from these underrepresented groups, we are developing programs to increase representation in administration. We have made great strides but there is still much work to be done.

Who inspires you? What did they motivate you to achieve or accomplish? Dr. Carolyn Callahan, now Vice Provost at the University of Louisville, was our inspiration to start The PhD Project Doctoral Students Associations. She was extremely isolated as the only African-American female while in her doctoral program in accounting at Michigan State University, and unsure as to whether the challenges she faced were due to her ethnicity, gender or the fact that she was married with children. We decided to develop a support network that would not allow others following her to feel a level of isolation.

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MOTIVATING UNDERREPRESENTED MINORITIES How do you motivate others?

Through The PhD Project, we are able to motivate underrepresented minorities to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Live The Dreamâ&#x20AC;? and become business school professors. We provide them with the information, resources, encouragement and peer support they need to succeed. We have more than quadrupled the number of minority business faculty in the U.S. since our inception in 1994 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and those numbers alone are motivating.

What are you doing unique in your D&I program? Our diversity program is systemic â&#x20AC;&#x201C; we are creating diverse faculties in hundreds of university business schools who serve as role models and mentors to attract more minority students to business and ensuring their success. It is a very unique and successful model that is changing the â&#x20AC;&#x153;environmentâ&#x20AC;? so that minority students see and learn from those they better relate to.

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? Teams make much better decisions than an individual.

Diverse teams make even better decisions with better outcomes.

KPMG FOUNDATION / THE PHD PROJECT Headquarters: Montvale, NJ Business: Foundation / Non-Profit Website: phdproject.org Twitter: twitter.com/thephdproject.com

ACHIEVING ECOMONIC EQUALITY

BERNARD J. MILANO

Is D&I competitive in education and if so in what ways? In higher education, recruiting faculty is extremely competitive.

If there is no national initiative to increase the number of minority professors, these programs will only succeed by hiring faculty away from other universities.

What does diversity and inclusion mean to the future of your organization? Training minorities for careers in business is vital to achieving economic equality in our society.

It requires nothing less than changing the culture of our nation’s business schools.

Our organization cannot achieve the level of diversity to reflect society and customer demands if business schools are not producing minority graduates who have excelled in the classroom. Minority students will not be attracted, and those who are will not perform up to their potential if the environment is one dominated by white faculty and administration; research confirms that.

Milano holds a BS in Accounting from Temple University and Honorary Doctorates from North Carolina A&T and Kent State University.

Since its inception in 1994 The PhD Project has been responsible for the increase in the number of minority business professors from 294 to 1,312. An additional 296 minorities are currently enrolled in doctoral programs, and will take a place at the front of the classroom over the next few years.

PDJ

PHILOSOPHY:

THE “ENVIRONMENT” INFLUENCES PERFORMANCE. Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

45

DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

HIGHER EDUCATION LEADER TAKES REIGNS AT 2U

SUSAN CATES SHARES WOMEN LEADERSHIP L E S S O N S

BY ALANNA KLAPP

Higher education leader Susan Cates is widely respected for positively impacting the career paths of women.

She recently talked with Diversity Journal about women leadership and her new role as chief operation officer at the thriving online education company 2U. 2U partners with top-tier universities around the world. It experienced unprecedented growth last year through the additions of Yale University and New York University to its expansive partner portfolio.

Cates is optimistic about the future of women’s leadership. She says business schools have a role to play in reaching out to young girls and building the pipeline of women aspiring to make an impact in the business sector. Working with university partners at 2U, one of her goals is continuing to encourage and inspire present and future women leaders.

WOMEN LEADERSHIP LESSONS Cates has learned valuable lessons spanning her two-decade career.

Her career path includes serving as president of executive development

at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School (a 2U partner) and as executive director of the university’s online MBA@UNC program.

She says the most important lesson among them is reacting to new ideas with the attitude of working toward a common goal and striving for innovative ways to achieve it rather than focusing on risks. “As a leader, whether it’s women or men leading, taking that approach of responding to new ideas with a bias toward trying new things and building on them instead of thinking about the potential downside is the way to get things done,” Cates said.

LESSONS FROM STUDENTS In addition to learning from colleagues, Cates says she gleaned three valuable lessons from students in the area of women’s leadership.

The top lesson: There are many ways to lead, and it doesn’t have to be in a high-profile corporate job. In citing an example, Cates referred to one of her graduates, Army veteran Allison Hughes. As a student starting out in the MBA@

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UNC program, Hughes had a toddler and her husband was deployed. She worked through the program while pregnant with her second child when her spouse was severely injured just two days before a final exam. It was also three days before her due date.

Hughes took the final exam, gave birth to her second child, and then flew to be with her husband. Hughes ultimately launched a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping caregivers of wounded veterans, Heels on the Ground.

The second lesson Cates said she learned from students is to show up, speak up, and be “all in.” Cates encourages women to negotiate their salaries, ask for raises, and to take seats at conference tables. “Be creative and entrepreneurial, and be persistent at pushing new ideas,” she added.

“Don’t stop when you hear a no the first time.”

In the third lesson she shared is the strength and support women leaders have for one another. While completing MBA@UNC, many students have children, serve in the military, or start businesses.

If government doesn’t become more culturally inclusive, it will become irrelevant.

Charlie Zelle, MnDOT Commissioner

“The capacity women leaders have to juggle is extraordinary and impressive,” Cates said.

She believes women in leadership roles need to keep pushing forward to sustain the progress in women’s leadership. “You can’t just do your job and hope somebody notices,” Cates said.

WORLD-CLASS DEGREE PROGRAMS Through 2U, students can access worldclass degree programs without having to give up work, worry about uprooting families, or disrupt family time or family planning. “I think the format of the 2U programs allows women to take control of their lives and really change their destiny,” Cates said. “What 2U enables is uniquely positive for women’s development, whether it’s in a field that’s more traditionally female like nursing or teaching, or in data sciences or business, where we don’t have a majority of women students.”

MnDOT is creating a multimodal transportation system built by and tailored to the diverse groups of Minnesota.

The integrated 2U platform provides schools with the comprehensive infrastructure needed to attract, educate and support students globally.

Among its D&I initiatives, the company focuses on women leadership across a variety of areas.

MnDOT is partnering with immigrant communities and 11 tribal nations, planning with targeted businesses, and building accessible environments.

Cates, a North Carolina native, holds a BA from Duke University and an MBA from the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill Kenan-Flagler Business School. PDJ

MnDOT continues to develop accessible information and communications, and promote skill-building programs.

MnDOT has cultural competency development programs and employee resource groups — including autism/ASD.

To learn more about MnDOT visit www.mndot.gov

DIVERSITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION

DIVERSITY AND RACIAL INEQUITY ISSUES SWEEPING ACROSS U.S. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY'S POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM CELEBRATES 20 YEARS AS PIPELINE OF DIVERSITY IN ACADEMIA SIGNATURE PROGRAM ALUMNI GATHER TO DISCUSS ONGOING NEEDS AND CHALLENGES As the nation’s attention increasingly focuses on the need for greater diversity in higher education, alumni of Columbia University’s Teachers College Minority Postdoctoral Fellowship gathered recently to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the program and discuss the ongoing need to promote opportunities for underrepresented scholars of color in academia.

Fellows attended the event over several days to celebrate and reflect with their colleagues on how the program influenced their careers, and to consider directions for the future. In discussing the history of the program, its impact on higher education and what is needed for the future, fellows joined the Teachers College to explore issues arising from racism and prejudice that are as old as the country and as contemporary as today’s headlines.

The celebration comes at a critical time, as students of color have held demonstrations at colleges and universities across the nation to call attention to racial inequity and marginalization on college campuses and in American society at large.

Discussion focused on the ongoing

Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City, addresses the Minority Postdoctoral Fellowship 20th anniversary event at Teachers College, Columbia University. (Photo Credit: J.D. Closser)

challenges of racial inequality and ways that college and alumni can collectively continue the effort to promote diversity and widen the discourse in higher education.

FILLING THE GAPS Keynote speaker Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in New York City, described a continuing “power gap” that has largely excluded people of color from positions of leadership in contemporary America. He argued that improving access alone would fail to fill the gap unless institutions were ready to move beyond mere “cosmetic diversity” and change their culture to address systemic issues of inequality.

Muhammad posed two distinct, yet interrelated questions: “Does diversity simply mean giving the best African American or Latino a shot, or does it mean pushing that opportunity downstream?” Can elite institutions change if all they really want is black and brown students in white face?”

“The future is no longer about firsts,” he said. “It is instead about the content of the character of the institutions our new leaders will help us to carry forward.”

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The Teachers College Minority Postdoctoral Fellowship was created in 1996 to advance the careers of individuals from groups historically underrepresented in the academic profession; to advance scholarship on issues affecting underrepresented groups; and to increase the diversity of scholars and those who prepare them nationwide.

“For all that the Fellowship has helped our postdocs, they’ve also had a considerable impact on Teachers College. New funds of knowledge have been brought into the institution, new questions have been asked, new disciplinary perspectives have been seeded. There’s still a need for that, just as much as there was 20 years ago,” said Teachers College Provost & Dean Thomas James.

RACIAL REPRESENTATION Minority Postdoctoral Fellows served as panelists on two panels: the first exploring the purpose of a minority postdoctoral program in 2016 and the second responding to Dr. Muhammad’s keynote. The former was moderated by Teachers College’s Michelle Knight-Manuel, Professor of Education; and the latter

by Ernest Morrell, Macy Professor of

Education and Director of Teachers College’s Institute for Urban Minority Education (IUME).

“If our goal is merely racial representation, that is a failed goal,” said Arshad Ali, Assistant Professor of Educational Research at the Graduate School of Education and Human Development at The George Washington University.

Eric Hurley, Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Africana Studies at Pomona College, believes programs that nurture and support scholars of color are doubly important today. “The Internet is rife with narratives about how it’s not worth it to go to graduate school and how difficult it is to make a living as a professor. I have a worry that it is landing most on people of color.

This work is absolutely essential and urgent, because just as we’re starting to open our eyes to its importance, this broad narrative is saying ‘don’t do it, you’ll work up a lot of debt,’” she said.

One of the Program’s two inaugural Fellows, Paul Green, expressed the importance of cultivating scholars who have “culturally relevant knowledge” of the history and contemporary issues of minorities in the United States.

“You can’t teach what you don’t know; you can’t teach what you don’t value,” said Green, a faculty member in the Department of Ethnic Studies in the College of Humanities, Art and Social Sciences at the University of California, Riverside.

DIVERSE SCHOLARS Teachers College’s long history of promoting racially diverse scholars and scholarship dates to the era of segregation, when the College enrolled black teachers and administrators from Southern states that had restricted admission to their graduate schools to white students only. In 1974, Teachers College established the Institute for Urban and

Alumni of Teachers College’s Minority Postdoctoral Fellows gathered for a group photo at Columbia University during a celebration of the program's 20th anniversary. (Photo Credit: J.D. Closser)

Minority Education (IUME); and in 1987, it created the Summer Scholars Program for aspiring teachers from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

Since 1996, a total of 30 scholars of color from across the country have spent a year or more as Minority Postdoctoral Fellows at Teachers College, doing research after receiving their doctoral degrees. Their ranks include two current college deans and several department heads; the holder of an endowed chair at a major public university; a policy analyst at the World Bank; the owner of a leading communications company; and four current Teachers College faculty members. For more information and a complete list of the Teachers College Minority Postdoctoral Fellows, visit tc.columbia.edu/minority-postdoctoral-fellows.

THE PANEL DISCUSSION The celebration included a Panel Discussion on “What is the Purpose of a Minority Post-Doctoral Program in 2016?” – moderated by Teachers College Professor of Education Michelle Knight, Milbank Chapel; Keynote Address, "Power Gap: An Historian’s Take on Leadership Challenges in Post Obama America,"

by Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, director of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture,

New York City.

A presentation by Gregory Pardlo, an American poet, writer, and professor, whose book Digest won the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry, and who is a member of the creative writing faculty at Rutgers University-Camden.

The Teachers College Minority Postdoctoral Fellowship was created in 1996 to advance the careers of individuals from groups in U.S. society that have been historically underrepresented in the academic profession, to advance scholarship on issues affecting such underrepresented groups, and to increase the diversity of scholars and those who prepare them nationwide. Twenty years later, the program's alumni include college deans, department heads, policy analysts, entrepreneurs and four current Columbia Teachers College faculty members.

“New funds of knowledge have been brought into the institution, new questions have been asked, new disciplinary perspectives have been seeded. That's what an academic community is all about.” said Columbia Teachers College Provost and Dean Thomas James. PDJ Background Photo: A panel of former Minority Postdoctoral Fellows at Teachers College discuss the ongoing need to promote opportunities for scholars of color in higher education. (Photo Credit: J.D. Closser)

Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

49

DIVERSITY IN BLACK LEADERSHIP

SODEXO, INC. Headquarters: Gaithersburg, MD Business: Quality of Life Services Website: sodexoUSA.com Twitter: @SodexoUSA

.*" .&/%4 t $&0 40%&90 #&/&'*54 3&8"3%4 4&37*$&4 64" PUSHING BEYOND THE LIMITS Mia Mends holds a BA in Economics from Wellesley College and an MBA from Harvard Business School. You’d be surprised to know her first job with Sodexo was as an expatriate in Sao Paulo, Brazil. At the time, she learned a new business across eight countries spanning the Latin America region while learning Spanish and Portuguese.

“I pushed myself beyond my limits and I’m so grateful I did. It was a transformative experience and now, most big challenges pale in comparison,” Mends said.

Below, Mends speaks to Diversity Journal about breaking through barriers to open pathways for future leaders. Below is the conversation about black leadership, personal values and commitment: I am deeply conscious of how lucky I am to have a meaningful, gratifying senior leadership position; but I know how hard I had to work to reach this level and the role others have played in my success.

I am particularly inspired by incredible women who have broken barriers and paved the way for other potential leaders. In turn, I have a passion for sharing my experience and mentoring others, particularly young women, who are discovering

themselves and their own potential.

This passion comes from a desire to see other women find fulfillment in their own lives, on their own terms.

But, it also comes from a deep-seated belief that everyone, regardless of gender or race, can harness their strengths and capabilities and apply them for the greatest good.

I am fortunate that my personal value system is reflected in the business imperatives of my company.

That alignment reinforces and contributes to my sense of satisfaction and commitment to Sodexo’s mission.

What do you consider your greatest strength, and how do you think it benefits your business? My comfort in my own skin allows me to -operate with authenticity, which gives me the clarity to navigate complex situations and the courage to lead according to a sense of purpose and conviction. I am convinced more than ever that you can’t be a good leader without the self-awareness that comes from knowing who you are and what you want.

Who inspires you? What did they motivate you to achieve or accomplish? My parents. They came to this country with three small children as immigrants and rebuilt their lives in a way that gives me

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inspiration. When I think about what they accomplished and what they instilled in their children, it reminds me to never squander an opportunity.

How do you motivate others? By demonstrating passion and a deep connection to my work. I can’t expect people to give all of themselves in the workplace if I don’t bring all of myself to my role and my team. I also try to motivate people by honoring who they are as individuals.

What do you think is the greatest issue or dilemma facing the African American community today? The cycle of poverty which can only be broken when African Americans have equal access and take advantage of good education. Education gives access and opportunity which is the thing that facilitates big dreams.

MAKING D&I RELEVANT ON A GLOBAL SCALE D&I challenges and trends Sodexo is seeing include: For Sodexo, our current D&I challenge is making diversity and inclusion relevant on a global scale in more than 80 different countries, in a geographically dispersed environment, while maintaining progress during a major global transformation. Our current focus includes several megatrends, such as: emerging markets,

MIA MENDS

PHILOSOPHY:

I LOVE WORKING FOR A COMPANY THAT CELEBRATES AND HONORS OUR RESPECTIVE DIFFERENCES AND IS INTENTIONAL ABOUT CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE PEOPLE OF ALL BACKGROUNDS AND LIFE EXPERIENCES CAN THRIVE. OUR DIVERSITY PHILOSOPHY IS THE CORNERSTONE OF OUR CULTURE, MAKING IT POSSIBLE TO SUCCEED IN ONE’S OWN AUTHENTICITY. environmental issues, demographic shifts, and both globalization and urbanization.

What’s the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? Respect, love and believe in the company you work for.

Connect to their mission and vision and let it be your passion. For me, it’s about enhancing Sodexo’s mission to improve the quality of life of those we serve by striving to be a leader in the employee engagement space.

That type of association can make your job so much more than the tasks you perform in your function and more about advancing the company mission. And, if you’ve bought into that, there is no greater source of motivation.

Career Advice for those just starting out includes: You will always have to demonstrate a high level of competence so invest in continuous learning and development. But, remember that

it is your personal character (your work ethic, honesty, authenticity) that ultimately engenders trust and confidence, so ensure it’s impeccable.

What is your favorite quote and why? Maya Angelou: “…people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

“It reminds me to be kind and compassionate,” Mends said. PDJ

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DIVERSITY IN BLACK LEADERSHIP

CAPITAL ONE INVESTING LLC Headquarters: Seattle, WA Business: Financial Services Website: capitaloneinvesting.com Twitter: twitter.com/CapitalOne

:7&55& #65-&3 s PRESIDENT CAPITAL ONE INVESTING

GENERATING VALUE Veteran investment advisor Yvette Butler believes in turning roadblocks into opportunities. In recent communication with Diversity Journal on black leadership, she shares wisdom on managing challenges and focuses in on being tenacious in overcoming obstacles. Below are excerpts from the discussion: What do you consider your greatest strength, and how do you believe it benefits Capital One Investing? I started my career in financial services 25 years ago, and from the very beginning I’ve had a deep curiosity and passion for the industry. I’ve watched it change and it’s been amazing to be a part of its evolution.

YVETTE BUTLER

and challenges our industry presents, along with my passion for moving the needle and build solutions in new ways, in my teams every day.

I love the work that I do. I love the challenge of staying ahead and thinking of new ways to help customers succeed and I believe the passion that I have for the business helps to inspire my teams to persist in reimagining the way we serve investors.

PHILOSOPHY:

“FINDING YOUR WHY?” UNDERSTANDING YOUR PURPOSE AND BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IT TO Providing guidance and counsel to YOUR TEAM WILL CREATE customers and having the opportunity PASSION TO ACHIEVE YOUR to serve and empower investors is GOALS AND GENERATE rewarding and I understand the VALUE FOR YOUR tremendous impact investment ORGANIZATION. decisions can have on consumers.

Investors face a variety of new challenges on a daily basis - things like market dynamics, regulations, and of course advancing technology - and it is crucial for us to keep up with every element and adapt in real time if we want to help our customers succeed. I work hard to instill that curiosity about the opportunities

IMPACTING PEOPLE’S LIVES Who inspires you? What did they motivate you to achieve or accomplish? For me, my family has been a major inspiration. My grandmother taught me the value of being a clear communicator.

As the manager of multiple family

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businesses, she was a great team builder. She always knew what personalities would work best together, and which employees had the talents that best fit each job.

My father, a biology professor and researcher, incorporated educational lessons and insights into the most ordinary daily events. Although the sciences weren’t my calling, he instilled in me a lifelong thirst for knowledge and pushed me to get my first internship supporting a small temp agency. Watching my bosses -- two female entrepreneurs -- run their business was very powerful and inspired me to pursue a business degree.

My father’s passion for learning and the way that he shared his knowledge with his students and others has played a big role in my life. He inspired me to use my own passion for investing to help others learn and succeed.

Building investment products and delivering advice has a real impact on peoples’ lives, and one goal has been supporting “first generation” wealth accumulators to help them understand how investing can put them on the path to financial empowerment. Just as being the first in your family to attend college comes

with unique challenges, creating a plan to build wealth can be difficult if you don’t have a roadmap laid out by previous generations.

supporting African Americans master the path to college, and there’s an opportunity for the investing industry to replicate that model.

work every day. When you are facing a challenge, your innate passion is the critical factor that will help you achieve success.

How do you motivate others?

There is no one-size-fits-all method for motivating your team. I try to know the members of my team, learning what makes each person tick and ask them what success looks like and what inspires them to deliver their best. The answers are surprising at times but the sooner you realize the range of motivations you’re dealing with, the sooner you’ll be able to effectively encourage them to deliver their best.

EMPOWERING DIVERSE RANGE OF INVESTORS

When you are just getting started, be open to mentorship and if you encounter a senior colleague who’s willing to genuinely guide and support your career, make the most of it. I connected with my mentor early in my career, and that relationship has led to immense professional and personal growth, and I’m so grateful for the wisdom I’ve gained from him over the years.

AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY What do you think is the greatest issue or dilemma facing the African American community today? Closing the wealth gap between African American and white households, which has widened since the Great Recession, needs to be a priority. An immense amount of wealth that was tied to the value of homes has been lost, and many African American families still haven’t recovered.

In addition, many jobs held by African Americans, particularly in manufacturing, simply haven’t come back.

Losing your nest egg or income source is a harrowing experience and it can paralyze investors and prevent them from planning for the future with confidence. For example, our 2016 Financial Freedom Survey found that 38 percent of African Americans are not confident they are saving enough to live comfortably throughout retirement and 32 percent of white Americans feel the same way.

Investing can seem like a daunting task but, thankfully, there is a path to rebuilding wealth, and committing to saving more and increasing your income. I think that we as a community have done a fantastic job

What are the diversity & inclusion challenges and trends Capital One Investing is seeing? We’re building an investment platform that aims to empower America’s diverse range of investors as they plan for the future.

To be successful, we need to hire, empower and promote a diverse group of employees to help bring the right perspectives and experiences to the table as we build products that serve investors. We also know top talent values an inclusive culture, and fostering diversity is to key to creating an inspired, empathic and energized workforce.

We’re also committed to helping Americans gain digital skills through our Future Edge initiative, which is focusing $150 million in community grants and initiatives over 5 years to help more Americans succeed in the digitally driven economy.

TURNING ROADBLOCKS INTO OPPORTUNITIES What’s the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? Be tenacious, and don’t give up. A large part of achieving success is related to rising above the setbacks and sticking it out. Of course, don’t discount the importance of being prepared and knowing your craft, but tenacity is a key component to managing challenges and turning roadblocks into opportunities.

What advice would you give to someone just starting a career? No matter your field or expertise, follow your instincts and pursue work that you feel passionate about. To authentically lead and inspire, you must bring drive and excitement to

What’s your favorite quote and why? During my time at Stanford, I was lucky enough to have Jim Collins as a professor, and his book “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't” is full of wisdom that I’ve turned to time and again. Two quotes that I find particularly inspiring are: “For, in the end, it is impossible to have a great life unless it is a meaningful life. And it is very difficult to have a meaningful life without meaningful work,” and “Faith in the endgame helps you live through the months or years of buildup.”

Butler holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance & Management Information Systems from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. She also holds FINRA Series 7, 9, 10, 66 and 24 licenses. Butler is President of Capital One Investing.

The veteran investment advisor has served in leadership positions at a number of top brokerages including Wells Fargo Advisors, E*TRADE and Merrill Lynch.

Capital One Investing, LLC, is a subsidiary of Capital One Financial Corporation. PDJ

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DIVERSITY IN BLACK LEADERSHIP

.*-'03% .$(6*35 s MANAGING PARTNER KPMG ATLANTA OFFICE

EMBRACING A WINNING ATTITUDE

KPMGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Milford McGuirt embraces an optimistic vision for success. In a discussion with Diversity Journal, he talks about creating opportunities and embracing challenges within the African American community. Below are some excerpts that exemplify his winning attitude: What do you consider your greatest strength, and how do you think it benefits your business? Being authentic and allowing our people to be who they are at work. I think you can connect to people when you share your vision for success and help others see how they can contribute to that success. It is important for leaders to share their stories about how they navigated challenges and opportunities throughout their career.

This will inspire your teams to be the highest performers they can be and your clients/customers will benefit from their engagement.

Who inspires you? What did they motivate you to achieve or accomplish? I have had a number of leaders who have inspired me over my career and I was impressed with how they took ownership for negative outcomes as well as the good. The great leaders did not let their ego get caught up in a title and realized the importance of representing a group of people and positioning them to achieve success. My parents, some teachers and coaches were the best at seeing potential in me and providing honest guidance on what I needed to do to become the best I could be.

OPTIMISM IN THE WORKPLACE; ADDRESSING CHALLENGES How do you motivate others?

I really try to foster an optimistic workplace environment where our people embrace a winning attitude.

I want to inspire confidence that can flow throughout the organization

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MILFORD MCGUIRT

PHILOSOPHY:

“FINDING YOUR WHY?” UNDERSTANDING YOUR PURPOSE AND BEING ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IT TO YOUR TEAM CREATES PASSION TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS AND GENERATE VALUE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION."

KPMG LLP Headquarters: New York, NY Business: Professional services (Audit, Tax, Advisory) Website: kpmg.com/us Twitter: @KPMG_US

and externally into the marketplace.

I think it is critical to let people know that their voice is heard and contributes to innovation and continuous improvement.

What do you think is the greatest issue or dilemma facing the African American community? I worry about the divergence in socioeconomic profiles within the African American community which is largely attributable to gaps in education and skill sets within our demographic.

If we can increase the numbers of AAs participating in the emerging educational pathways including business, entrepreneurial, and the STEM disciplines, we will see a drastic shift in workplace readiness, diversity of talent pools, and general economic growth for the broader community.

I see a number of organizations and industries trying to focus on this solution but we have a long way to go.

What are the D&I challenges and trends KPMG is seeing? Diversity and inclusion is an important strategic priority at KPMG and we’re making good progress with diverse representation at the management and leadership level. There’s more work to be done and it’s important that we continue the integration of D&I prominently in the business strategy and results.

BUILDING COMPETENCE, CREDIBILITY AND CONFIDENCE Most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? Be proactive in the evolution of your career and ensure that your experiences lead to building competence, credibility and confidence.

in it. Build a network of quality relationships. As you progress, reach back and bring someone along with you (develop your successor).

Favorite Quote: “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.”

Achieving the financial goals in our business is incumbent on effective talent management. This quote is the foundation for building a high performing organization which is sustainable because you are broadening your talent pipeline and systemically addressing succession planning.

McGuirt holds a B.B.A. in Accounting, cum laude, Western Michigan University. You’d be surprised to know he sang “My Girl” as the lead on stage with the Temptations. PDJ

What advice would you give to someone just beginning a career?

Pick something you enjoy and excel

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DIVERSITY IN BLACK LEADERSHIP

.&-0/*& 1"3,&3 s HR PROFESSIONAL DIVERSITY AND BUSINESS PLANNING CHALLENGES FACING AFRICAN AMERICANS As an HR professional, Sandia National Laboratory’s Melonie Parker talks to Diversity Journal about D&I trends and shares her thoughts on challenges facing African Americans.

What are the D&I challenges and trends your company is seeing? We continue to see a strong leadership commitment toward the business imperative for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. What may have at one time been viewed as basic moral imperatives is now understood as essential to the success of our corporation. As a result, our D&I strategy is an integral part of business planning and mission execution and directly aligns with our corporate strategic objectives.

A critical focus is ensuring our leadership representation for women and minorities is equal to our representation of women and minorities in our overall population. This is a strong indicator of a healthy workforce and demonstrates strong bench strength of talent. A primary goal of our company is to ensure that our work environment and culture both supports and encourages everyone.

We’re focused on attracting talent from both traditional and nontraditional sources to ensure that we are effectively embracing talent from diverse backgrounds.

We also concentrate on ensuring our work environment and our business practices and rhythms discourage unconscious bias.

A primary goal is to develop and deploy corporate-wide opportunities for diversity and inclusion learning and awareness, and we’re seeing an increase in interest around the topics of implicit and explicit bias and multiple generations in the workplace.

Key challenges continue to be weaving D&I further into the fabric of our organization so it becomes an integral part of our culture, and ensuring all employees have a working knowledge of D&I that empowers them to be a part of achieving our vision.

CHALLENGES FACING AFRICAN AMERICANS What do you think is the greatest issue or dilemma facing the African American community today? I believe the greatest dilemma facing the African American community today are the serious challenges faced

by African American males.

As a mother of a daughter and twin sons I am particularly concerned about the high numbers of homicide; violent crime; incarceration; police brutality; racism; lack of access to quality health care and other institutional practices that can create

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unique barriers for African American males. The impact of these challenges often results in limited educational and economic opportunities which then ensue in an overall diminished quality of life. Additionally, lack of education often causes African American males to assume underemployment that creates an inability to gain equal wages.

Further, black males suffer from higher rates of chronic health conditions compared to white males which are most often related to limited health promoting resources such as health insurance. This cycle, which is heavily influenced by implicit and explicit bias towards African American males, must be recognized, acknowledged and ended.

What do you consider your greatest strength and how do you think it benefits your business? As an HR professional for more than 18 years, I have sought to elevate my team members and the HR profession. My greatest strength is my leadership style and business acumen.

Both are rooted in my dedication to volunteerism and community work that began early in my career.

Through volunteering, I gained key leadership skills, including the ability to listen effectively, influence, negotiate and implement. As I

SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES Headquarters: Albuquerque, NM Business: National security laboratory Website: sandia.gov Website: sandia.gov Twitter: @SandiaLabs

The best motivation I have found is to empower my team and remove barriers and inefficient processes by listening to our customers.

MELONIE PARKER

advanced in my career, I began to emulate other leaders whose approach positively impacted me and sought out professionals with strong business, leadership, and consulting skills.

Who inspires you? What did they motivate you to achieve or accomplish? My passion for supporting and advancing my profession, and diversity endeavors in particular, was instilled in me during my childhood. I remember being inspired as a young child from words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I believed that with hard work and commitment to education I could achieve my dreams. I benefited from the affirmative action programs that were ultimately put in place and as a result I have a deep obligation and desire to further our programs designed to instill diversity and inclusion in everything we do.

I strive every day to establish a work environment centered on inclusion and innovation, because staff are more likely to share and implement creative solutions when they feel included and supported.

How do you motivate others? I am on a lifelong quest to transform HR into an effective strategic resource for our organization, and I have learned that motivating others is the key.

What is the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? To focus on competing against myself and striving for my personal best instead of comparing myself against colleagues and peers.

To support my quest for continuous improvement, I’ve also learned it’s necessary to intentionally “starve my distractions and feed my focus.”

Identifying my priorities has helped me sharpen my focus and to focus on my areas of strength while continuing to develop areas of improvement.

Another important lesson I’ve learned is to continually serve others.

What advice would you give to someone just beginning his or her career? I would challenge them to strive every day to establish their network and embrace that they are on a continuous and evolving relationship-building journey. As they partner with their customers, it’s important to remember that each interaction with a customer and the service they provide must remain on point and polished. I encourage those early in career to stay on the leading edge of their profession. It is important to understand your company’s mission and vision to stay focused on the organization’s overall mission.

Each person has a power to influence business decisions and as your company turns to you, be flexible and have the ability to

quickly translate the action into an effective business strategy. Seek to find positive role models and mentors throughout your career as each experience will be an opportunity to improve business operations.

GIVE YOUR BEST What is your favorite quote, and why? An excerpt on The Man in the Arena from a speech delivered in 1910 in Paris: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

The quote really speaks to me because I believe we have to have courage to keep getting in the center of the ring everyday even when we get knocked down. We must keep getting up! The most important thing is to continually give your best even in the face of adversity and odds. PDJ

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DIVERSITY IN BLACK LEADERSHIP

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY VERONICA S. APPLETON ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

EDUCATOR INSPIRED BY OPRAH SHARES LESSONS ON LEARNING AND BELIEVING In a conversation about black leadership with Diversity Journal, DePaul University adjunct professor Veronica Appleton, shares mentoring experiences and identifies self-awareness as the foundation for success.

“At the core of encouraging individuals, it is essential to motivate others to believe in themselves,” Appleton said.

Inspired by Oprah, the educator talks of her passion for learning and stresses the importance of rebuilding communities and being the voice of unspoken people. Here’s the conversation: What do you consider your greatest strength, and how do you think it benefits your profession? As a professional within higher education, one of my greatest qualities is the desire to continue learning.

Regardless of age, level of expertise or life experiences, there will always be a desire to learn and grow within your profession. From the moment I began teaching at DePaul University, I understood my responsibility as a professional and as a lifelong learner.

Understanding this simple principle is what makes being an educator exciting and rewarding.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF How do you motivate others?

Something I share with students and young women or men whom I mentor, I ask them ‘what are the reasons to believe in you?’ Why should this corporation hire you or is there anything in this term paper that resonates with who you are? At the core of encouraging individuals, it is essential to motivate others to believe in themselves – because at that moment, no one will have the capability to disbelieve in you. When a potential manager or professor looks upon you and your actions, they will say this person is brave, this person is knowledgeable. This person is worth listening to.

Who inspires you? What did they motivate you to achieve or accomplish? For years, I have asked myself, who am I truly inspired by?

Reflecting on this question and how I view myself, I can honestly say that I am inspired and motivated by individuals who lead bravely, who are unshaken by defeat and courageous in being the best version of themselves. I'm inspired to be an individual named 'Veronica Appleton', who at a moment’s notice will honestly approach situations with openness and receptivity.

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What do you think is the greatest issue or dilemma facing the African American community today? As an educator, the value of teaching the fundamentals is essential in the growth process for students. From racial brutality during the Civil Rights Movement, to our beginning existence as kings and queens, our greatest issue today is rebuilding our communities and being the voice of unspoken people. For those who are unable to be here today to tell their story such as Mike Brown, Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland or Eric Garner, we have to continuously vocalize what matters to our families and communities.

SELF AWARENESS – KEY TO SUCCESS What’s the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? Over the years, I’ve learned how important constructive criticism is from a growth and development perspective. Within the workplace or as a student, your growth is tied to the delivery of your work, how you present yourself, and your attitude toward new requests or assignments. The only way to grow is to be open to constructive criticism, attunement and self-awareness. This is the key to long-term success.

PHILOSOPHY:

TO LEAD, YOU MUST LEARN FROM YESTERDAY, LIVE FOR TODAY AND BELIEVE IN TOMORROW. VERONICA S. APPLETON

What advice would you give to someone just beginning his or her career? In addition to teaching at DePaul, I’m also a Project Manager and CoChair for Culture & Inclusion at FCB Chicago, one of the largest global advertising agencies in the world. As someone who switches gears quite often with regard to mindset, you have to be completely aware of what you are able and unable to handle.

What is your favorite quote, and why? "What God intended for you goes far beyond anything you can imagine." - Oprah Winfrey For years, Oprah has inspired me beyond measures and my passion for believing in what God has promised reigns true. This quote speaks volume to the impact that God (or any other spiritual figure) can have on our lives.

Appleton completed her undergraduate education at Purdue University, graduate education at DePaul University and is currently working on her PhD with an anticipated 2018 graduation date within The Chicago School for Professional Psychology. She’s an avid lover of pets, loves participating in marathon walks to support various causes and has written numerous children stories.

PDJ

DEPAUL UNIVERSITY Headquarters: Chicago, IL Business: Higher Education Website: depaul.edu Twitter: @DePaulU

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DIVERSITY IN BLACK LEADERSHIP

COOLEY LLP Headquarters: Business: Website: Twitter:

Palo Alto, California Law Firm cooley.com @cooleyllp

COOLEY LLP

YVAN-CLAUDE PIERRE PARTNER

NEW YORK LAWYER SPEAKS OUT ON RACIAL DIVERSITY ADDRESSES UNDERREPRESENTATION IN FORTUNE 500 A partner with the firm Cooley LLP says racial diversity continues to be a significant challenge in corporate America, particularly with underrepresentation in the executive ranks of Fortune 500 companies.

“We all know that a diverse workforce is paramount to social mobility of all races," said Yvan-Claude Pierre. “This is a major issue that needs to be tackled and addressed by academia as well as by the business community. Not forgotten and swept under the rug in challenging economic times,” he added.

To date, there have only been 15 black CEOs in the history of the Fortune 500. Below, Pierre speaks to Diversity Journal about the role of education in keeping pace with the times and how Cooley is leading by example with respect to diversity initiatives.

EDUCATION IS ESSENTIAL What do you think is the greatest issue or dilemma facing the African American community today? This is an extremely complex issue; however, in an effort to not oversimplify the question, I would say that one of the greatest dilemmas facing the African American community today is an education issue. That, and keeping pace with a challenging economic and business environment.

According to the most recent statistics from The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education, although the number of African Americans attending college has slightly increased, the nationwide college graduation rate for African American students stands at an appallingly low rate of 42 percent. This figure is 20 percentage points below the 62 percent rate for white students.

As a result, many businesses, much less law firms, are not seeing enough African American candidates in the employable pool of applicants. This leads to African Americans being underrepresented in the management of Fortune 500 companies and in the Top 100 law firms.

During my career, I’ve sat on the boards of organizations like STRIVE International and Youth About Business that are trying to address this issue head on.

D&I CHALLENGES AND TRENDS What are the D&I challenges and trends Cooley is seeing? We’re making great efforts with respect to diversity and inclusion. Cooley’s focus on diversity is a CEO-led management priority.

Cooley has an excellent and active diversity committee that works alongside management to create programs and policies to advance the firm’s diversity and inclusion

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goals. Our efforts are collaborative, as evidenced by our lawyer-led affinity groups, which provide a forum and resource for support, and promote awareness, enhance recruiting, retention, and training initiatives.

We have a strong relationship development program in place and an award-winning women’s initiative.

We’re also increasingly focusing on advancing women and minorities into senior leadership positions, while continuing to hire more diverse entry and lateral level attorneys.

The firm has a diversity fellowship, which is awarded to outstanding first year law students. Last year, we hired a manager of diversity and inclusion who works to help recruit diverse attorneys, and to provide the necessary tools and support to advance diverse attorneys to leadership positions in the firm. In an effort to address institutional barriers to success, unconscious bias was the keynote discussion of a past partner conference and a topic the firm is investing in for future training.

We’re also starting to increasingly see clients who are adamant that we present them with diverse legal teams. This is helping to create change more broadly in the firm and across the legal profession. We’re proud to partner with companies who require this of us.

YVAN-CLAUDE PIERRE

I focus on foreseeing clients’ complex legal issues, and vigorously advocating for them in navigating both their business and personal challenges. The ability to advise clients on a myriad of issues, at any stage, is a vital component of being a successful Cooley partner.

ACHIEVING GOALS What’s the most important lesson you have learned in the course of your career? I’ve learned that it’s very difficult for a person to achieve success without identifying clear goals and working hard to achieve those goals.

PHILOSOPHY:

LIFE IS SHORT, SO SET YOUR GOALS HIGH TO BE THE BEST IN ALL PARTS OF LIFE.

LEADING BY EXAMPLE Who inspires you? What did they motivate you to achieve or accomplish? My father is my inspiration. He worked for 30 years at IBM, missing only a single day of work in that time. He ate just a ham-and-cheese sandwich for lunch every day, which took tremendous discipline (or lack of a palate). His work ethic was ingrained in me and has motivated me to work just as tirelessly to reach my goals. Candidly, I usually opt for a different type of sandwich.

How do you motivate others? I always try to lead by example. I work

closely with our partners, special counsel and the associates in my practice group. I lead from the front, challenging the client team and exposing all members of the team to clients from the get-go. I also strive to mentor and motivate my colleagues by demonstrating my passion for our work and for our obsession with providing superlative client service throughout the firm.

What do you consider your greatest strength, and how do you think it benefits the law firm?

My greatest strength is business judgement and a commitment to serving clients by learning the integral facets of their businesses.

What advice would you give to someone just beginning his or her career? For someone about to enter the legal field, whatever position you hold at the start of your career should be viewed and treated as a career and not just a job. This perspective puts you in the mindset to do the best work possible while climbing the corporate ladder. In addition, you are the only person who can look out for your best interests, so be sure to own that and always remember that you only get one first impression.

What is your favorite quote and why? My favorite quote is by Lou Holtz who said, “Never tell your problems to anyone: 20 percent don't care and the other 80 percent are glad you have them.” This quote epitomizes the fact that you shouldn’t waste your time feeling sorry for yourself. Pick yourself up quickly and find solutions to your problems.

Yvan-Claude Pierre is a partner with Cooley LLP. He holds a JD from the University at Buffalo Law School and BA’s from the University at Albany, State University of New York Albany. You may be surprised that he’s an avid indoor cyclist at Soul Cycle. Cooley LLP has 900 lawyers across 12 offices in the United States, China and Europe. PDJ

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LINKAGE -"63" 450/& s VICE PRESIDENT */$-64*7& -&"%&34)*1 13*/$*1"- $0/46-5"/5 INFLUENCING THE C-SUITE AND DRIVING THE BOTTOM LINE LINKAGE’S PROGRAM UNLOCKING POWER OF INCLUSION

BY RUTH HAWK - EDITOR Linkage’s program for inclusive leadership is harnessing untapped leadership potential that’s unleashing workforce potential and generating bottom line results.

indicate that inclusive organizations with more diverse workforces are performing better financially.

“We’re focusing on the qualities and competencies of what it takes to truly lead inclusively across an entire organization to realize the value it brings in driving success. Developing strong leadership just isn’t enough to achieve success in today’s increasingly global marketplace. At the end of the day, it’s about developing effective leaders who can deliver the results necessary to outperform the competition,” Linkage’s Vice President of Inclusive Leadership Laura Stone said.

The Linkage program is a roadmap designed for companies looking for better ways to lead increasingly diverse workforces. It links strategies for diversity and inclusion, talent engagement, organization and leadership development together to generate change. Along the way, it strategically drives inclusive leadership to create a more engaged workforce that’s better equipped to deliver desirable business outcomes.

The Linkage Intensive™ on Leading Inclusively is being taught in several organizations. One is a $76 billion company with 110,000 employees in 80 countries. The curriculum has been rolled out to 1,400 of its leaders in the United States and will be phased-in later this year at locations in Brazil, China, Europe and Japan.

“While we’re still in the early stages, the data is showing us that the program is unlocking a measurable way for companies to track progress toward becoming more inclusive,” Stone said. This work has helped form a more aligned culture capable of generating positive results and effectively influencing the C-Suite.

This parallels research findings which

ROADMAP TO INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP

“We have experienced a growing number of leaders globally who are looking for ways to engage employees from underrepresented groups in a more conscious and intentional way.

They also recognize the importance of creating a supportive environment where all employees feel valued and can truly innovate—but often times, they don’t know where to start. We assess where an organization or leader is stuck, provide valuable insight via a team setting and through one-on-one coaching, facilitate direct problem solving, and connect the system and the people in it to the larger organization strategy,” Stone said.

REALIZING FULL POTENTIAL Stone says today’s business leaders are required to be globally sophisticated, emotionally intelligent,

culturally and politically savvy, selfaware, strategic, and connected to the customer; all while maintaining a focus on business imperatives.

“Inclusive leaders create competitive advantage—they engage and bring together colleagues with a wide array of viewpoints, expertise, backgrounds, and cultures. Never before have we had a workforce with such a range of ages, ethnicities, cultures and mindsets. The opportunity is now for us to maximize this talent” she said.

Linkage identifies some of the challenges posed by the changing dynamics in workforces and markets as the following: t 8PNFO BSF PQUJOH PVU PG TFOJPS leadership at a clear and predictable rate. t 6OEFSSFQSFTFOUFE HSPVQT BSF not getting promotions nor are they represented in board rooms or C-Suites, or accessed for strategic imperatives. t &NQMPZFF FOHBHFNFOU JT inconsistent, with pockets of disengagement correlated to diversity and specific leaders. t ćF DPTU GPS PSHBOJ[BUJPOT XIPTF employees feel a sense of exclusion and disengagement has a larger impact on turnover and productivity than more obvious problems like harassment.

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Linkage’s program addresses these challenges in part by exploring the thought processes that drive how leaders show up. “Our work indicates that understanding their own blind spots is what leaders struggle with the most when it comes to leading inclusively and effectively creating an environment where each individual can contribute fully in their role,” Stone said.

LAURA STONE

It also blends case studies, role playing, and peer learning to help leaders build awareness and modify their own leadership style. One of the interactive discussions features a maturity matrix, which is designed to ignite dialogue around how to track and measure the behavioral competencies of inclusive leaders.

INCLUSIVE LEADERSHIP Inclusive leadership recognizes all employees, especially within underrepresented groups, for their uniqueness, talents, and gifts, making them feel welcome, accepted, and valued.

For decades, Linkage has been supporting line leaders as well as talent and diversity professionals. Its Inclusive Leadership Assessment™ materialized from trends that emerged from the Institute for Diversity and Inclusion™ an immersive learning event that the company sponsored for 17 years. They found that line leaders wanted to engage all of the different populations in their organizations, not just D&I specialists. They then set out to get a better understanding of the market through an in-depth interview process with senior leaders at organizations globally to ultimately answer the question: What makes a leader lead inclusively? Linkage’s research finds most leaders want to engage everyone, yet many of them unintentionally cause others to feel excluded, leading to disengagement.

While there is positive intent; there is negative impact. To bridge the gap, the Linkage Intensive™ on Leading Continued on pg. 64

Read more at DIVERSITYJOURNAL.COM

63

Continued from pg. 63

Inclusively maps the behavioral competencies essential for building an inclusive culture, increasing employee engagement, and advancing strategic imperatives.

A primary part of the program frames key questions for leaders: t )PX DBO * MFBE JO B XBZ UIBU JT not limited by my unconscious biases and inherently limited worldview? t 8IBU DBO * EP UP MFBE FWFSZPOF to be fully engaged in the work of the organization and contribute all of their talents, worldviews and discretionary effort?

Linkageâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s initial journey initiates clients through strategic conversation that:

CORE COMPETENCIES Linkage addresses these questions through behavioral assessments, organization development, action learning and skill-building practices that probe into competencies needed to excel at inclusive leadership. The program focuses on the following competencies: At the core, inclusive leaders: Are focused on results: They focus on results and the common good, as opposed to the personal style or methods for achieving the results.

Understand how to leverage diversity and talent: They execute goals, strategy, and operations by fully leveraging the organizationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talent.

They lead themselves by: t &YQMPSFT QFSTQFDUJWFT TUBLFIPMEFS Being Courageous: They tactfully interviews from a number of acknowledge and discuss differences, projects, levels, functions) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as strengths and weaknesses, What is going on? performance, style, and motivators t %JTDFSOT TJHOJÄ&#x2022;DBODF o as well as differences such as race, What really matters? gender, and background.

What are priorities?

Being Authentic and Open: They What else do we need to appropriately share their own identity better understand? through effective storytelling and

t &OWJTJPOT QPTTJCJMJUJFT o what are the potential approaches to addressing what really matters?

It evolves into assessing: t )PX XFMM MFBEFST understand their role in creating inclusive cultures? t )PX TFMG BXBSF BSF MFBEFST of their impact vs. their intent? t %P UIF TFOJPS MFBEFST connect why and how having an inclusive organization is integral to the success of the business and winning in the marketplace? t )PX XJMM XF LOPX XF are successful?

acknowledge their own fallibilities.

Valuing Other Perspectives: They recognize that all individuals have unique and valuable contributions.

They lead culture by: Allowing for Differences: They recognize how others are different and how this can reflect in working style. They appropriately adapt to these differences.

Sharing Authority, Power, and Credit: They empower others to autonomously pursue their goals, appropriately allocate individual praise and recognition, and enable others to contribute to decisions regardless of their level in organizational hierarchy.

Building a Climate of Trust and Respect: They establish a culture of civility where individuals are free to self-disclose without concern of reprisal, judgment, or gossip. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, good intentions are no longer enough,â&#x20AC;? Stone said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;New language, awareness and insight are just the start. Deeper understanding of unconscious bias, identity, privilege, and power are now the new baseline in inclusive leadership,â&#x20AC;? she added.

With the program, Linkage is creating the â&#x20AC;&#x153;linkageâ&#x20AC;? between diversity and inclusion strategy and applying it to talent engagement and leadership development. It is helping clients self-diagnose their own journey in creating inclusive cultures.

Laura Stone is a Vice President, Executive Coach, and Principal Consultant at Linkage. She is an expert strategist, speaker, and top team facilitator, and has extensive experience working with leaders and leadership teams to drive bottom-line results.

At Linkage, Ms. Stone oversees the development and codification of the firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in Inclusive Leadership.

She has more than 25 years of expertise as a strategic leadership consultant, advisor and executive coach with organizations such as Pfizer, Harvard Vanguard, AstraZeneca, Harvard Business School, GE, Fidelity Investments, and Unilever. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also adept at working with organizations of every size (from start-ups to the Fortune 100). She holds a BA in both English Literature and French from the University of Wisconsin, and studied International Relations and Art History at the Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Institut Dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;American in Aix-en-Provence, France, as well as energy medicine at the Four Winds Society. She is a former U.S. Coast Guard 50 Ton Captain as well as a former contributing editor to HRO Today in the area of leadership and organization development. PDJ

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Bold denotes advertiser

CORPORATE INDEX

AT&T ..........................................att.com ...................................30, 31, 32, 33

PNC ............................................pnc.com ...................................................12

Bank of the West ........................bankofthewest.com ................................... 2

Sandia National Laboratories .....sandia.gov ....................... 34, 35, 42, 56, 57

Capital One Investing .................capitaloneinvesting.com .....................52, 53

Sodexo, Inc. ...............................sodexousa.com .............................10, 50, 51

Cooley LLP..................................cooley.com ..........................................60, 61

Teachers College, Columbia University ................... tc.columbia.edu .................................48, 49

DePaul University .......................depaul.edu..........................................58, 59 Diversity & Inclusion, LLC ...........diversityinclusion.io ............................36, 37 Duke University ..........................duke.edu .............................................40, 41 FordHarrison LLP ........................fordharrison.com ................................16, 17 KPMG LLP...................................kpmg.com/us ............ cover, 8, 28, 29, 54, 55 KPMG Foundation ......................phdproject.org ....................... 43, 44, 45, 67 Linkage, Inc................................ linkageinc.com .........................42,62,63,64 Minnesota Department of Transportation .......................dot.state.mn/us ........................... 20, 21, 47 New York Life .............................newyorklife.com ......................................65

68

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The Everest Project .....................everestproject.org ...............................22, 23 Thermo Fisher Scientific .............thermofisher.com .................... 8, 13, 18, 19 Tripping.com ..............................tripping.com .......................................24, 25 University of South Carolina .......sc.edu ......................................................42 USG Corporation.........................usg.com/content/usgcom/en.html .....26, 27 Walmart .....................................walmart.com ...........................................66 WilsonHCG .................................wilsonhcg.com ....................................14, 15 2U ..............................................2U.com................................................46, 47 3M .............................................3m.com...................................................... 5

Take time to recognize the good around you.

At New York Life, we recognize that employees’ unique qualities often lead to innovation, positive change, and a more productive and dynamic workplace.

For more information about New York Life visit us at www.newyorklife.com/diversity © 2014 New York Life Insurance Company, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010 Keep Good Going® is a registered trademark of New York Life Insurance Company, all rights reserved.

Life Insurance. Retirement. Investments.

KEEP

Every day, in our stores, we see firsthand the benefits diversity and inclusion have on our associates, customers and communities we serve. It all starts with our core basic belief of respect for the individual.

Leadership is inclusive KPMG LLP believes our people must be as diverse as the clients and communities we serve, and that their unique backgrounds, experiences, and talents are essential to our success. We are proud that, at every level of our firm, our professionals take ownership for creating a diverse and inclusive culture.

We congratulate and thank our Chairman and CEO Lynne Doughtie, and all of Profiles in Diversity Journal’s CEOs in Action for their leadership.

kpmg.com

© 2016 KPMG LLP, a Delaware limited liability partnership and the U.S. member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. Printed in the U.S.A. The KPMG name and logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International. NDPPS 540008

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