Also Featuring…Front-Runner Desiree Dancy—The New York Times Company • Asian Pacific American Heritage Month • Supplier Diversity

Experts

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 Don’t ever give up on what you believe in.
Not once.
Not ever.
My dream is to do extraordinary things every day.
Life’s calling. Where to next?

Power On
My parents always treated me
like any other kid. And when
I fell, my mom didn’t always
rush to pick me up. “Sarah’s
going to pick herself up.” It
was a really important lesson
for me to learn. For me to
keep up, I always had to
be tougher than the rest.
And I think that’s still
true today.
– Sarah Reinertsen

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Don’t ever give up on what you believe in.
Not once.
Not ever.
My dream is to do extraordinary things every day.
Life’s calling. Where to next?

Power On
My parents always treated me
like any other kid. And when
I fell, my mom didn’t always
rush to pick me up. “Sarah’s
going to pick herself up.” It
was a really important lesson
for me to learn. For me to
keep up, I always had to
be tougher than the rest.
And I think that’s still
true today.
– Sarah Reinertsen

The new 2008 Lincoln MKZ with a 263-hp V6 and a smooth 6-speed
automatic. So agile, so responsive, it can take on any challenge.
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Last is First James R. Rector
PUBLISHER

T
John Murphy
MANAGING EDITOR

The last thing we put together each issue is the table of

Cheri Morabito
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
contents. It’s very satisfying to look back over what’s been produced
and tabulate it all for readers. The “TOC,” as we call it, gives us one Damian Johnson
MARKETING DIRECTOR
last glance backward to make sure we got it all right. And I can tell you
Laurel L. Fumic
that for this issue, we did. CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Let’s start with our cover feature on WellPoint, Inc. Imagine the Alina Dunaeva
O verseas C orrespondent
challenges of running a company of this size—40,000 or so employees,
Jason Bice
sales of $60 billion—in an industry as fast-changing as health benefits. WEB MASTER

But Angela Braly is piloting the ship with skill and finesse, and having
a grand time doing it. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Much the same can be said of Desiree Dancy, our Front-Runner in Commentaries or questions should be
addressed to: Profiles in Diversity Journal,
Diversity Leadership at The New York Times Company. In case you haven’t
P.O. Box 45605, Cleveland, OH 44145-0605.
noticed, newspapers are facing the most difficult years in their history.
All correspondence should include author’s
Yet Desiree abounds with optimism. Read her story for some real-life full name, address, e-mail and phone number.
inspiration.
DISPLAY ADVERTISING
We’ve also squeezed two other special focus features into this issue.
Profiles in Diversity Journal
The first observes Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. You have Gemini Towers #1
a chance to meet nine remarkable individuals as they reflect on the 1991 Crocker Road, Suite 320
people who made a difference in their lives. Westlake, OH 44145
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plier diversity manage to meet the challenges they face every day, profiles@diversityjournal.com
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2 Pro f i les i n D i ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

Goodstein
 Diversity & Inclusion.
It’s the foundation of who we are.™

Not only does diversity celebrate our

differences, it celebrates our similarities.
Diversity and inclusion is more than an aspiration
at Bank of America – it’s part of our culture
and core values and essential to remaining
competitive in today’s global marketplace.

We value and welcome diversity of viewpoint,

approach and background.

In addition to being the right thing to do, encouraging

a diverse, inclusive workplace gives us the business
advantage of understanding and meeting the needs
of our diverse customers, clients and shareholders.

At every level of the company, we are committed

to ensuring an inclusive work environment where
associates can achieve their personal and
professional goals so the company – and the
communities we serve – can grow and succeed.

©2008 Bank of America Corporation | AD-03-08-1311 Diversity Journal

 Volume 10 • Number 3
May / June 2008

features
Celebrating
16 Special Focus:
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Asian Pacific American
16 Heritage Month
The theme for this year’s Asian Pacific American
Heritage Month is “Lighting the Past, Present,
and Future.” The nine contributors here touch
on all three aspects in ways that are both humbling
and inspiring.
The theme for this year’s Asian Pacific
33 On the Cover / WellPoint, Inc. American Heritage Month is“Lighting the Past,
Angela Braly, president and and CEO of WellPoint,
Present, and Future.” The nine contributors
Inc., graduated from Southern Methodist
University with a passion: to make a difference here touch on all three aspects in ways that are
as a lawyer. Today, she leads nearly 42,000 both humbling and inspiring. Their personal
associates at WellPoint and is living out her and professional achievements affirm the
dream and her vision.
wisdom of embracing cultural diversity in
our workplace and our communities.
67
33
Front-Runner / Desiree Dancy
Desiree Dancy is the Vice President of Diversity
and Inclusion at The New York Times Company.
This jazz aficionado works every day to support,
retain, and recruit a diverse workforce that will
see The New York Times Company well into
the 21st century.

76 Special Focus:
Supplier Diversity
In a recent survey of a select group of leading
organizations, Profiles in Diversity Journal
found that many companies still struggle with
aspects of their supplier diversity programs. The
companies here shared with us their strategies
and techniques to improve and advance their own
67
supplier diversity programs.

76 Strategies from the Experts SUPP

Strategies from the Experts SUPPLIER DIVERSITY

4 Pro f i les i n D i ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

 Dell recommends
Windows Vista
TM

Business

A CULTURE AS
DIVERSE AS OUR
TECHNOLOGY
Look for the many diverse products that Dell offers,
including the Dell Latitude D630 with Intel® Centrino®
processor technology at Dell.com.

PARTNER, GROW
AND ASPIRE AT DELL

Intel, the Intel logo, Centrino, Centrino Inside, Intel Core and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation
in the U.S. and other countries. Dell is an AA/EO employer. Workforce diversity is an essential part of Dell’s
commitment to quality and to the future. We encourage you to apply, whatever your race, gender, color,
religion, national origin, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or veteran status.
 Volume 10 • Number 3
May / June 2008

departments

8 Momentum Diversity Who, What, Where and When

14 Catalyst A
 nnouncing the Winners of the
2008 Catalyst Award

92 MicroTriggers More Stories from

Janet Crenshaw Smith

perspectives

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

60 Viewpoint by Melanie Harrington, AIMD

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

64 My Turn by Shirley A. Davis, PhD, SHRM

96 Last Word by Marie Y. Philippe, PhD

6 Pro f i les i n D i ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

 Oct. 27-29, 2008
Atlanta, Ga.
Atlanta Marriott Marquis

Leading, Changing, Transforming

SHRM Diversity Conference & Exposition

Keynote Speakers

Join us in Atlanta.
Register now! Lisa Ling Frans Johansson Bill Strickland
Registration opens Host, National
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Three from ComEd the design and construction of new Killelea joined Comcast in 2003
Make List of Top Black service connections. as the vice president of human re-
Technology Executives Commonwealth Edison Company sources for Comcast’s advertising
CHICAGO—U.S. Black Engineer (ComEd) is a unit of Chicago-based division. She has a master’s degree
& Information Technology Magazine Exelon Corporation, one of the from the Kogod School of Business
named three ComEd (NYSE: nation’s largest electric utilities with at American University and is a
EXC) executives to its annual list approximately 5.4 million customers. graduate of the Betsy Magness
of the 100 Most Important Blacks Leadership Institute.
in Technology: Frank M. Clark, Grace Killelea Named Comcast Corporation
ComEd chairman and CEO; George VP of Talent and (www.comcast.com) is the nation’s
Williams, senior vice president of Leadership Initiatives leading provider of entertainment,
operations; and Kevin Brookins, vice PHILADELPHIA information and communications
president of work management and —Comcast Cable products and services.
new business. (NASDAQ:
Clark joined ComEd in 1966 and CMCSA, Farmers Insurance Names
has overseen a wide CMCSK) an- Ruggiero Vice President,
variety of corporate nounced the pro- Legislative and
and frontline func- motion of Grace Regulatory Affairs
Killelea
tions including Killelea to vice LOS ANGELES—
customer service president of talent and leadership ini- Denise Ruggiero
operations; mar- tiatives, a newly created position. has joined Farmers
keting and sales; Killelea will focus on creating, inte- Insurance Group
Clark
regulatory, govern- grating, and leading the talent man- as vice president
mental and community affairs; infor- agement and executive development of legislative and
mation technology; communications; function throughout Comcast. She regulatory affairs.
Ruggiero
human resources; labor relations; and will continue to oversee Comcast’s She will be a key
distribution services. Emma L. Bowen Foundation intern- player in the company’s key states,
Williams joined ship program, which involves minori- said officials.
ComEd in 2006 ty high school and college students in Ruggiero was managing attor-
and has 24 years of media and communications through ney for State Farm in Sacramento,
utility experience. a multiyear work/study program. California, where she was responsible
He oversees one of For 10 years, Killelea, who has for legislative, regulatory, and initia-
the nation’s largest more than 25 years of experience tive activity in 11 states. Before
electrical distribu- in human resources, has been a that she was State Farm counsel for
tion systems.
Williams leader in Women in Cable Texas and also served as divisional
Telecommunications (WICT), claims superintendent for litigation
Brookins began his career at the oldest and largest organization and auto claims.
ComEd in 1983 as an analyst in cor- serving women professionals in cable A member of the Texas and
porate planning. and telecommunications. She also California state bar associations,
He is responsible has served for six years as sole facilita- Ruggiero is a certified public accoun-
for the prioritiza- tor of the Betsy Magness Leadership tant. She has a JD from St. Mary’s
tion and schedul- Institute program, developing more University, San Antonio, Texas, and a
ing of construction than 300 female cable industry execu- bachelor’s in business administration
and maintenance tives across the country. from the University of Houston. She
Brookins
activities as well as is a native of Texas.

8 Pro f i les i n D ive rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

 Farmers Group Inc. is headquar-
tered in Los Angeles and does busi-
ness in 41 states. The company is a
wholly owned subsidiary of Zurich
Financial Services, an insurance-based
financial services provider with a
global network.
Bingham Names Ralph Martin
as Boston Office
Managing Partner
BOSTON—
Bingham
McCutchen has
named partner
and former Suffolk
County District
Attorney Ralph C.
Martin
Martin II as the
first managing partner of its Boston
office. Martin, co-chair of Bingham’s
Diversity Committee, joined
Bingham in 2002 after 10 years as the
Commonwealth’s first elected black
district attorney.
As a litigation partner at Bingham,
Martin has built a successful private
practice in the areas of corporate in-
vestigations and white-collar defense.
He has served as managing principal
of Bingham Consulting Group, a
subsidiary business of the firm that
guides companies through public
policy challenges at the local, state,
and national levels.
Bingham McCutchen LLP (www.
bingham.com) is a national law firm
with global capabilities, representing
clients in cross-border restructurings
and insolvencies, high-stakes litiga-
tion, complex financing and regula-
tory matters, government affairs, and
a wide variety of sophisticated corpo-
rate and technology transactions.
Cargill’s Law Department
Honored for
Diversity Leadership
CHICAGO—Cargill’s law depart-
ment was one of two corporate
legal departments to capture 2008
Employer of Choice awards at the
Midwest Region Diversity Dinner
of the Minority Corporate Counsel
Association (MCCA).
MCCA honored Cargill for its
role in Twin Cities Diversity in
Practice, a communitywide effort to
recruit and retain minority lawyers in
Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.
As the first corporate law depart-
ment to join the organization, Cargill
helped to recruit additional corporate
members, who now number 14.
Cargill also was honored for its
companywide employee affinity
groups, including the Ebony
Council, the Hispanic-Latino
Council, the Women’s Council, and
the Rainbow Alliance (for lesbian-
gay-transgender employees).
Grand Valley State University
Names First VP for
Inclusion and Equity
Thomas J. Haas,
president of
Grand Valley
State University
in Allendale,
Michigan, an-
nounced the ap-
Arnold
pointment of Dr.
Jeanne Arnold from the University
of Pennsylvania as the university’s
first vice president for inclusion and
equity. Arnold reports directly to the
president and is part of the senior
management team. Grand Valley is
one of the first regional four-year
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
public universities to hire a person at
this senior leadership level, according
to Greenwood & Associates Inc., the
firm that assisted in the search.
Arnold was the executive direc-
tor in the office of affirmative action
and equal opportunity programs at
the University of Pennsylvania, where
she had worked since 1995. Arnold
earned a master’s degree and her
EdD in higher education manage-
ment from the Ivy League university.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from
Pennsylvania State University.
Grand Valley State University,
established in 1960, is a four-year
public university that offers 69
undergraduate and 26 graduate
degree programs.
Ted Mathas Named CEO-elect
of New York Life
NEW YORK—
Ted Mathas has
been named chief
executive officer-
elect by the Board
of Directors
Mathas
of New York
Life Insurance
Company. Beginning July 1, he will
succeed Sy Sternberg, 64, who has
been CEO for more than a decade,
as the 18th chief executive in the
company’s 163-year history. Sternberg
will remain chairman of the board of
directors in a nonexecutive capacity
for a transition period.
Mathas, 40, currently is president
and chief operating officer, respon-
sible for overseeing all domestic and
international business operations
including life insurance, retirement
income, investments, long-term care
insurance and related businesses, as
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 9
well as the company’s career agency
system. He will retain the president’s
title upon assuming the chief execu-
tive’s role in July.
Mathas graduated with distinction
with a bachelor’s degree from
Stanford University in 1989. He
received a JD in 1992 from the
University of Virginia, where he was
a member of the Virginia Law
Review and the Order of the Coif.
Mathas joined New York Life in June
1995 as an officer in the asset man-
agement department.
Founded in 1845, New York
Life Insurance Company
(www.newyorklife.com), a Fortune
100 company, is the largest mutual
life insurance company in the United
States and one of the largest life
insurers in the world.
MetLife Appoints Thomas
Stephens as Vice President of
Northeast Agency Group
NEW YORK—
MetLife Inc.
(NYSE: MET)
named Thomas
Stephens vice pres-
ident for the com-
pany’s Northeast
Stephens
Agency Group. In
his new role, Stephens is responsible
for growing the MetLife field force,
retention of top producers, sales,
productivity, and profitability. He
oversees sales offices that span from
upstate New York to New England
and Eastern Pennsylvania.
Since 2002, Stephens was territori-
al director of annuity sales at MetLife
where his team led the company in
sales for the last four consecutive
10 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal
years. Before that, he spent several
years as a financial advisor with New
England Financial, where he was
honored in 2001 with the Edward
E. Phillips Award for his outstanding
work in the field and recognized for
his community outreach efforts.
For the past 17 years he has
volunteered as a mentor and board
member of the Paul Robeson
Institute, a leadership academy for
youth. He also serves on the boards
of Newbury College in Brookline,
Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts
Turnpike Authority.
Stephens holds undergraduate
and graduate degrees in mathemat-
ics from Hampton University and
Northeastern University respectively.
He currently resides in Boston.
MetLife Inc. (www.metlife.com)
is a leading provider of insurance
and financial services with operations
throughout the United States,
Latin America, Europe and the Asia
Pacific region.
Keith Wyche of Pitney Bowes
Among First Inductees
to International Board of
Renaissance Leaders
STAMFORD,
Conn.—Keith
Wyche, president
of U.S. Operations
for Pitney Bowes
Management
Services, Inc.
Wyche
(PBMS), a wholly
owned subsidiary of Pitney Bowes
Inc. (NYSE: PBI), today has been
inducted into the Martin Luther King
Jr. International Board of Renaissance
Leaders, established by Morehouse
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
College of Atlanta, Georgia. Mr.
Wyche is among the first class of in-
ductees to the Board.
Among the inductees are luminar-
ies in their respective fields, including
Congressman Charles Rangel, actor
Blair Underwood, and sports agent
Bill Duffy.
In his current role at PBMS,
Wyche is responsible for managing
operations at the company’s customer
sites throughout the United States
and its Document Solutions Centers.
Wyche is currently on the board
of directors of both the Executive
Leadership Council, a professional
organization comprised of the top
African American senior corpo-
rate executives America, and the
National Black MBA Association.
He is also the author of the upcom-
ing book, Good is Not Enough: And
Other Unwritten Rules for Minority
Professionals, published by Portfolio.
In 2007, he was named a “Man of
Distinction” by the National Urban
League and one of the “Top 50 Under
50” corporate executives by Diversity
MBA magazine. Recognized for lead-
ership by both Black Enterprise and
Ebony magazines, Wyche received his
BBA degree from Cleveland State
University and MBA from Baldwin-
Wallace College.
Pitney Bowes Management
Services provides on-site and off-site
outsourced mail, print and document
management solutions to the Fortune
1000, American Legal 200 and
Federal Government agencies. The
company was founded in 1920 and
annual revenues now total
$6.1 billion. More information is
available at www.pb.com.
Takasugi Honored by Mexican Bar Association
with Lifetime Achievement Award
LOS ANGELES—The Honorable Robert M. Takasugi
of the Central District of California has received the Frank
E. Munoz Lifetime Achievement Award from the Mexican
American Bar Association. The award celebrates and hon-
ors Judge Takasugi’s commitment to justice and expanding
opportunities for Mexican Americans and other minority
and marginalized groups. For more than 40 years, he has
provided a pro bono bar review course to assist and tutor
unsuccessful applicants to the California State Bar exami-
nation who are in financial need.
Interned with 130,000 other Japanese Americans dur-
ing World War II, Takasugi became the first Japanese
American appointed to the federal bench in 1976. During
his 32 years on the bench, he has been widely honored
by numerous lawyer and community groups. The Asian
American Bar Association of the Greater Bay Area saluted
Takasugi for these awards and his commitment and dedi-
cation to the courts and legal community.
Adrienne Arsht Delivers Keynote Speech
Ending Women’s History Month at Burger King
MIAMI—Burger King Corp. (NYSE:BKC) ended
Women’s History Month with a keynote speech by suc-
cessful businesswoman and prominent philanthropist
Adrienne Arsht. Entitled “Life’s Lessons,” Arsht’s address
featured proverbs, quotations, and stories for BKC em-
ployees and key executives at a special luncheon at com-
pany headquarters.
A community-minded power broker, Arsht has taken a
leading role in cultural, business, and civic efforts promot-
ing the growth and development of the arts and commerce
in her adopted hometown of Miami. She recently made a
$30 million donation to Miami’s Performing Arts Center,
one of the largest financial contributions to the arts in the
United States. With this contribution, the newly renamed
Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-
Dade County secured its financial footing and ensured the
future of quality cultural programming.
Arsht is chairman emerita of TotalBank, where she
served as chairman of the board for 11 years. Under her
leadership, TotalBank grew to 14 locations, more than
$1.4 billion in assets, and earned a solid reputation for
highly personalized service and a strong commitment to
the community. In November 2007, Arsht sold the bank
to Banco Popular Español, the third largest banking group
in Spain.
The Burger King (www.bk.com) system operates more
than 11,300 restaurants in all 50 states and in 69 countries
and U.S. territories worldwide. Approximately 90 percent
of Burger King restaurants are owned and operated by in-
dependent franchisees. PDJ
Pictured (L to R):
Sherry Ulsh, Burger King
Director and President of Women’s
Leadership Forum,
Adrienne Arsht, National
Business Leader and Philanthropist,
Anne Chwat, Executive
Vice President,
Robert Perkins, VP of Inclusion
and Talent Management.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 11
 from my perspective…

Champions of Hope—Not Pity

By Linda Jimenez

R
Chief Diversity Officer & Staff Vice President—Diversity & Culture
WellPoint, Inc.

Recently I attended President George Bush signed the Americans

a dinner where CAREERS & the with Disabilities Act in 1991, and it became one of the
disABLED magazine recognized most compassionate pieces of legislation enacted. During
individuals with their Employee the congressional debate, advocates pointed out that
of the Year awards. One of there were some 35-43 million disabled Americans.
WellPoint’s associates, Tom Foran, Even the lower estimate made the disabled the country’s
was receiving an award, and I was delighted to be shar- largest minority.
ing in this special moment with him, his wife Candace, The ranks of the disabled are growing daily with the
several of his co-workers, and his manager. I wasn’t pre- graying of America. Disability is the one minority anyone
pared for how inspirational and truly moving the evening can join at any time, as a result of a sudden automobile
turned out to be for me. accident, a fall down a flight of stairs, cancer, or disease.
Initially, I am sure there were those in the room It took a president with polio (Franklin D. Roosevelt)

“
who felt a pang of
sadness that these

individuals had Pity is the equivalent of bias or prejudice
been dealt a dif-
ficult blow. But
and leads to one thing: exclusion.
by the end of the
evening there likely wasn’t one person who didn’t feel
moved to be in the presence of such “Champions of Hope
—not pity.”
One by one award recipients were introduced by a
representative from their companies. Their personal ac-
complishments at work and their volunteerism and com-
munity service were highlighted. The stories the honorees
told weren’t so much about their disability but about
opportunity. They relished the opportunity to simply
compete and to compete equally.
One reason people with disabilities are not gaining
employment is because of pity. Pity is the equivalent
of bias or prejudice and leads to one thing: exclusion.
In the workplace, that means unemployment or under-
employment.
People with disabilities want neither pity-ridden pa-
ternalism nor overblown admiration. What I heard from
the award recipients was a desire to be fully accepted
participants in everyday life.
”
and the severely injured veterans of World War II, Korea,
and Vietnam to make Americans aware that being dis-
abled wasn’t something to be ashamed of. Then it took
demonstrations and lobbying to force the federal govern-
ment to recognize that people with disabilities ought to
be included under the big umbrella of civil rights.
It took me listening to the words of each of these
“Champions of Hope” to hear a call to action. I am a
person with a hidden disability, Type II diabetes and
degenerative osteoarthritis, which necessitated a total
knee replacement over 16 years ago. I cannot bend my
knee more than 45 degrees. I cannot climb stairs or ride a
bike. But I can do something. I can make a difference by
working to expand my company’s disability outreach ef-
forts and enhance our diversity training to dispel misper-
ceptions about people with disabilities in the workplace.
What can you do? PDJ

Linda Jimenez is a native of San Antonio, Texas,

and attended the University of Texas at Austin where she
received her BA with honors. She is also a graduate of the
University of Texas School of Law and has spent 20 years
specializing in labor and employment law.
12 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
Summit and Awards Luncheon
October 14, 2008
Atlanta, Georgia

Speakers and Sponsors Reception

Evening of October 13, 2008
Atlanta, Georgia

For more information, please visit

www.aimd.org or contact AIMD at
404-575-2131.

Save the date

 Two Companies Earn the
2008 Catalyst Award
T
By Catalyst
The Catalyst Award annually honors innovative
approaches with proven results taken by organizations to ad-
dress the recruitment, development, and advancement of all
managerial women, including women of color. Catalyst’s rigor-
ous, year-long examination of initiatives and their measurable
results culminates in intensive on-site reviews at finalist orga-
nizations. By celebrating successful initiatives, Catalyst pro-
vides organizations with replicable models to help them create
initiatives that are good for women and good for business.
On April 9, 2008, we presented the Catalyst Award to two
complex and original initiatives from very different companies.
ING U.S. Financial Services (ING USFS) has created a culture
that spans the entire organization. Their initiative, Beyond
Diversity: Building One ING Culture, recognizes diversity and
inclusion as a business imperative and makes all employees—
women and men—responsible for achieving it. ING USFS’s
people have responded to great success.
Women in the Driver’s Seat: Gender Diversity as a Lever in
Japan, from Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., recognizes the role women
play in car-buying decisions and sets out to increase the partici-
pation of women throughout its organization. Making change
in a culture like Japan’s, however, requires significant changes in
the mindset of male employees. With senior leaders as models,
this is occurring, and the results are impressive.
Beyond Diversity: Building One ING Culture
ING USFS’ initiative, Beyond Diversity: Building One ING
Culture, has created a unifying culture that identifies diversity
and inclusion as a business imperative, increased female man-
agers at the top-most level, and has become a model for the
global organization. In 2001, recognizing the need for change,
the company used a transition period of rapid acquisitions and
subsequent consolidation to identify the necessary levers for
culture change. ING USFS then capitalized on different talents,
perspectives, and ideas to increase diversity and inclusion across
14 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
all of its business locations. The resulting “One ING” culture
benefits all employees, with a strategic focus to include women
and other diverse groups.
The components of the initiative, which overlap and leverage
one another, include:
• A strong branding effort and rewarding employee
experience.
• An “acceleration” or “deceleration” of up to 10 percent
of each business unit’s bonus pool that is linked specifically
to performance on diversity measures, judged quantita-
tively and qualitatively by the CEO. In addition, managers’
personal performance plans include human capital
management (HCM) metrics.
• HCM metrics, such as the number of women “managers
of managers” and high-performer retention rates, as well
as career development and overall employee satisfaction
scores, are closely tracked.
• A comprehensive project to uncover employee needs that
has led to skill-building initiatives, targeted recruitment,
and mentoring programs.
• Business-focused employee network groups.
• Best-practice sharing through annual events, such as a
Diversity Symposium.
• Diversity-related employee volunteer activities through the
ING Foundation.
Since the initiative’s inception in 2003,
ING USFS has increased women’s representation on the senior
management team from 25 percent to 50 percent and, currently,
two executive women in profit-and-loss roles manage 80 percent
of ING USFS business. Two out of three people in the succes-
sion pipeline to CEO are women, and the percentage of women
in people-manager positions has increased from 45.7 percent in
2003 to 47.9 percent in 2007.
 “ Catalyst provides organizations with
replicable models to help them
create initiatives that are

Women in the Driver’s Seat:

good for women and good for business.
Gender Diversity as a Lever in Japan
Nissan Motor’s Japan-only initiative, Women in the Driver’s Seat:
Gender Diversity as a Lever in Japan, uses diversity to secure busi-
ness success by increasing women’s participation and contribution
in all areas of the business. The business case for having women
as decision-makers and in positions of influence within the com-
pany was developed in response to research identifying women as
influencers of two-thirds of all car purchases. With the support of
many senior leaders and champions, the resulting diversity strategy
focuses on three areas: engagement, education, and advancement
of women.
The components of the initiative include:
• The Nissan Way, the principles and values—including
diversity—encouraged and expected in the organization.
• Career advancement support through specialized “Career
Advisors,” for women only, and “Career Coaches,” for all
high-potential employees.
• Strategies for increasing the visibility of women role models,
such as networking events and diversity forums.
• Education and awareness-building through mandatory man-
ager training and a robust diversity intranet site.
• A variety of work-life programs and policies, including
flextime, family leave for women and men, and programs to
reduce overtime work.
”
• Ergonomic adjustments to equipment and other improve-
ments in facilities and working conditions at plants that allow
women to contribute fully.
• Strong accountability mechanisms, such as the Global HR
scorecard, Employee Surveys, and the Key Performance
Indicators (KPIs), which are linked with managers’ targets for
promoting and developing women leaders.
The initiative showcases solid increases for women
in positions of influence in Japan. Since 2004, representation of
women in management positions has increased from two percent
(36 women) to four percent (101 women). The percentage of
women managers in the design, planning, and product planning
function has doubled from four percent to eight percent. In the
pipeline to management, women assistant managers have increased
from two percent to four percent and women team leaders from
four percent to seven percent. The percentage of sales people (Car
Life Advisors) at Nissan-owned dealerships who are women has
increased from four percent to six percent, while the percentage of
women in manufacturing plants more than doubled.
Organizations around the world self-nominate for the annual
Catalyst Award. For more information, or to download applica-
tion materials, visit http://www.catalyst.org/award/apply.shtml.

PDJ

About Catalyst
Founded in 1962, Catalyst is the leading nonprofit corporate membership research and advisory organization working globally with
businesses and the professions to build inclusive environments and expand opportunities for women and business. To download free copies of
Catalyst research reports, visit www.catalyst.org. You may also sign up to receive our monthly email updates at news@catalyst.org.

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 15

 Celebrating
Asian Pacific American
Heritage Month

The theme for this year’s Asian Pacific

American Heritage Month is “Lighting
the Past, Present, and Future.” The nine
contributors here touch on all three
aspects in ways that are both humbling
and inspiring. Their personal and
professional achievements affirm the
wisdom of embracing cultural diversity
in our workplace and our communities.
 Celebrating
Asian Pacific American
Heritage Month

The theme for this year’s Asian Pacific

American Heritage Month is “Lighting
the Past, Present, and Future.” The nine
contributors here touch on all three
aspects in ways that are both humbling
and inspiring. Their personal and
professional achievements affirm the
wisdom of embracing cultural diversity
in our workplace and our communities.
 For the diversity leaders featured here, the past was lit by mothers and
fathers, many of whom made serious sacrifices to give their children a
better future. All contributors expressed gratitude for their parents and deep
appreciation for the sacrifices made on their behalf. Now successful leaders
in their own right, they understand that their past is inseparable from the
person they have become.

Their comments exude a refreshing enthusiasm for the present. To a

person, they are more than willing to give back, grateful for what they have
received. Like their parents, they are willing to sacrifice and to help others.
They willingly embrace the difficult challenge for the chance it gives them
to grow. They not only share their successes, but also their failures to guide
others around the places they stumbled.

The ideas they share reveal their optimism for the future. Respect others.
Work for world peace. Always be ready to give. Always be ready to help.
These are just a few of the convictions that give direction to their days.
We are proud to feature their thoughts in this special segment celebrating
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

Lighting the Way…

 Who are/were your mentors? hindrance to our progress, but they help make us
What lessons did you learn stronger, wiser, and more sympathetic human beings.
from them?
will high, the director of How are you involved with your community?
Motorola university, gave me at the moment, China is in a very developing phase
the opportunity to work at in every aspect and offering more opportunity for
Motorola in 1994. while students to study in vocational schools, colleges, and
learning to fit into the new universities. i use my spare time to share my experi-
culture environment, he always ence and provide career development guidance to
encouraged me and helped me local colleges and university students.
to improve myself. If you were to have lunch with the president of the
Cindy Frie, senior vice pres- United States, what would you ask or suggest?
ChEN WEi ident of sales at aCs, shares i am very interested in world peace, environmental
her suggestions and advice. she protection, and culture exchange. To enhance people’s
China Site Manager
gives me opportunity, helps me understanding across nations, it is very important that
ACS
(AFFiLiaTEd COmPuTER enhance my skills, and cares we exchange and communicate with each other. with
SERVicE CO. LTd) about me and my family. these efforts, we get to know other nations’ cultures
Do you teach anything and appreciate our own culture and heritage. we do
different to those you mentor? If so, what is it? not live in an isolated world but an open world.
as a leader, my responsibilities are to train and de- What is your philosophy of life?
velop staff. i am very happy to teach, share, and Treat people with respect and always be ethical. offer
influence my staff. i myself have benefited from my help to others. live by example, be harmonious, save
mentors’ coaching. natural resources, and live the green life.
Who in your family had the most impact on your
What is your most rewarding accomplishment?
upbringing and success?
i feel very proud that i am one of the members
First, my parents gave me everything—my life, my
to establish an aCs China team. aCs established
education, and most importantly my character. Their
its business pres-
love is too profound to express.
ence in China in
in my second phase of professional and family
June 2003. i was
life, my husband, Mr. Yang, plays a critical role.
very happy to join
he is a teacher who continuously teaches me and
the company with
influences me.
other employees as
What are your favorite books/authors and the initial staff.
what impact have they had on your career and
personal life?
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by stephen
Covey, changed my life. The seven habits are a para-
digm shift for me. They guide me both in career and
personal life.
another book that had a great impact on me
is Journey to Self-Realization, by paramahansa Chen Wei attending
Yogananda. it is a highly motivational book that Gartner Summit.

teaches that obstacles and difficulties are not a

18 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

Who are/were your mentors?
What lessons did you learn from them?
when i was a local television news reporter and
anchor, Connie Chung, as the only asian woman
on network television, was my role model. later,
when i co-founded a public relations agency, Yu-sai
Kan, a new York-based entrepreneur, became my
role model. ron rhody, corporate vice president of
Kaiser aluminum and Chemical Corporation,
became my mentor after hiring me in 1980. Years
later, i turned to ron again for mentoring when i
took my current position.
From observing my role models, i learned to be
persistent, determined, and to never give up. From
my mentor, i learned to surround myself with people
smarter than me, solicit their opinions, act decisively,
and to remember that the good guys always win.
Do you teach anything different to those you
mentor? If so, what is it?
i tell people who ask for my advice to do what they
really enjoy doing. it’s about making a life, after all.
also, if you can’t change your situation, change the
way you look at your situation.
Who in your family had the most impact on your
upbringing and success?
My mother was a silent supporter. My father was my
biggest fan. he let me know by the way he talked
about me to my older brothers. “watch out for your
sister,” he would say. “she’s going to run circles
around you two.”
What are your favorite books/authors and
what impact have they had on your career and
personal life?
in the book In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson,
author Bette Bao lord recounts her life growing up as
an immigrant in new York. in Her Legacies, A Chinese
Mosaic, she remembers Beijing in the late ’80s when
her husband, winston lord, was u.s. ambassador
to China.
i subscribe to the The Seven Spiritual Laws of
Success, by Deepak Chopra. i used to read the laws
aloud to my kids every day, one for every day of the
week. every single one of them is true.
How are you involved with your
community?
i am a lutheran church lady.
we make dinners for the
homeless shelter. we make
joyful noise. we pray.
If you were to have lunch with
the president of the United States,
what would you ask or suggest?
i’d ask him to tell me
about his day and what was the
most important thing he accom-
RObERTa WONG MuRRaY
plished.
senior vice president,
What is your philosophy
corporate communications
of life?
Manager
i would have to refer to Mahatma BaNK OF ThE WEsT
gandhi, who said, “Your beliefs be-
come your thoughts. Your thoughts
become your words. Your words become your actions.
Your actions become your habits. Your habits become
your values. Your values become your destiny.”
What is your most rewarding accomplishment?
My son Marshall, 26, and daughter Mei-ling, 22.
If given the chance, what would you do differently?
i would have started a yoga practice in my 30s
instead of in my 40s.
Roberta accepts awards for two communications endeavors
by Bank of the West; for the bank’s 2006 corporate annual report (left)
and for developing and staging elder financial abuse prevention programs.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 19
 Simply
stated,
diversity
means
difference.

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> AT ROHM AND HAAS,

we believe that understanding, valuing and
managing diversity will result in a dynamic,
more enriched workforce, maximized profitable
growth and sustained competitive advantage.
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technologies and solutions for the specialty materials industry. We pair creativity with sound knowledge, making it
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and performance materials that help our customers succeed. The company, which is based in Philadelphia, PA,
generated annual sales of approximately $8.9 billion in 2007 and is dedicated to helping customers, communities and
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We are an equal opportunity employer. ©2008 Rohm and Haas Company. imagine the possibilities™
Who are/were your mentors? What lessons did you san Francisco in 2007. i am
learn from them? currently a candidate for the
My parents gave me the confidence to pursue my national board for girl scouts
dreams and a sense of optimism to see the world of america.
without limits.
Vincent Benitez was my boss at paul revere life If you were to have lunch
with the president of the
insurance Company and the first person outside of
United States, what would
my family who believed in me and helped me see po- you ask or suggest?
tential beyond my wildest dreams. he helped me be- how can we better leverage our
come the first woman salesperson in our department diverse population to strength-
and nationally. The greatest lesson i learned from him en our position as the no. 1 BaRbaRa Adachi
was to never forget where we come from. our past is economy in the world?
what prepares us for the future. cluster Leader, Human capital
What is your philosophy advisory services
Do you teach anything different to those you of life? DELOiTTE CONsuLTiNG
mentor? If so, what is it? To live life to the fullest, enjoy LLP
i have learned more from my failures than my suc- the journey, and not worry
cesses, so i encourage people to follow their hearts about the destination. i also
and their passion, embrace change, have the courage believe that helping others is one of the most impor-
to take risks, and not be afraid to fail. tant contributions we can make.
Who in your family had the most impact on your What is your most rewarding accomplishment?
upbringing and success?
raising a happy child and seeing her follow
Both of my parents were instrumental in my life. i
her dream.
was always closest to my mother, who passed away
six years ago. My mother worked two jobs to help If given the chance, what would you do differently?
pay for my college education, and her work ethic was i would have joined Deloitte earlier in my career. i
inspirational to me. she gave me my positive outlook am a values-based person, and finding an organiza-
on life. since my mother passed away, i have seen my tion where my personal values are aligned with my
father in a different light. he is nearly 90 and is still employer’s has been tremendous.
reinventing himself. it’s truly inspiring.
What are your favorite books/authors and
what impact have they had on your career and
personal life?
Samurai’s Garden, by gail Tsukiyama, reminded
me of my father’s quiet strength and how the little
things in life are so important. on the business side,
Play Like a Man, Win Like a Woman, by gail evans,
helped me see the barriers we impose on ourselves as As a successful human
businesswomen. capital consultant and
leader of Deloitte’s
How are you involved with your community? Women’s Initiative,
i am very involved with the american heart Barbara Adachi is a role
model to women aspiring
association, with the go red for women, events
to leadership.
and chaired the inaugural go red luncheon in

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 21

 She co
anything she w uld be
ants at Sodex
o
Sodexo is Being Recognized as a Leader
2008: Top Company for Diversity (#12) • Top Company for Recruitment and Retention • Top Ten Companies for
African Americans • Top Ten Companies for Latinos • Top Ten Companies for People with Disabilities – Diversity
Inc. • Top 50 Entry Level Employers – CollegeGrad.com • Top 200 Intern Employer – CollegeGrad.com
2007: Top 15 Best Companies for Workforce Diversity – Black Enterprise Magazine • 2007 Best Places
for Minorities to Work – Atlanta Tribune • 2007 Innovations in Diversity – Profiles in Diversity Journal
• 50 Best Companies for Latinas in 2007 – LATINA Style • Top Companies for Hispanics –
Hispanic Business • 2007 Best Companies for Multicultural Women – Working Mother Media • Top 50 Entry
Level Employers – CollegeGrad.com • Top 20 Companies for Asian Pacific Americans – Asian Enterprise
Magazine • Top 50 Corporations for Supplier Diversity – Hispanic Trends Magazine • Five Star Employer
– U.S. Department of Defense
Who are/were your mentors?
What lessons did you learn from them?
i am very fortunate to have had several great men-
tors since i started to work for Ford Motor Company
seven years ago, including Darryl hazel, execu-
tive vice president and president of Ford Customer
service Division; Dave prystash, controller of global
product Development; and Jim gwaltney and Tom
Cunningham, retired Ford executives. words cannot
express my gratitude for their wisdom, support, and
willingness to guide me through my professional jour-
ney. They taught me that being a great leader is more
than being a good manager. it’s the ability to inspire
others to be the best they can be.
Do you teach anything different to those you
mentor? If so, what is it?
Because i was born and raised in Beijing, China, and
started my career at Ford Motor Company relatively
late in life, i have been able to share my personal and
professional stories and the lessons i learned. one
thing i stress is that you don’t need to give up your
own identity to become successful.
What is your philosophy of life?
My philosophy of life is to always be ready to give,
serve, and contribute, whether it involves work, fam-
ily, or friends. i also stress humbleness and humility.
Who in your family had the most impact on your
upbringing and success?
Both my parents have had a great impact on my
upbringing and success. My dad was a chief econo-
mist and deputy director at the China Machinery
industrial Ministry before he retired in the 1990s.
he suffered a great deal during the so-called “culture
revolution” in China. however, he never complained.
My dad taught me the importance of integrity, dig-
nity, patience, never giving up, and staying positive.
My mom is an educator and an extraordinarily
strong woman who raised four kids by herself while
managing to excel in her career at the same time.
she wanted her children to have the best education
possible, so she chose to stay in Beijing when my
dad was sent to the countryside to be “re-educated”
by the farmers. My mom sacrificed, spending 10
years alone because she believed
it would be in the best interest
of her children’s future. i learned
from my mom the importance of
being strong and independent.
What is your most rewarding
accomplishment?
Besides the fantastic journey i have
had at Ford Motor Company, my
most rewarding accomplishment is
guiding my two beautiful, talent-
ROsE PENG
ed, and kind-hearted daughters in
their education and the pursuit of Manager, revenue
Management and Global
their dreams. My 18-year-old is a Lifecycle analytics Department
sophomore at new York university, (GLaD)
pursuing a double major in com- FORd MOTOR COmPaNY
puter science and economics. My
14-year-old is attending the Kirov
academy of Ballet in washington, D.C., one of the
65 students accepted worldwide.
Rose Peng receives the Ford Trade Secret Award, presented
internally for an extraordinary invention representing innovative
problem solving, an exceptional competitive advantage to Ford, and
valuable intellectual property that can be used without divulging
the secret. Ms. Peng has received seven of these awards in the
past, with two more pending. She receives the award from Dave
Prystash, then Executive Director of Remarketing Operations (now
Global Product Development Controller).
Ms. Peng received her current award for a state-of-the-art
business model development for Ford’s Remarketing Revenue
Management organization.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 23
At UnitedHealth Group, unique is everywhere. In our approach to health care. Let us hear your unique voice in these careers available nationwide throughout
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It is the unique backgrounds, lifestyles and beliefs our professionals bring to
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Who are/were your mentors? What lessons did you not agree with some of the
learn from them? president’s policies and deci-
i have had several mentors at different stages of my sions, i cannot presume to
education and career. while success comes with hard understand the pressures and
work and achievement, it is equally important to have considerations he must face
sponsors who recognize your achievements and sup- at each critical decision point.
port your career development. i would ask him to describe
Do you teach anything different to those you how he balanced those consid-
mentor? If so, what is it? erations for some of his most
it is important to build lasting relationships with col- critical policy decisions.
leagues you can trust. These colleagues can be your What is your philosophy
touchstone when you try new ideas or take risks in of life? ChRisTY RuPERT ShibATA
your career. work hard and play hard. For executive vice president &
all of the effort that i put into chief financial Officer
Who in your family had the most impact on your
upbringing and success? my work, i try to put equal ef- UNiVERsAL STudiOs,
part of NBC Universal,
My mother. Young and recently widowed, she fort into my personal life. a division of GE
emigrated from hong Kong to the united states to What is your most rewarding
raise my sister and me as americans. in doing so, she accomplishment?
gave us opportunities that she never had and ulti- i am proud of the fact that i have achieved a position
mately raised us to be strong, independent women. i of leadership responsibility in my business and indus-
marvel at her strength and courage. try, and i am fulfilled with the new challenges that i
What are your favorite books/authors and face every day.
what impact have they had on your career and
If given the chance, what would you do differently?
personal life?
nothing. i believe that we should learn from our mis-
one of my favorite books is The Good Earth, by pearl
takes. Though i have made professional and personal
Buck. i first read this book in high school, and it
decisions that i occasionally regret, i have taken away
inspired me to learn more about my ethnic background
valuable lessons from each of my experiences.
as a Chinese american. as a result, i minored in east
asian studies in college and eventually studied abroad
in China. i am also a huge fan of agatha Christie. Shibata receives the Asian Women
in Business (AWIB) 2007 Leadership
i often turn to her mysteries when i need to relax Award from Mark Hoffman, President
and unwind. of CNBC.

How are you involved with your community?

i recently moved to los angeles and have had Acting as “Principal
the opportunity to become involved with a public for a Day” at Castelar Elementary in
elementary school in Chinatown, where there is a large Los Angeles’ Chinatown.
immigrant population. i plan to support the school
with fund-raising and other activities to provide the
students with unique educational opportunities.
If you were to have lunch with the president of the
United States, what would you ask or suggest?
i would like to learn more about the president’s
decision-making process and priorities. while i may

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 25

Born and raised in the Philippines.

Speaks multiple languages.

Is a CPA and has an MBA in

Management Information
Systems.

Wan Ling Martello

Senior Vice President
Chief Financial Officer & Strategy
Wal-Mart International

Our Differences Make the Difference

Different backgrounds. Different experiences. Different perspectives.

A diverse workforce is more than age, gender, religion or race. We
recognize that. That’s why we pride ourselves in recruiting people
with unique individual skills and backgrounds. That includes our
more than 44,000 Asian and Pacific Islander associates. Together we
tackle challenges and create solutions.
Who are/were your mentors?
What lessons did you learn from them?
loren noren was an american Baptist missionary
who devoted more than half of his life in China
helping local nationals know Christ. he was impris-
oned in solitary confinement by the Chinese red
army during the Mao era. Through his Christian faith
and perseverance, he survived the imprisonment and
was released eventually after more than two years.
second, Jess alton was one of my former supervi-
sors at hallmark. he demonstrated that he sincerely
cared about my career development by showing me
the ropes and helping me in a big corporation.
Do you teach anything different to those you
mentor? If so, what is it?
i share the same learning i gained from my two
mentors with people i mentor.
Who in your family had the most impact on your
upbringing and success?
My mother instilled in me a sense of respect for
all peoples. as a Chinese proverb puts it, “when you
drink water, remember the source.” she also taught me
that i needed to remember how i started my career, so
that i could be a source of support for others.
What are your favorite books/authors and
what impact have they had on your career and
personal life?
The Chinese in America: A Narrative History, by iris
Chang (2004), made a huge impact on my personal
life. This book helped me appreciate the Chinese
immigrants in the past 150 years who overcame great
obstacles finding success in a foreign land.
My second favorite book is Minority Rules: Turn
Your Ethnicity Into a Competitive Edge, by Kenneth
arroyo roldan and gary M. stern (2006). i learned
that i am accountable for developing my own career
plan and taking necessary actions to succeed as a
minority in the workplace.
How are you involved with your community?
i have served on the board of trustees for ottawa
university since 2006. i’m also a co-chair of the staff
relations and personnel Committee for my church.
i’m the chair of the asian
american resource Community
at hallmark, an employee resource
group. i’m also a member of
the operations Diversity
& inclusion Council, representing
the global procurement division.
If you were to have lunch with
the president of the United
States, what would you ask or
suggest?
i would like to know if the JOEL MA
president has any concept
of how america is perceived
product procurement Manager
overseas. i find that others
HALLMARK CARds, INc.
see us far differently than we see
ourselves.
What is your philosophy of life?
all peoples are equal; diverse views are valued; being
inclusive starts with me. Treat others with respect.
life is as short/long as you want to make it—enjoy
and be happy.
What is your most rewarding accomplishment?
Being able to help mentor our overseas staff during
my four-year assignment as an expatriate in asia.
If given the chance, what would you do differently?
i would be more proactive and aggressive in devel-
oping my career plan by seeking out feedback and
guidance from mentors across various divisions.
Joel Ma (left) is a member of the steering committee for the
Asian American Resource Community at Hallmark (AARCH),
which is open to all employees, but focuses on
Asian American employees and community.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 27
 Who are/were your mentors? How are you involved with your community?
What lessons did you learn in the past, i’ve been a board member for several
from them? nonprofit organizations that help children. i’ve also
My parents and my elementary been an active member for my college in recruiting
school teachers provided the high school seniors.
foundation of who i am today.
My parents provided a wealth If you were to have lunch with the president of the
of knowledge for practical life United States, what would you ask or suggest?
skills and instilled the love for There are so many questions that i would like to
learning. My teachers allowed ask—it’s hard to choose!
me to ask questions and fos- What is your philosophy of life?
CYNThiA MuN
tered my curiosity. They also i enjoy all of the unpredictability that life provides.
taught me that it’s oK to ask i don’t second-guess it, and believe that life works
executive Director,
Business insights and strategy
the questions but that there itself out.
MGM MIRAGE
may not always be answers;
that the unknown is an area of What is your most rewarding accomplishment?
opportunity. i think my most rewarding accomplishment is still
in my future. i would, however, like to write a book
Do you teach anything different to those you
one day.
mentor? If so, what is it?
Mentoring to me is individual, so what i share If given the chance, what would you do differently?
is tailored to the individual. i have never taken a i would have had children sooner rather than later.
general approach. we have one son who is 3, and i wonder if i would be
a more energetic mother if i were 10 years younger.
Who in your family had the most impact on your
upbringing and success?
My parents. They taught me that it did not matter
what i did in life as long as i knew how to make the
task interesting and to think innovatively about a
problem. if i were able to do this with any task, then
my job would never feel like work. My job would feel
like a rewarding engagement.
What are your favorite books/authors and
what impact have they had on your career and
personal life?
i love children’s books because they are simple
but beautiful and thought provoking in their mes-
sages. My two favorites are The Giving Tree, by shel
silverstein, and The Little Prince, by antoine de
saint-exupéry. i think both of these books reinforce
the need for creativity and innovation when resources
are scarce. Businesses have resource issues all the time.
having multiple perspectives provides ways to solving
the problem that may seem unsolvable.

28 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

Who in your family had the most impact on your at work, i participate in the
upbringing and success? asian network group as a com-
My parents have influenced me the most in my life. mittee member and serve as a
My mother grew up in a poor family but was rich in mentor to a new employee in the
care and love. i learned from her how to overcome mentorship program. Because i
scarcity with generosity. My father was always busy at still remember my struggles as a
work and did not have many opportunities to share newcomer in the united states
long talks with us. he showed me with his exemplary and the challenges i experienced
career in public service the importance of being a as a new employee in a big com-
person of integrity and principles, even at the cost pany, i am willing to share my
of resisting overwhelming peer pressure or giving up knowledge and growth with those ShEiLA ChEN
personal benefits. facing the same challenges. in
What are your favorite books/authors and short, i see my job as a way i can assistant vice president and
Market Manager of chinese
what impact have they had on your career and give back to others. and vietnamese Markets
personal life?
What is your philosophy NEw YORK LiFE
one of the books that has had a lasting impact on me of life?
was What They Don’t Teach You at Harvard Business My philosophy of life is that being
School, by Mark h. McCormack, the founder of needed gives meaning to life. and my greatest ac-
international Management group. although i read it complishments are the many little things i do that
when i was in college in Taiwan, many of its messages help others.
still pop up in my mind today when i face challenges
at work or at home. i was deeply impressed by how
Mr. McCormack handled negotiations, sales, and
decision-making.
one thing that i got from the book and have not
forgotten after so many years is the importance of
integrity. i am lucky enough to work for a company
that also emphasizes this ideal as one of its core val-
ues. i strive to excel in honesty and trustworthiness in
my service to our agents in the field and our clients in
the community.
How are you involved with your community?
i am actively involved in my church and faithfully
committed to my work because i am convinced that
by doing so i contribute to the well-being of my
community. as a sunday school teacher, i try to
help students discover the surprising joy of life’s
journey. as the coordinator of a prayer fellowship,
i encourage members to lean on each other and the Sheila Chen speaking at a World Journal Event called “Youth Math
almighty during their darkest hours. Contest”, sponsored by New York Life. Her speech stressed the
importance of life insurance and how New York Life Insurance
Company can provide services to the community.

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 29

 [ BANK OF THE WEST ]

WANT TO WORK FOR A

TRULY GREAT BANK?

AT BANK OF THE WEST, WE BELIEVE OUR CUSTOMERS ARE

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

www.bankofthewest.com

Bank of the West and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity/affirmative action employers. M/F/D/V © 2007 Bank of the West. Member FDIC.
Who are/were your mentors? of the national association of
What lessons did you learn from them? asian american professionals
i’ve had many mentors who have been instrumental (naaap).
in my life. philippe Taillet, global Cio for sodexo,
taught me the value of constructive engagement and If you were to have lunch with
the president of the United
collaboration with my peers. rick Brockland, Coo
States, what would you ask or
of our education market, has impressed on me the suggest?
importance of balance and personal sanity. rohini i would ask that we take a long,
anand, sodexo’s global CDo, inspires me every day hard look at the history of the
with her energy and her commitment to make change united states and recognize
happen by being a personal example. The values of that the greatness of our nation
friendship, family, and perseverance of my trusted depends on the immigrant. VijAY K. ShARMA
friend and colleague Mohamood Bhatia, CFo for
our education market, have had a profound influence What is your philosophy
senior vice president,
of life?
on my life. Marketing
we are born with everything SOdEXO
Do you teach anything different to those you we need to be happy: love,
mentor? If so, what is it? compassion, patience, under-
i stress the importance of being aware of the cultural standing, kindness, mercy, and
values we bring to the table and the impact they have forgiveness. all we need is a desire to call them forth
on mainstream colleagues. in our daily life.
Who in your family had the most impact on your What is your most rewarding accomplishment?
upbringing and success?
My daughter Cavya, whose grace and patience i
My father. his commitment to family, his work ethic,
admire, and my son Kartheek, whose strength and
and his personal values have had a profound impact
conviction inspire me.
on my life.
If given the chance, what would you do differently?
What are your favorite books/authors and
spend more time with family and in contemplation,
what impact have they had on your career and
personal life? meditation, and prayer.
The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman,
taught me that “You must cleanse your body of ten-
sion, free your mind of stagnant knowledge, and
open your heart to the energy of true emotion.” From
a career perspective, sun Tzu’s The Art of War has
helped me to understand that problems can be solved
systematically and that it’s better to beat the competi-
tion without fighting.
How are you involved with your community?
i am the founding chair of sodexo’s pan asian
network group and continue to be actively involved.
Vijay Sharma, Suvir Saran, and Rohini Anand at the
i am also on the Board of Directors of the asian 2006 API Conference.
pacific islander american scholarship Fund. i have
served in the past as an advisor to the Chicago chapter

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 31

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

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

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

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

Brave, distinguished and endearing, Ed Boyd helped move

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

To learn more about Ed Boyd and all his accomplishments,

read The Real Pepsi Challenge by Stephanie Capparell or visit
careerjournal.com, go to the left column under Article Search and
type in: Ed Boyd.
 SpeciAL FeATURe
WellPoint, inc.

Meet
ANGELa BRaLY
President and CEO,
WellPoint, inc.
Angela Braly came out of
Southern Methodist University
Law School determined to
make a difference in the
world as a lawyer.
IT WOuLD Be an
unDeRSTaTeMenT TO Say
SHe SuCCeeDeD.

36 Leadership
42 A Culture of Wellness
44 Diversity: Innovation,
Creativity, Success
56 Supplier Diversity
 Wellpoint’s corporate headquarters
on Monument circle in indianapolis, ind.
Diversity
Reflections
from
the C-Suite

Meet Angela Braly

President and CEO, WellPoint, Inc.

ANGELa BRaLY leads nearly 42,000 associates at WellPoint, Inc., insurer of 35

million Americans. With a single-minded passion for her work, Angela is driving the
diversity efforts at WellPoint, and keeping the momentum of success going through
strategic initiatives, collaboration with a variety of stakeholders inside and outside
of the company, and through a diversity education process that benefits everyone
in the organization.

It is tough work in an industry that is grappling with environmental, social, ethical

and legal pressures from every corner.

Our take is that Angela is fully up to the task.

Leadership
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.
Questions
Answers wi th We l l P o i nt
& CoRpoRatE PRoFiLE
Most company leaders say diversity drives business results.
What part did diversity and inclusion play in your company’s
2007 growth/earnings?
at wellpoint we see diversity management as more than
just a strategy; it’s a fundamental part of how we do busi-
ness. Focusing on diversity helps us to better understand
and meet the health care needs of the unique communi-
ties we serve.
strategic diversity management also drives associate
engagement and trust, which increases productivity and
operational effectiveness.
GLOBAL / MARKET ISSUES
In order to put your company into a context,
please describe WellPoint’s global presence.
How big a company is it?
we currently have nearly 42,000 employees. we are the
parent company of 14 Blue Cross and/or Blue Cross
and Blue shield plans across the country. one in nine
americans receive their health benefits through one of
wellpoint’s affiliated health plans.
additionally, wellpoint recently entered into a
collaboration with premera, Blue Cross of idaho health
service, inc. and Combined Benefits Management inc.
that enables our companies to establish a leading position
in the growing private health insurance market in China.
The joint venture, entitled wpMi, llC, will provide
third-party administration (“back office”) services to
Chinese companies currently offering health insurance
to employers.
How does a company in an industry as fast-changing as
yours keep up with diversity development throughout the
organization?
we recognize that diversity is a “shared responsibility”
among all associates in the organization. we have a dedi-
cated core team of associates who serve as subject matter
experts and catalysts for transformation and engagement,
led by the chief diversity officer. we have more than 200
ambassadors who volunteer to infuse the corporate diver-
36 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
Company Name
WellPoint, inc.
Headquarters:
indianapolis, indiana
Web Site:
www.wellpoint.com
Primary Business:
Health benefits.
2007 Revenues: $60 billion
sity strategy in their unique work locations throughout
the company. They implement events and activities in
their areas that resonate with their peers and colleagues.
we have six associate resource groups that engage
in two-way communication, not only for their per-
sonal and professional development, but also in sup-
port of the company’s overall business strategies. we
utilize a Customer insights Team to develop a link with
our multicultural customers. additionally, we have a
team dedicated to understanding and addressing health
care disparities from a multicultural and multigenera-
tional perspective.
we also remain active in various diversity
organizations in order to stay abreast of changes and
best practices.
Are there unique opportunities in your particular
industry for implementing diversity programs?
There are always opportunities in health care to address
health care disparities, which often fall along cultural
lines. our internal focus on understanding cultural diver-
sity helps us better understand the differences and simi-
larities among our customers so we are able to provide
unique solutions to broader health care issues.
LEADERSHIP
What resources are allocated to diversity?
we have a dedicated Diversity leadership Team
managed by wellpoint’s chief diversity officer. The
team includes a diversity program manager, an eeo
compliance consultant, an affirmative action plan consul-
tant, and three workplace culture consultants.

“ Our diversity vision is to be the catalyst for transformation
throughout our organization by providing opportunities for
engagement within our workforce, workplace, and marketplace.
we also have more than 200 diversity and workplace
culture ambassadors deployed enterprise-wide, 66 internal
workplace culture facilitators, and six wellpoint associate
resource groups.
a supplier diversity director has a team dedicated
to outreach to minority and women business enter-
prises (MwBes), veteran MwBes, MwBes with disabili-
ties, and gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered (glBT)
MwBes.
we engage in collaborative efforts with our tal-
ent management branding director to ensure our
diversity efforts are branded internally and externally.
we also work collaboratively with the wellpoint
Foundation and wellpoint’s community relations
team to identify and support philanthropic and com-
munity based initiatives in line with our mission and our
communities’ needs.
How do you believe diversity affects your company’s
bottom line?
Diversity is essential to our success, and we deliver on this
commitment by:
• Recruiting and retaining the best talent from all
walks of life;
• Developing products and marketing initia-
tives that resonate with and appeal to a diverse
consumer base;
• Cultivating a culturally competent workforce that
understands what drives our consumers’ buying
decisions, and the needs of the diverse underinsured
and uninsured market; and
• Understanding and communicating that diversity
management is not just race, gender, age, sexual
orientation or disability, but rather a comprehensive
strategy for business success.
we believe in the power of diversity, the role it plays
in enhancing our competitive advantage, and its ability to
help ensure a brighter future and better health care for all.
Leadership
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.
—angela Braly ”
How does WellPoint deal with/train for cross-cultural
competencies for its leadership? What accountability do you
employ to meet objectives? Linked with compensation?
at the core of wellpoint’s diversity initiative is our diversity
awareness training program. In partnership with Roosevelt
Thomas Consulting & Training (RTCT), the nation’s
leading consultancy/training organization on the subject
of diversity management, wellpoint provides training for
all members of our management team, including executive
officers.
our initial program is designed to ensure that all
wellpoint leaders understand the company’s commitment
to diversity and utilize the tools designed to assist them in
managing and supporting this commitment in their daily
business practices.
Do you create and maintain management continuity rosters
for promotable individuals? How do you ensure diversity can-
didates are included?
succession planning is an integral part of our strategic
diversity management. Racial and gender diversity are
components of all our talent calibration sessions. our chief
diversity officer is responsible for sustaining or exceeding
workforce representation numbers each year, and each
executive leadership team member has a goal to improve
workforce representation at the staff vice president level
and above.
The senior leadership team annually reports its prog-
ress on goals to the wellpoint board of directors.
How are decisions about diversity made at WellPoint? What
teams are brought together?
The chief diversity officer reports to the talent management
vice president, who reports to the executive vice president,
human resources, who reports to the president/Ceo.
The president/Ceo, along with her executive leader-
ship team, approves the diversity strategies identified by the
chief diversity officer and her team.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 37
Leadership
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

WellnessHealth Action Item: Help your state

Choose Better
Fitness Challenge
achieve victory in the WellPoint
July 6 by engaging in
beginning April 14 through
logging your activity. Also,
cardiovascular exercise and
Walk@Lunch Day to
be sure to participate in National
WellPoint is committed to
show our community that Wellness
improving health.

Diversity DiversityInc.com are the

Wellness
Choose Better Health
programs that can help
Action Item: WellPoint
offers
Choose Bette
YOUniversi r Health Action Item
without an
ty is an onlin
onsit
e wellness
and includes: e wellness center.
: The Healt
program for
h
The 2008 WellPoint Associate
DiversityInc magazine and associates and their associates

Calendar is a collaborative
about diversity. To take members manage chronic family individual Membersh
leading sources of information conditions like asthma of fitness,
nutrition, smokhealth coaching in
ip is free
sponsored subscription, go diabetes. WellPoint and
advantage of your WellPoint also offers pregnant wellness as ing cessation the areas
com/WellPointHealthcare. information on healthy associates well as lifest
to https://www.DiversityInc. maternity managem
pregnancies through
the Membersh
ip is free. yle manageme and general
ent program. Call the Find more nt programs.

effort between the Wellness,

under Welln
Ethics and Compliance the service number on your customer
medical ID card to determine
ess > Physi inform
cal Activity ation on My
HR
– not a privilege. Access only
Privacy is a right
eligibility and find out
more. Diversity and Fitness.
a part of your job Diversity +
information that is specifically Diversity Equality =
associates must not look up Community

Ethics and Compliance, and

environme
responsibility, which means nt for all our and a healt
to themselves, relatives, This month we honor recognizes associates hier work
health information pertaining and the West closer
those who have brought
the East Gay, Lesbi . WellPoint
Pride Mont an, proud
friends or other associates. together.
80% of the Asian American Five groups represent h and celeb Bisexual and Transgend ly
of our GLBT rates the talen ered
(the largest), Filipino, population: Chinese Associates, ts and succe

Diversity departments.
Partners.
Korean. The other 20%
Asian Indian, Vietname
se, and By providing Business and Comm sses
is made up of Japanese include vision domestic unity
partn
Cambodian, Hmong,
Nepalese or Tibetan.
, Thai, to our assoc , dental and dependen er benefits that
all represent distinct These iates, we are t medical
cultures, histories, religious groups insured and
uninsured
closing the coverage
expression, and languages
. in the GLBT gap between the
Ethics an community.
Ethics and Complianc d Complia
________________
The goal of Ethics and
Compliance is to promote
e The 2008
training is
Annual Stand
ards of Ethic nce
rolling out al Business
Did You Know? and compliant behaviors
and support integrity
ethical within the this
first 30 days month and must be Conduct
we do day to day. Look in what
Month. Each one of us has for members of the WorkNet –
Quick Links
of assignmen completed
April is National Volunteer Compliance and Privacy Ethics and > Reporting t. Access through
– to make a positive Complianc
the capacity – directly or indirectly WellPoint will month during the week
teams in your location
next Wide Educ
e Issues >
Education Ethics and
April 26
impact in someone’s life. On you! Bring your questions
of June 2–6. We want
to meet
ation Progr
ams.
Programs
> Enterprise
of Community Service.
launch the first WellPoint Day receive helpful informatio
, comments and feedback
mobilize Associates from all and
Our goal is to engage and n.
thousands of communities
levels of the organization in
gift of service to others
enterprise-wide to give the ________________
and services. ________
through a variety of programs ________
Did You Know?
When sharing member Did You Kno
details with our business Did you know w?
March 2008
1 May 2008
1 2 3
associate vendors: (about 23) that a one ounce servi
is ng of almo
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
4 5 6 7 8 9 10
• Be sure a business
associate agreemen magnesium an excellent source nds
t is in place . It’s also a of
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
• Do not share Social
Security numbers unless giving you good sourc Vitamin E and
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 a lot of nutrit e of protein

April 2008
18 19 20 21 22 23 24 necessary and approved Keep some ional bang and fiber,
June 2008
29
23 24 25 26 27 28 handy at your for only 12
25 26 27 28 29 30 31 • Remember to collect/di calor
sclose only what is desk for a
30 31
Saturday perform your job needed to healthy snack ies.
Friday .
Thursday 96/366
Tuesday
Wednesday
4
95/366
5
May 200
94/366 May 2008
Monday
3 93/366

8
Sunday
1
92/366
2 April 2008
Sunday
1 2 3 July 2008
1 1 2 3153/366
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2008 y
4 5 6
7 8 9 1 2 3
6 7 8 9 10
4 5 2 1 2 3 4 5 Tuesday
11 12 13
14 15 16
10
6 7 8 4 5

• Tom Foran, director, product and

11 12 6 7
154/366 18 19 20 17 9 10 11
Sunday
13 14 15 16 17
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15 16 17 18 19
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Pay Day
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20 21
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4 156/366
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27 28 29
23 24 25
30 31
26
National Osteoporo Wednesday Ethics & Compli
29 30 5
12
103/366
April Fool’s Day sis Awareness & Prevention
102/366
2008 Annual ance Week/
Friday
Asthma100/366 10
& Allergy
101/366
11 Month Thursday
Friday Training Kick-Of
157/366
6 Saturday
8
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9 Awareness Month 1 Sun Safety f Saturday 158/366
Week
7
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2
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6
97/366
7 American Stroke Month 8 159/366

business development, was recog-

3
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9
124/366
Mental Health Month National High Blood
Pressure 161/366
Asian Pacific American Education Month 10 162/366 World Environ
Heritage Month Older Americans Month May Day 11 ment Day

4 125/366
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12
National Hunger
Awareness
19
110/366 National Day of Prayer
109/366 Day
6
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Hindu New Year World Health Day 107/366
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Pay Day Shavuot (begins
164/366
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16 128/366
8 National Men’s sundown 6/8)

nized as employee of the Year by

106/366
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9 Health Week
14 166/366
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167/366 130/366

16 168/366
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Pay Day
Deaf Awareness Week
Cinco de Mayo WellPoint National Walk
17 169/366

at Lunch Day 18 Pay Day

11 132/366
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170/366
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26
117/366 Liberation Day (VE Day)
Taxes Due
13
133/366 116/366

Careers & the disABLED magazine.

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Autistic Pride
Mother’s Day
Food Allergy Awareness
Week WellPoint Day of 24 176/366
Day
Juneteenth
National Women’s Health
Week
Arbor Day
Community Service 25
18 Administrative Professionals’
177/366

Passover (begins Earth Day

139/366
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Day
Peace Officer’s Memorial 26
20
140/366 Summer Solstice
Day 178/366
Month Pay Day
27
21 Control 142/366
Cancer
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sundown 4/19) 121/366 Armed Forces Day
29
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30 22 Best Friends
Day
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27
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Alcohol Awareness Month 30 145/366

EMPLOYEE INCLUSIVENESS
182/366
National Employee Health
& Pay Day
National Volunteer Month
Fitness Week
Stonewall
25 146/366
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Rebellion

27
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nt.com
ethicsandcompliance@wellpoi
29 Vision Rese
149/366
oint.com ETHICS & COMPLIANCE
DIVERSITY diversity@wellp
150/366
30 arch Mon
WELLNESS wellness@wellp
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31 152/366 th
WELLNESS
wellness@we Home Safe

Sometimes diversity is referred

Company Holiday llpoint.com ty Month
Memorial Day DIVERSITY
diversity@w Gay and Lesb
ellpoint.com
ETHICS & ian Pride
WELLNESS wellness@w Pay Day National Save Your COMPLIANC Month
ellpoint.com Hearing Day E ethicsandco
DIVERSITY diversity@w mpliance@w
ellpoint.com ellpoint.com

to as a numbers game. How do

ETHICS & COMPLIAN
CE ethicsandcompliance@
wellpoint.com

you know your culture is not just tied

up in numbers? How do the human stories circulate in-house?
What factors make you confident that you and your team How do you celebrate success?
have developed momentum for WellPoint in the right direc-
tion? What is the vision for the company in five years? wellpoint celebrates and embraces an inclusive, diverse
work environment through the work of its diversity
our diversity vision is to be the catalyst for transformation
ambassadors, located throughout the United States. More
throughout our organization by providing opportunities
than 200 associates volunteer to support diversity-related
for engagement within our workforce, workplace, and
activities, such as women’s history Month in March.
marketplace.
Their passion and dedication is carried out through
our diversity mission is to work collaboratively as
activities like lunch-and-learn sessions, monthly communi-
subject matter experts who educate, develop, and address
cations, and attendance at community events to represent
aspects of diversity and inclusion in support of wellpoint’s
the company.
corporate strategies.
Under our workplace diversity strategy we seek to How are employees more involved in the company than they
create and sustain a culture of inclusion that leverages our were two years ago?
collective ideas and experiences for overall organizational employees continue to increase their involvement as evi-
effectiveness. Under our marketplace diversity strategy, we denced by several enterprise-wide initiatives.
seek to grow our business within our multicultural markets associate resource groups were launched in late 2007.
through business strategies that develop sustainable rela- Currently six groups are developing their business plans:
tionships in our communities. african americans, women, veterans, people with dis-
our diversity index score on our annual associ- abilities, hispanics, glBTs. More importantly, interest
ate engagement survey continues to improve year and involvement continues to increase in the Diversity &
to year. we’re also working on a collaborative effort workplace Culture ambassador program.
with other departments (wellness, ethics and compliance)
to develop a comprehensive 2008 wellpoint associate How are the opinions of employees valued? How do you
Calendar. solicit and respond to questions?
several of our associates have been honored recently we conduct an annual survey and also conduct periodic
for their diversity efforts, including: surveys throughout the year, to gauge what we are doing
• Dr. Alena Baquet-Simpson was named one well and where there is room for improvement. we also
of the Top 25 Most influential Black women have a confidential ethics and Compliance helpline that
in Business; we encourage associates to call if they would like to report
possible breaches of the company’s standards of conduct.
38 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

in addition, we also utilize diversity@wellpoint.com,
which allows associates to post questions to the chief diver-
sity officer. The questions are then answered and posted on
the diversity and workplace culture intranet link.
in 2007 we also conducted minority focus groups
with approximately 50 associates, director level and above,
to assess wellpoint’s efforts around diversity and inclusion,
wellness, and personal and professional development of
all associates.
How do you deal with those who perceive inclusion programs
for underrepresented groups as being exclusionary for others?
our definition of diversity is all-encompassing and embod-
ies racial and gender diversity along with age, religion,
disability, work/life experiences, military status, etc.,
just to name a few. so this attitude does not seem to surface
at wellpoint.
additionally, wellpoint’s associate resource
groups are all inclusive and cannot be closed to any
wellpoint associate. and our mandatory culture-
shaping workshops include a component of diversity
within the curriculum.
we weave a measure of education and under-
standing within our new leader orientation as well
as attempt to reinforce a “leadership shadow” during new
hire orientation.
Can you name specific ways WellPoint supports upward
development toward management positions?
we offer mentoring and networking programs, online
career development resources, fellowship programs, and
substantial education assistance to our associates. and
we have a strong succession-management process that
helps us identify the most talented people in our company
for advancement.
How does WellPoint bring women and minority
employees into the fabric of the organization?
What programs are in place or on the drawing board
to advance women and minorities?
wellpoint is a leader in providing opportunities for
women and is also a leader in diversity. women make up
Leadership
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.
Thanks to you,
WellPoint women continue to make history and help shape an America in
which all citizens, regardless of gender, are free to live out their dreams.
Angela Braly Dijuana Lewis Dr. Alena Baquet-Simpson Lisa Moriyama Shamla Naidoo
WellPoint celebrates Women's History Month and applauds the
achievements and contributions of women everywhere.
As the only woman leading a Fortune 50 company, Angela Braly leads many talented
and motivated women at WellPoint who make meaningful contributions to our
customers and our industry.
• Angela Braly recognized as The Wall Street Journal’s Number One Woman to Watch;
ranked by FORTUNE as one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business; ranked by
FORBES as one of The World’s Most Powerful Women; ranked by MODERN HEALTHCARE
as one of the 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare
• Dijuana Lewis named as one of the Top 15 Women in Business – “The Innovators” by
PINK magazine
• Dr. Alena Baquet-Simpson named as one of the Top 25 Most Influential Black Women
in Business by The Network Journal
• Lisa Moriyama named in Women Worth Watching®by Profiles in Diversity Journal
• Shamla Naidoo named in Women Worth Watching®by Profiles in Diversity Journal
Working to better people's lives is something you do every day at WellPoint.
Better health care, thanks to you.
EOE ®Registered Trademark, WellPoint, Inc. © 2006 WellPoint, Inc. All Rights Reserved
the majority of our associates (77 percent of our associates
are women, as are 58 percent of our managers). wellpoint’s
workforce is also 34 percent minority, including 17 percent
of our managers and 11 percent of our executive team.
we strive to maintain a working environment that
suits all associates’ lifestyles, including family-friendly and
work-life balance benefits that keep our associates fulfilled
personally and professionally.
Four years ago, we developed the health insurance
professional program (hipp), an accelerated talent
management program designed, in part, to advance
women working in health care insurance. hipp identifies
high-potential employees viewed by their managers as
emerging leaders, cross-trains them in key functions of the
company’s operations, and allows them to learn from top
regional and national leaders to build their knowledge of
wellpoint’s business.
The wellpoint associate resource groups help identify
and address barriers and challenges for their membership
with regards to personal and professional development.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 39
Leadership
Angela Braly :: Chief Executive Officer
ANGELa BRaLY
:: Personal Profile
COMPANY: WellPoint, inc.
TITLE: President and CEO
YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION:
One year
EDUCATION: Undergraduate
degree from Texas Tech University;
Juris Doctor from Southern
Methodist University School of Law.
PHILOSOPHY: Do the right thing.
Do it right the first time. Do it for
the customer.
FAMILY: i have a wonderful hus-
band who is a life partner with me
in helping to raise our family of
three beautiful children.
INTERESTS: i love spending time
with my family, and i am very dili-
gent in setting aside time to make
sure that i am with my husband and
children for all the events that are
important in their lives. When i’m
with my family, i try to really be with
them, whether we’re riding bikes or
taking a walk. if i’m distracted and
thinking about work, they notice
and they call me on it.
40 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal
CEO PROFILE
Where does your personal belief in diversity and inclusion come from:
who were your role models, or was there a pivotal experience that helped
shape your view?
As a first-year law student at Southern Methodist University, I learned
on the first day of orientation that my class was 50 percent female.
however, i was also told that it would be another 40 years before
women would make up half of the legal profession. That prediction
inspired me, and i committed myself to making a difference within the
legal profession.
Today, approximately 25 percent of all lawyers are women, and i’m
glad to see that women are making substantial progress in law and across
all professional fields.
Who has shaped your thinking as a business leader?
What about their business skill or style influenced you?
i have had so many wonderful mentors over the years. in addition to the
men and women who have served as business role models, i have always
been inspired by women who are able to balance their careers with their
family lives. it is extremely encouraging to see how these women who
are so successful in their careers never seem to miss a step when it comes
to raising their children.
How did you get to your present position? What was your career path?
when i was growing up, i was sure that i would spend my
life practicing law. after attending law school, i worked for the
St. Louis law firm of Lewis, Rice & Fingersh, where I spent 10 great
years as a partner.
i then joined Blue Cross and Blue shield in Missouri as its
outside legal counsel. at the time, BCBs Missouri was facing
some pretty difficult challenges, and my role was to help their
management navigate those challenges, including a complex
transition from not-for-profit to for-profit status.
in January 1999, i became general counsel for the Missouri plan
and also oversaw its government relations efforts. in 2003, i was named
president and Ceo of the Missouri plan. i joined wellpoint with the
merger of our companies in 2004 and was honored to be named presi-
dent and Ceo of wellpoint in June of 2007.
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
 Leadership
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

CEO PROFILE (continued)

What business books or journals do you read regularly
or recommend for aspiring leaders?
i love quotes, and one of my favorites comes from the book
Good to Great, by Jim Collins: “The kind of commitment i
find among the best performers across virtually every field
is a single-minded passion for what they do, an unwavering
desire for excellence in the way they think and the way they
work.” i think that’s a pretty good definition of success.
How would you describe your concept and style
of leadership?
good leaders are honest, straightforward, and always learn-
ing. every day a leader is faced with important choices,
some small and some large, and the best leaders focus on
always doing the right thing and making the fair decision.
it is also important to learn from these decisions
going forward—just because you reach a leadership posi-
tion doesn’t mean you stop growing professionally. a good
leader always seeks opportunities to improve at what he or
she does.
Any words of advice to anyone who wants to rise in
their organization?
My advice is to enjoy what you are doing, be yourself, focus
on your principles, and always strive for balance between
your career and your home life. it is important for everyone
to invest in themselves and their careers. seek out men-
tors who you admire. To move your career and your life
forward, it is essential that you take control and take the
necessary steps to get where you want to be. PDJ

DIVERSITY:
A COMMITMENT TO INdIVIdUaLITY
RaNdY BRowN
Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

A key feature of our commitment to diversity at WellPoint is our commitment

to individuality. We want our associates to feel free to be who they are and
ranDY BrOwn
to celebrate that which makes each of us uniquely diverse. When people
feel compelled to “check their true self at the front door,” creativity and
imaginative thinking suffer. Creating an environment that welcomes the unique perspectives, skills
and talents of each individual creates a healthy, high performance culture, where everyone feels
valued. Celebrating individuality is celebrating diversity in its broadest, most inclusive sense. We
believe that including every WellPoint associate in our diversity strategy unleashes the power of over
40,000 unique human beings in support of our customers and our communities, making WellPoint
an opportunity-filled place to work and creating a sustainable business advantage.

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 41

A Culture of Wellness
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

A Culture of Wellness
WellPoint is committed to improving health.

O One of The mAnY wAYs The compAnY mAkes Good on that

commitment externally is through workplace wellness offerings for
customers. Another way is through new tools such as those offered
WellPoint’s Six-
Pronged Approach
through the 360° Health program that enable members to measure to Wellness
and keep track of their personal health status. WellPoint also has
launched innovative member and state health indexes to measure Tobacco CEssatioN
the health of its members and communities and target specific PhYsicaL ActivitY
improvements in both. WEiGht MaNaGEmENt
WellPoint makes good on its commitment internally through the NutRitioN
Choose Better Health associate wellness program, which strives to WELL-bEiNG
create a culture of wellness. PREvENtivE aNd
CoNditioN CaRE
“We care about our associates’ health, and we want to make
it easy to be healthy,” said CEO Angela Braly. “We take a six-
pronged approach to wellness to ensure we’re providing compre-
hensive tools to help associates focus on their health. Additionally,
our programs are designed so employers can model what we’ve
implemented internally.”

Opening of onsite Wellness Center in WellPoint’s Atlanta office December 2007. Angela Braly (center) headed the ceremony.

42 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8


Tobacco Cessation
wellpoint facilities are tobacco-free because
the company believes in providing associ-
ates with a safe and healthy workplace. To
help associates who want to quit smoking
or using tobacco, wellpoint offers compre-
hensive tobacco cessation tools. associates
can participate in online or on-site class-
es, receive free telephonic tobacco cessa-
tion counseling, and even receive nicotine
replacement therapy.
Physical Activity
wellpoint has 18 on-site wellness centers to
encourage associates to maintain a healthy
lifestyle through regular exercise. These
centers are open around the clock to give
associates a convenient place to work out.
For associates who work at wellpoint loca-
tions that do not have an on-site wellness
center, the company offers reimbursement
for health club membership or a network
of free fitness centers associates can use.
wellpoint also participates in the Blue
Cross Blue shield association’s national
walk@lunch Day. national walk@lunch
Day encourages Blue plan associates,
employer groups, and state and local gov-
ernment employees to walk during their
lunch break. wellpoint has hosted walks at
many of its locations, and associates took
the opportunity to turn a “working” lunch
into a “walking” lunch.
To further encourage associates to add
exercise to their daily routines, wellpoint
holds a companywide fitness challenge.
associates engage in a little healthy com-
petition as they exercise their way across a
virtual wellpoint map with 30 minutes of
cardiovascular exercise three to five times a
week over the 12-week challenge.
Weight Management
wellpoint offers significant discounts for
associates to participate in the weight
watchers® weight loss program, whether
it’s online or in community or workplace
meetings. Many wellpoint associates take
advantage of this benefit.
Nutrition
so that working lunches can be healthy
lunches, too, many wellpoint locations
have on-site cafeterias and partnerships
with vendors who feature healthy menu
choices and vending machine selections.
Well-being
wellpoint understands that stress and
depression can affect everyone’s well-being.
That’s why the company offers an employee
assistance program to associates and their
families for confidential counseling. The
program also provides assistance with other
work-life balance issues, such as legal assis-
tance and day-care and elder-care searches.
Monthly teleseminars for wellpoint associ-
ates cover topics such as stress management
and financial fitness.
Preventive and Condition Care
wellness isn’t just about making healthy
choices; it’s also about taking steps to pre-
vent illness. That’s why wellpoint offers
free on-site flu shots and a Know Your
WEIGHT WATCHERS is a registered trademark of Weight Watchers International Inc. and is used under license.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
A Culture of Wellness
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.
numbers on-site health screening cam-
paign. The company also encourages asso-
ciates to complete health assessments so
that they have an accurate picture of their
health.
Getting the Word Out
wellpoint works hard to get the word out
about wellness. in addition to printed and
traditional online communications vehicles
such as e-mail and the intranet, the compa-
ny also takes some innovative approaches.
For instance, last year wellpoint produced
audio spots that offered a humorous look at
eating in the workplace.
The company communicates wellness
from all levels of the organization. it is clear
that wellpoint’s top leadership is commit-
ted to health—from Ceo angela Braly
speaking at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for
the company’s atlanta fitness center, to
senior executives adding wellness messages
to their communications, to incorporating
wellness topics such as work-life balance
into a blog.
The wellpoint commitment to well-
ness doesn’t stop at the top, though; it
stretches to every corner of the organiza-
tion. local wellness teams promote local
wellness events and help implement cor-
poratewide initiatives such as the Fitness
Challenge and the Know Your numbers
screenings. with grassroots support and
leadership commitment, wellpoint has
been successful at developing a corporate
culture of wellness. PDJ
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 43
Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

WellPoint finds strength in each associate’s individual perspectives, believing

that different approaches and views of the world allow the company to be more
innovative, more creative, and ultimately more competitive.

How WellPoint Defines Diversity

T
The company defines diversity as
any collective mixture characterized by dif-
ferences and similarities and their related
tensions and complexities. This definition
includes all associates and recognizes the
myriad of characteristics that make up the
company’s workforce, markets, communi-
ties, and families.
Diversity is a business imperative for
wellpoint that is deeply rooted in its core
values and guiding behaviors. indeed, the
diversity of wellpoint associates enables
the company to better connect with,
understand, and serve customers and
the different communities in which the
company operates. Diverse perspectives,
experiences, and ideas allow the com-
pany to be more innovative. its collective
strengths working toward a common cause
are a winning formula.
wellpoint is a national organization
with a local focus. The diversity of its
exceptional team of associates better posi-
tions the company to reach out to many
different communities, strengthening its
leadership and extending the depth of its
local presence.
wellpoint’s diversity efforts recently
earned the company a spot on the list of
the “Top 50 Companies for Diversity,”
published by Diversityinc.
force and to be recognized as a premier
employer of choice.
• In the workplace: To foster a culture
that maximizes talent by leverag-
ing collective ideas, perspectives, and
experiences for overall organizational
effectiveness and to provide associates
with opportunities for personal and pro-
fessional growth.
• In the marketplace: To grow business
in multicultural markets through
superior strategies that help the
company form, establish, and maintain
relationships with customers, suppliers,
and their communities.
Diversity and Workplace
Culture Ambassadors (DWCAs)
in alignment with wellpoint’s core value of
“one Company, one Team,” the Diversity
and workplace Culture ambassadors pro-
gram is an innovative approach to weaving
diversity, company values, and corporate
culture into the fabric of the organization.
More than 200 DwCas companywide
focus on raising awareness and engagement
among all associates. The ambassadors rep-
resent different business units and job
levels, and they reflect the diversity of the
associate population.
The role of the ambassadors is to be
advocates and role models of wellpoint’s
values and commitment to diversity and
inclusion. at the tactical level, ambassadors
plan and implement local events and activi-
ties in celebration of national diversity
months and observances. The ambassadors
volunteer their time as champions of dia-
logue, interaction, and engagement around
wellpoint’s diversity and culture efforts.

Strategic diversity management

wellpoint’s diversity strategy has three main
areas of focus and corresponding initiatives
aligned with each area.
• In the workforce: To attract, retain,
develop, and advance a world-class work-
DWca ambassadors and associates mingled and discussed what diversity means and
why awareness is so important at the kick-off event in st. Louis, Mo. pictured (L to r)
are: claire stroker, tina Mullen, and rebecca swip (not pictured - Kathy Wren).

44 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

 Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

the ambassadors organize local events and activities around diversity celebrations and
observances, such as this celebration of asian pacific american Heritage Month.

as an example, the ambassadors

played a key role in the success of the
enterprisewide healthy helpings canned
food drive held in July 2007. in the
spirit of wellpoint’s “one Company, one
Team,” the Diversity, Culture, and wellness
departments launched this initiative to
make a difference in the fight against
hunger. This effort benefited more than
200 regional food banks in wellpoint’s
communities, countering the dwindling
supply of canned goods the nonprofit
all over the country championed several are in the midst of forming, identifying
organizations typically experienced during
“Dress for success” suit drives in celebra- members, gaining executive sponsorship,
the summer months. By working together,
tion of women’s history Month. Through and aligning their respective business plans
wellpoint associates contributed more than
this activity they collected suits, purses, and with the company’s strategies and goals.
20,848 pounds of food. at one of the
other items that will benefit women who These groups currently connect african
company’s smaller sites, Rancho Cordova,
are entering the workforce for the first time americans, glBT (gay, lesbian, bisexu-
Calif., 200 wellpoint associates received
or reentering the labor market. al, and transgender) associates, veterans,
special recognition for their extraordi-
hispanics, associates with disabilities, and
nary effort in collecting an amazing 2,500 Associate Resource Groups (ARGs)
women in leadership.
pounds of food. last year, wellpoint launched the associate
wellpoint believes that these groups
Most recently, wellpoint ambassadors Resource Groups program, a key compo-
will be most successful if they are able to
nent of its diversity management strategy.
demonstrate their value to the organization
ARGs are grassroots groups of associates
Thanks to you, who come together united by their affin-
and associates. For that, there needs to be
we are bridging cultural gaps for a healthier,
more vibrant and united America. integration between the ARG initiative
ity for a particular dimension of diver-
and company efforts around recruitment,
sity, most commonly race, gender, cultural
retention, development, and advancement
background, disability, sexual orientation,
of a diverse workforce. ARGs are viewed as
or work status. Recognized as a “best
valuable partners that can be instrumental
practice” by Profiles in Diversity Journal
in helping wellpoint identify and remove
and DiversityInc magazine, associate
barriers for inclusion and advancement of
resource groups are considered by many
WellPoint proudly honors the achievements of Asians and Pacific
Islanders and recognizes their contributions to our nation as our a diverse employee base.
associates, business partners, and fellow citizens.
At WellPoint, we are addressing tomorrow’s health care issues today. WellPoint recognizes that
Asians and Pacific Islanders experience disparities in health and health care including the highest
organizations to be a key initiative to
Hepatitis B rates of any racial group in the United States and five times the likelihood of developing

attract and retain diverse talent, build Communication and Education

cervical and liver cancer than any other ethnic or racial group. In addition to addressing the issues
of the uninsured and underinsured, we also realize the importance of providing linguistically appropriate services. One way
WellPoint is helping to address this is through partnerships with programs like the Community HealthImprovement Partners, a
program to improve appropriate utilization of health care through special multi-language medical reference manuals and help
ensure access to needed care for uninsured children in San Diego County by providing this information in English, Spanish,
Vietnamese, Korean and Chinese. Working to better people’s lives is something you do every day – at WellPoint.

Better health care, thanks to you.

For more information on WellPoint’s diversity initiatives go to
Diversity and Culture on WorkNet or send an e-mail to: diversity@wellpoint.com
a culture of inclusion, leverage internal in an organization as large as wellpoint,
EOE ®Registered Trademark, WellPoint, Inc. © 2007 WellPoint, Inc. All Rights Reserved

diversity expertise, enhance customer communication around diversity and cul-

®Registered Trademark, DiversityInc Media LLC

internal celebration poster for asian pacific connections, and provide leadership ture is a critical component of the diversity
american Heritage Month. development opportunities. strategy. To that end, the company employs
WellPoint currently has six ARGs that multiple channels of communication to

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 45

Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.
reach out to associates, members, custom-
ers, stakeholders, and potential associates
to inform, educate, and gain commitment.
The examples listed below and on the
company’s dedicated diversity web site
(www.wellpointdiversity.com) affirm
wellpoint’s commitment to reaching out
and raising awareness.
• External diversity resources and links
encourage users to increase their under-
standing and knowledge of the impor-
tance of diversity in the workforce.
• The company is committed to improving
coverage for diverse markets and to par-
ticipating in community initiatives, pro-
grams, and partnerships also supported
by the wellpoint Foundation.
• Testimonials from WellPoint associates
reflect on the value of diversity in their
corporate culture.
• Diversity recognition and awards
are presented to wellpoint external
organizations.
• Information is provided about WellPoint’s
initiatives for increasing health care
awareness and accessibility.
• WellPoint established and supports a
46 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal
strong supplier diversity program and
initiatives.
“Diversity is no longer a ‘nice to have,’”
said linda Jimenez, chief diversity and cul-
ture officer. “we know that consumers,
stakeholders, and potential candidates pay
a lot of attention to what companies are
doing to adapt to an increasingly diverse
marketplace. we want them to know that
wellpoint is making focused efforts to
increase our capability so we can success-
fully compete in this changing world.”
Diversity@WorkNet
wellpoint associates can learn about
diversity and culture through the com-
pany’s diversity intranet site. This resource
includes information about the Diversity
and workplace Culture ambassadors pro-
gram, wellpoint’s corporate culture work-
shops, Associate Resource Groups, and
various educational tools and resources.
“one of the features of this site is
the Diversity Mailbox, where we post
my responses to the questions, comments,
and concerns we receive via this e-mail,”
said Jimenez. “The purpose is to promote
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
an open dialogue around diversity and
culture, even when the topics being dis-
cussed make some people uncomfortable.
associates have been very candid in raising
concerns and issues. Creating this space
for open dialogue is critical to furthering
diversity in our organization.”
WellPoint Associate Calendar
The collaborative efforts of the Diversity,
wellness, and ethics and Compliance
departments resulted in the publication
of the 2008 wellpoint associate Calendar.
The calendar features health and well-
ness themes; multicultural celebrations that
reflect a variety of ethnic, social, religious,
and historical events; and a reinforcement
of wellpoint’s core value of integrity. in
addition, associates learn about nation-
ally recognized diversity celebrations and
observances through monthly posters that
are displayed at the different work sites.
The posters not only create awareness but
also help associates understand what the
company is doing to affect the health and
wellness of its diverse members and the
communities it serves.
actress Alfre Woodard was the keynote
speaker of the 10th annual Women’s
empowerment series.
pictured (L to r): Wellpoint associates Katie
Fahey, Workplace culture ambassador;
athlete and guest speaker, Monica Cabbler;
Linda Jimenez, chief Diversity and culture
Officer; Woodard; Brenda Burke, director
supplier Diversity; and Monica Frias,
Diversity program manager.

Diversity Training
wellpoint currently is revamping its
diversity training initiative, partnering
with Roosevelt Thomas and R. Thomas
Consulting and Training to create a
series of diversity e-learning modules.
The modules will provide managers and
associates with understanding and practical
tools that will make them more effective as
change agents of diversity and inclusion.
some of the modules further explore the
meaning of diversity competency and
the behaviors tied to that skill set. other
modules review real-case scenarios where
managers have to deal with the complex-
ity and the conflicts that arise from hav-
ing a diverse workforce.
Lunch-and-Learn Sessions
wellpoint continues to conduct lunch-
and-learn sessions under the “Diversity
Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
hot Topics” series, a forum that highlights
current events or topics of newsworthy
interest that affect the workforce, work-
place, and marketplace. The first theme for
hot Topics was “intent vs. impact,” which
discussed the controversy created by radio
host Don Imus’ remarks about the Rutgers
University women’s basketball team.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.
WELLpoiNt’s PREsENcE iN
LocaL CommuNitiEs
Women’s Empowerment Series
For the past two years, wellpoint has been
title sponsor of the indianapolis women’s
empowerment series, a growing event that
annually attracts hundreds of women to
participate in informational seminars and
activities under the theme of “self, wealth,
Wellpoint was the title sponsor of
indianapolis’ 10th annual Women’s
empowerment series, which gathers
women of all ages to learn and
connect around “self, Wealth and
Health”.
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 47
Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

Wellpoint’s cultural and Linguistic provider resources

Web site provides physicians with a comprehensive set
of cultural and linguistic tools for understanding and
addressing racial and cultural health disparities in their
communities.

communities. The new site is wellpoint’s new online resource

and health.” as part of this sponsorship,
wellpoint associates receive free admission
to the event. in addition, several wellpoint
female leaders have been featured as
guest speakers: shamla naidoo, vice presi-
dent, security and compliance; stephanie
Moss, pharmacist program manager;
Brenda Burke, director of supplier diver-
sity; and lisa Moriyama, vice president,
human resources.
Culture and Health
one of wellpoint’s goals is to signifi-
cantly reduce health disparities among seg-
ments of the population by the year 2010.
new web tools are designed to help achieve
this goal. They also reflect the company’s
commitment to work with providers to
ensure all members have access to the best
care available.
as an example of wellpoint’s efforts to
increase health care professionals’ cultural
competency, wellpoint launched a web
site that provides physicians with a com-
prehensive set of cultural and linguistic
tools for understanding and addressing
racial and cultural health disparities in their
housed on the provider home
page of wellpoint health
plans and is available to all
health care professionals.
Research conducted by the U.S.
Department of health and human services
and the institute of Medicine has demon-
strated that culture and language can affect
the way that patients view illness and
disease and their attitudes toward health
care providers. in addition, a report by
the Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality revealed other significant findings:
• Minorities are more likely than Cau-
casians to be diagnosed with late-stage
breast cancer and colorectal cancer;
• Patients of lower socioeconomic status
are less likely to receive recommended
diabetes services and more likely to be
hospitalized for the condition and its
complications;
• Many racial and ethnic minorities and
people of lower socioeconomic status are
less likely to receive childhood immuni-
zations and screening and treatment for
heart risk factors; and
• Many racial and ethnic groups, as well
as poor and less educated patients, are
more likely to report poor communica-
tion with their physicians.
will help address these findings. The site
includes health education and disease-
specific materials in both spanish and
Chinese, as well as materials written
specifically for low-literacy readers. it also
offers resources and tips for the provision
of language translation during an office
visit and links to assessment tools that
will help physicians better understand the
demographics and psychographics of the
populations they serve.
wellpoint’s diversity resources also
include an enterprisewide training program
to help the company’s physicians, nurses,
and other clinical associates learn cross-
cultural communications skills. “Quality
interactions: a patient-based approach to
Cross-Cultural Care,” is an online training
program that features real cases in which
associates “interact” with patients in a
virtual clinical setting. The training builds
a framework to help wellpoint’s clinical
associates master how to integrate clinical
information with cross-cultural informa-
tion from the individual patient to improve
quality of care and reduce disparities. PDJ

48 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8


Reaching Out to a Diverse Talent Pool
WellPoint invests significant resources in efforts to recruit
from all available sources to attract the best talent.
L
Last year, the company participated in more than 50
diversity recruitment events throughout the country, including
professional organizations and conferences and college and univer-
sity career fairs. wellpoint was a sponsor at the following diversity
recruiting events:
national Black MBa association
national society of hispanic MBas
national society of hispanic professionals
Black Data processing associates
The Consortium for graduate study in Management
national Black nurses association
international association of Black actuaries
Career opportunities for students with Disabilities.
Innovative approaches to diversity MBA recruitment
looking for innovative ways to approach MBa talent, wellpoint
implemented a strategic marketing and branding campaign that
used video eCard invitations to reach the targeted audience. The
company produced MBa/college and hipp (health insurance
professional program) brochures that highlighted its commit-
ment to health, wellness, and diversity, messages that are generally
meaningful to a technically savvy and socially responsible genY
audience. Using music download cards with data-capture func-
tionality, wellpoint began building a passive relationship database
for communicating with these candidates.
Leveraging key partnerships and relationships
in addition, wellpoint identified key partnerships and leveraged
existing relationships to gain visibility at major diversity recruiting
events, including the highly selective Consortium for graduate
study in Management. The Consortium is the country’s premier
organization providing corporate america and leading business
schools with stellar, diverse MBa talent. as a patron level sponsor,
wellpoint has early access to an experienced, prescreened talent
pool.
Providing financial support for outstanding students
The wellpoint Foundation awarded the Consortium a three-
year grant totaling $90,000 that will support outstanding
diverse students who are pursuing graduate degrees in business.
Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.
in wellpoint’s first year as a sponsor, the company also contributed
an additional $60,000 to the Consortium’s annual orientation pro-
gram and career fair, positioning wellpoint at the second highest
corporate underwriter level.
Selecting quality candidates
wellpoint held invitation-only receptions at these major diversity
recruiting events. Consortium members and potential candidates
identified through pre-event resume database mining were invited
to these receptions via video eCard invitations with Fwd2Friend
and RSVP functionalities. One-on-one meetings between high-
interest candidates and members of the event team were held to
further evaluate candidates and give them the opportunity to ask
wellpoint’s recruiters and internal business partners key ques-
tions.
Narrowing the field
selected candidates went through a personalized candidate relation-
ship management program. This process focused on candidates’
needs, current situation, interests, and desire for specific career
experiences. in some cases, conversations also involved spouses and
family members—a hallmark of genY’s tethered status to these
key influencers in their lives.
Those candidates selected to attend the two-day leadership
summit held at wellpoint’s corporate headquarters received a save-
the-date message from a member of the summit program team.
This message was followed by a continuation of the customized
one-on-one communication model and assistance with travel and
accommodation planning.
Corporate commitment
The two-day leadership summit involved high-level wellpoint
leaders, wellpoint Consortium school alumni, and hipp associ-
ates. The event featured internal speakers on topics ranging from
leadership to corporate culture to diversity, a panel speaker module
and interactive Q&a session with the candidates, interactive core
values-focused team exercise, and panel interviews for upcoming
openings for summer MBa interns, hipp associates, and other
full-time positions. PDJ
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 49
Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.
Corporate Culture Change:
One Person at a Time
A
at wellpoint, diversity is a key component
of the corporate culture. To maximize the
similarities and differences of associates to
create a high-performing culture, the com-
pany goes beyond the typical components
of diversity—age, gender, sexual orienta-
tion, race, and color—to include diversity
of thought.
after two very large companies,
anthem and wellpoint health networks,
merged to form wellpoint, inc., the
new company embarked on a journey to
create a high-performing culture by design
rather than by default. To that end, the
company established a foundation of five
core values:
• Customer First
• Lead Through Innovation
• One Company, One Team
• Personal Accountability for Excellence
• Integrity.
each of these core values has distinct
guiding behaviors that describe ways to
turn its words into action. “a promise made
is a promise kept,” for example, would be
an actionable behavior for the personal
accountability for excellence value.
Culture-shaping workshops,
behavior-changing concepts
The five core values are augmented by
several culture concepts, which are tools
and techniques to maximize individual
fulfillment and effectiveness. wellpoint
partnered with senn-Delaney leadership
on a multiyear, multiphase rollout of a
culture-shaping workshop. More than
40,000 wellpoint associates experienced
the culture concepts firsthand at the in-
50 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal
person, eight-hour workshop. During the
workshop, associates identify their role
in creating a high-performing culture at
wellpoint and decide how to achieve their
RESULTS CONE: Results are determined
by behavior, which is driven by feelings
and beliefs. people who are getting the
results they like at work and at home keep
own fulfillment and improve effectiveness, on doing the same behaviors. people who
both at work and at home. are getting less than ideal results need to
There are several key concepts that examine not only their behavior but also
help associates recognize their own behav- the feelings and beliefs that are driving
iors, “unfreeze” their thinking, and give their behavior. The examination may lead
them insight that enables them to change to an insight, an “aha” moment, that will
their behavior. each of these concepts is bring about change.
based on the psychology of the mind and
demonstrates the unique experiences and
thoughts that individuals bring to the orga-
nization and how they can leverage them to
create a high-performing organization.
Some of the concepts include:
BLIND SPOTS: Blind spots are common
to almost all individuals.
as such, people who are having a con-
versation and are sure they see the whole
picture should consider that they might be
missing something. They should approach
conversations from a position of curiosity
rather than certainty. what are others see-
ing that they do not see?
SELECTIVE PERCEPTION: people see
the world through their own set of filters.
“
personal experiences and preferences affect Being more aware of
the way people see and interpret an event
or situation. For instance, one person may the direct impact my
see an early morning meeting as ideal. For thoughts are having on
another person, an early morning meeting
my behaviors, which then
may present a huge logistical problem, cre-
ating child-care or transportation issues. drive my results, has been
”
life altering for me.
—Wellpoint associate susan K. smith
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

MOOD ELEVATOR: The mood eleva-
tor is a generalization of the spectrum
of moods that humans can experience
throughout any given day, or sometimes
in a given hour. while people are in these
various mood states, the quality of their
thought is directly affected. people can “self
check” their mood state by becoming more
aware of their feelings.
higher mood states allow people to
be more creative and resourceful in solv-
ing difficult problems. lower mood states
decrease the quality of thinking. when
people become aware of their mood, or at
least get to the point where they are curious
about their mood, they then can move up
the mood elevator to a higher mood state
and a better quality of thinking. people in
higher mood states have access to more uses
of the mind: memory processing, analysis,
perspective, common sense, insight, and
wisdom. to increase job effectiveness and overall
Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.
understanding what others are looking for
in relationships allows you an opportunity
to adapt your communication style.
BEHAVIORAL STYLES: wellpoint rec-
ognizes that personal preferences and ten-
dencies (or behavioral styles) are another
type of diversity. some people are detail-
oriented and need to be certain before
making a decision. others are focused on
the bottom line and want to move to action
quickly. still others have the ability to see
the big picture but have little interest in
mapping out the steps to get there. people
who work readily and well with these and
other personality types facilitate the collab-
orative decision-making process. human resources officer. “Benchmark data
Because wellpoint values the skills shows that significant cultural change
that each of these styles brings to the work- takes between three to five years; in some
place, the company is creating an aware- cases, as long as seven years. at wellpoint,
ness of four types of behavioral styles. The we are proud of the inroads we have made
awareness training helps associates recog- so far; we are already differentiating our-
nize their personal behavior styles (includ- selves within the health care industry. our
ing strengths and potential liabilities) and ability to attract highly sought after talent
work with the styles of their co-workers to our organization and to engage and
retain our current associates is due in large
wellpoint results. part to our culture.” PDJ
Making progress
in order to reinforce this culture and
continue to improve, wellpoint is com-
mitted to continuing the one-day, in-
person culture workshops with newly hired
associates. Management is encouraged to
reinforce the concepts and core values in
a variety of ways, and the company mea-
sures, on an annual basis, progress toward
the desired state.
“This work has made a substantial dif-
ference in my personal and work life,” said
wilma Kidd, wellpoint associate.
“we aren’t there yet, but we have
made identifiable progress,” said Randy
Brown, executive vice president and chief focusing on one thing at a time and being
mentally where you are physically allows
you to accomplish tasks more quickly.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 51
Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

LocaL iNitiativEs impRovE LivEs

WellPoint’s mission to improve lives is reflected in a number of local initiatives that
seek to make a difference and to stress the company’s local impact. They include:
• Anthem Healthy Living Tips, on Hispanic station WIIH
• Indiana Black Expo
• S ervices for the uninsured and underinsured at the Indiana University Schools of
Optometry and Dentistry
• Grant to provide medical services to approximately 15,000 African immigrants
• Indianapolis Urban League Equal Opportunity Day
• INROADS educational activities that provide opportunities to promising young people
of color
• Sponsorship of Martin Luther King Jr. Day
•G
 rant to the Colorado Hospital Association to develop a consumer-oriented hospital
report card comparing the quality of colorado hospitals
• Foundation grants for Miles for Smiles programs in Nevada, Colorado, and Maine
•P
 artnership with the California Association of Health Underwriters and the Foundation
for Health
•C
 overage education to develop “Get Covered,” a campaign to inform Californians about
their health care coverage options
•P
 artnership with the Los Angeles Dodgers Dream Foundation to highlight information
needed to obtain health coverage and showcase the “Get Covered” campaign
•P
 artnership with the states of California and Wisconsin focusing on enrolling uninsured
children and adults eligible for health coverage.

THE DIVERSITY WHEEL

Diversity: Any collective mixture
characterized by differences and similarities.

This definition includes every one

of us and recognizes the myriad of
characteristics that make up our
workforce, our markets, and our
communities, as well as our families.

The Diversity Wheel is a good depiction

of this relationship.

52 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

 Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

The WellPoint Foundation

T
The WeLLPoinT FoUndATion and WellPoint’s community relations teams develop and oversee focused programs
and initiatives in the community that reach out to a diverse audience. Last year, for example, WellPoint partnered
with indianapolis’ Walker Theater and rhythm and blues legend Patti LaBelle to present a gala evening of music to
raise awareness of diabetes, a disease which, on average, affects African Americans nearly twice as often as non-
Hispanic whites of similar age. The concert highlighted a weekend of health awareness sponsored by WellPoint
and the Marion County Health Department, which included free health screenings.

Additionally, WellPoint partnered with indiana Black Expo to reach a national audience surrounding obesity
initiatives during the 2007 Summer Celebration, the largest African American event in the nation. The Centers
for Disease Control (CDC) have identified obesity as an epidemic in America and an urgent need to promote the
importance of choosing a healthy diet and becoming more physically active.

Over the last decade, the prevalence of obesity increased

across racial and ethnic groups. Mexican Americans and
black adults in the U.S. are considerably more overweight
and obese than white adults. Additionally, many obesity
related diseases, including diabetes, are found at higher
rates among various members of racial-ethnic minorities
compared to whites.

Based on the success of the indiana Black Expo partner-

ship, WellPoint will once again partner with Black Expo in
2008 to reach this audience. PDJ

randall Lewis, Wellpoint

spokesman enjoys the evening
with patti Labelle.

the event highlighted a weekend

of education and outreach on
diabetes in diverse groups.

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 53

Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.
Tom FoRaN
Director, Product
and Business
Development,
Life and
Disability
Tom Foran Receives
Diversity Award
Tom Foran recently received the
Employee of the Year Award, pre-
sented by Careers & the disABLED
magazine.
Tom joined WellPoint in 2006 and
is responsible for WellPoint’s large
group and national accounts dis-
ability products and business de-
velopment. He is a virtual man-
ager whose team is located in
both Atlanta, Georgia, and Wor-
thington, Ohio.
Tom’s contribution is significant
to our mission: to improve the lives
of the people we serve. His team
designs disability products that bring
more resources into the disability
management process, enabling us
to improve outcomes for employees
who acquire a disability, while
reducing an employer’s disability-
related costs.
Tom has more than 25 years of
volunteer experience in the disability
advocacy field and many years of
volunteer work. He has given public
testimony before the United States
House of Representatives Ways and
Means Committee and conducted
speaking engagements at many
industry conferences.
54 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal
Diversity Recognition and Awards
WiThin The LAsT 18 monThs, WellPoint’s strategic diversity
management efforts have resulted in numerous external awards
and recognitions. Many WellPoint associates who exemplify the
values and strong commitment to diversity have also earned
individual accolades.
2007 Awards
• “Best Diversity Company,” by Diversity/Careers in Engineering and Information
Technology magazine
• “Top 25 Most Noteworthy Companies for Diversity,” by DiversityInc magazine
• “Diversity in Practice Corporate Award,” presented at the Indianapolis Diversity in
practice Conference
• Profiles in Diversity Journal’s 2007 “international innovation in Diversity award of
excellence” to our California plan for its case study on “identifying performance
Variation and Addressing It Through Collaboration”
• National Eagle Leadership Institute (NELI) “Eagle Award Winner,” Ray Morales,
M.D., regional vice president, national Medical Director (southeast)
• “Best Company for Blacks in Technology Award,” by the Black Data Processing
associates (BDpa) and workplaceDiversity.com
• Shamla Naidoo, vice president, Security and Compliance, and Lisa Moriyama, vice
president, Human Resources, featured as “Women Worth Watching” by Profiles in
Diversity Journal
• “Sam H. Jones Award,” presented at the 6th Annual Mayor’s Award for
Diversity luncheon.
2008 Awards
• Ranked 42 among the “Top 50 Companies for Diversity,” by DiversityInc magazine
• Ranked 14 among the “Top 50 Companies for Diverse Managers,” by Diversity
MBA magazine
• Received a score of 85 (up by 5 points over last year) on the Human Rights
Campaign’s “Corporate equality index,” which rates employers on a scale from
0 to 100 on their treatment of glBT (gay, lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender)
employees, consumers, and investors
• “Champion of Women in Business Award,” by The Women’s Congress
• “Corporate Champion of Diversity Award,” by Indiana Minority Business magazine
• Alena Baquet-Simpson, M.D., staff vice president, Health Care Management,
recognized as one of “The Top 25 Most influential Black women in Business,” by
The Network Journal
• Tom Foran, director, product and business development, Life and Disability, selected
“employee of the Year,” by Careers & the disABLED magazine. PDJ
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
 Diversity: Innovation, Creativity, Success
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

WellPoint Takes a Stand for Americans

with Disabilities
Joyce Bender
founder of Bender consulting services, inc.

Few compAnies in the United States have embraced disability as a part of

diversity like WellPoint. With a 65% unemployment rate for Americans with
significant disabilities, we need a company that realizes that freedom through
competitive employment is for ALL people of ability. Joyce Bender
As a woman with epilepsy and a hearing-loss, i have dedicated my life to
the employment of Americans with significant disabilities; i am the founder of Bender Consulting Services, inc., a partner
of WellPoint.
Over the past four years, WellPoint has consistently committed to the employment of people with disabilities and
included disability as part of diversity training and awareness. Without question, the leadership of Angela Braly has been
spectacular in so many ways.
WellPoint has partnered with Bender Consulting and has hired new people every year in areas such as information
technology, accounting, nursing, pharmacy, and customer service. WellPoint has changed lives, and provided freedom and
the ability to live the American dream.
Angela Braly, president and CEO of WellPoint, has in her office pictures of women she admires most, such as Supreme
Court Judges O’Connor and Ginsberg. The prominent center and largest picture is that of Aimee Mullins, a woman who
is a double amputee and Paralympics medal winner of the 100 yard dash. Angela told me this is a real champion to her
and someone she wants her children to use as a role model.
Angela, as a civil rights leader for Americans with disabilities, i would say the “Point is Well-stated”—at WellPoint,
Americans with disabilities really are a part of your commitment to diversity.
At Bender Consulting Services, it will always be an honor to be partners with WellPoint.

“ Wellpoint’s commitment to creating a diverse

workforce goes beyond traditional definitions of
race, gender and ethnicity, to include seeking
opportunities to increase the number of employ-
ees with disabilities. Diversity management is an
integral part of the culture here at Wellpoint.
We strive to create an environment of opportu-
nity for all qualified associates, irrespective of
their background, and pursue every available
avenue to make a difference in the neighborhoods

”
DaviD caseY

where we work and live.

DaviD caseY
Vice president, talent Management

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 55

Supplier Diversity
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

Prioritizing Supplier Diversity

At WellPoint, supplier diversity is a business imperative and smart business. Shareholders and consumers
pay attention and reward companies with business practices dedicated to diversity from the CEO, individual
associates, and a diverse supplier base. Demographic shifts can also translate into increased purchasing
power for diverse markets.
“Having a diverse network of suppliers brings WellPoint closer to customers and prospective customers,”
said Brenda Burke, director, supplier diversity. “These suppliers are often gatekeepers, champions, and
ambassadors in their community and help us stay in touch with our communities.”
WellPoint has a robust supplier diversity program which exceeded the goals proposed in a request for
proposal (RFP) from the State of indiana’s Minority and Women Business Enterprises.
“By exceeding this goal, we have been able to win additional state-sponsored and national account
contracts in which supplier diversity utilization is a critical component of the decision-making process,”
Burke continued.
Additionally, the supplier diversity office at WellPoint creates an annual goal—metrics for direct and
indirect contracts with minority- and women-owned businesses—and measures and reports performance
against these metrics each quarter. in 2007, the office exceeded both its first- and second-tier goals.

PRoGRam PRomotioN met individually with wellpoint leaders to showcase their busi-
Through partnerships with local, regional, and national organiza- nesses and capabilities. a similar summit also was hosted in
tions serving as advocates for minority- and women-owned busi- Connecticut.
nesses, wellpoint is able to successfully promote its programs for “The inaugural event was just one of the many steps wellpoint
diverse suppliers. is taking to create a foundation for these businesses to build rela-
“as america’s leading health benefits company, we have an tionships with our iT leaders,” said Mark Boxer, president and
obligation to be a leader in the eyes of our industry and corporate Ceo of wellpoint’s operations, technology, and government ser-
peers in the area of supplier diversity,” said president and Ceo vices business unit.
angela Braly. “our obligation must go beyond simple dollars and
cents. we have partnerships with historically underutilized compa-
nies that help support diverse populations in the communities we
serve. These mutually beneficial partnerships create an important
cycle of economic development and prosperity. wellpoint is proud
to play a critical role in creating and maintaining that cycle.”

Host oF thE FiRst SuppLiER DivERsitY Summit

in 2007, wellpoint held the first supplier Diversity summit to
raise awareness of supplier diversity within the organization and to
create opportunities for business leaders and associates to connect
with diverse suppliers.
Thirteen minority- and women-owned businesses joined
Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce President Roland
Dorson and wellpoint leaders, including Braly, at the June event.
These suppliers, who represented some of Central indiana’s top
information technology and information management firms,
Brenda Burke, supplier Diversity Director, discusses Wellpoint’s
goals for the inaugural supplier Diversity summit with participants.

56 Pro f i les i n Dive rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

 Supplier Diversity
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

Wellpoint supplier Diversity Director

Brenda Burke (second from right)
discusses Wellpoint’s goals for its
inaugural supplier Diversity summit
with attendees Tasha Phelps, phelco
technologies (far left); Julie Kennedy,
Moongate technologies (second from
left) and Wayne Patrick, professional
Data Dimensions (far right).

SuppLiER DivERsitY ChampioNs EXcEEdiNG EXpEctatioNs

as a result of these events, wellpoint increased its supply chain
by 15 minority- and women-owned vendors, which represented
71 percent of the invited companies. in addition, the company
launched last year a Corporate supplier Diversity Champions
program, which identifies and involves internal stakeholders in
different departments of the organization as supplier diversity
advocates.
wellpoint’s supplier Diversity Champions are committed
to including diverse suppliers in the vendor search, and have
extensive knowledge of contract needs and requirements. These
champions also track utilization against the final goal and make
adjustments as necessary throughout the process. individuals serve
as advocates by encouraging utilization, and work collaboratively
with the supplier diversity office for any support necessary.
The supplier Diversity office assists champions by research-
ing and understanding the statement of work for each contract,
conducting M/wBe searches to expand the existing database of
reliable suppliers, and creating a scorecard for tracking and accom-
panying champions to diversity-related meetings, as requested.
in 2007, wellpoint’s efforts in the supplier diversity arena allowed
the company to exceed its supplier diversity Tier i goal by $20
million (36 percent) and surpass the number of Tier ii businesses’
reporting goal by more than 160 percent.
wellpoint sponsored several events, including the indiana
Business Diversity Council opportunity Fair, the southern
California Business Diversity Council opportunity Fair, the
indiana Minority Business Magazine awards presentations, and
the indiana Black expo Business Conference.
in addition, Brenda Burke, supplier diversity director, was
appointed to the Board of the indiana Business Diversity Council
and served as membership chair of the national Minority supplier
Development Council healthcare industry group, a panelist
at the national purchasing Conference, and a speaker at the
indianapolis women’s empowerment series. PDJ

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 57

Supplier Diversity
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

Supplier Stories

“ Wellpoint measures the success of its supplier diversity program by

exceeding goals, by developing innovative and creative approaches to
meeting and exceeding goals, and through collaborations with internal
and external stakeholders.

”
—BrenDa Burke, supplier Diversity Director

“ WellPoint shows their continued focus on expanding diversity in the

workplace. We had the pleasure of being invited to attend one of their
Diversity Supplier Networking events the end of last year. Never before have
we had the honor to present our capabilities to such a target audience
sharing our diversity initiatives. Diversity can help organizations: identify and
capitalize on opportunities to improve products and services; attract, retain,
motivate and utilize human resources effectively; improve quality of decision
making at all organizational levels; and reap the many benefits of being
perceived as a socially conscious and progressive organization. Because of
the benefits associated with having a diverse workforce, many companies
Claudine S. George have increased their efforts to promote diversity in their workforce.

The true essence of a corporation is its people. We provide a link

between employers seeking to enrich their workforce diversity and a
pool of diverse candidates who are searching for an opportunity to
perform to their full potential. Our mandate is to help employers embrace
the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual. As an
equal opportunity employer, we pride ourselves in creating an employment
environment that supports and encourages the abilities of all persons
regardless of race, color, gender, age, sexual orientation, citizenship, or

”
disability. This commitment extends to all areas of employment practices,
including hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, training, and layoff
or termination.

—Claudine S. George, Owner, icOnma, LLc

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 Supplier Diversity
Special Feature :: WellPoint, inc.

“
As a woman business owner and advocate, i commend WellPoint’s
leadership in supplier diversity, which has provided mentoring and partnering
opportunities for women- and minority-owned businesses. My company has
benefited with a contract to staff personnel for WellPoint’s indiana state-
sponsored Medicaid program.

To meet WellPoint’s rigorous requirements, it was imperative for us to

elevate our management, recruiting, HR, and operations performance and

”
capabilities. As a result, we are a stronger, more competitive and effective
medical staffing business today, better positioned for growth and success.

—Billie Dragoo, president and ceO, repucare

Billie Dragoo

“
Over the past few years, our firm has had the opportunity to partner with
WellPoint on several marketing initiatives. Our expertise and knowledge
in health care allowed our agency to play a primary role in developing the
marketing strategies for these initiatives. These doors were opened through
the Supplier Diversity program. Based upon our reputation, Brenda Burke,
supplier diversity director/manager, submitted our agency as a possible
supplier. We were then interviewed, our experience was reviewed, and
ultimately we were selected as the marketing partner for these initiatives.
The process was detailed, fair, and respectful of our experience, regardless
of our agency being a Hispanic-owned business.

Our partnership with WellPoint truly is a testament to the fact that KathY cabellO
WellPoint’s Supplier Diversity program really works. it matches experienced
suppliers with clients that have a need—the right opportunity with the right
supplier.

WellPoint’s Supplier Diversity program truly desires MBEs to grow:

not only within WellPoint, but also externally. As a result, WellPoint has
recommended our firm to other corporations in the health care industry.

We are pleased with how our partnership has developed and we look

”
forward to future growth.

—Kathy cabello, president, cabello associates

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 59

 viewpoint
Is Retaining Women and Minority
Attorneys in Large Law Firms an
Elusive Aspiration?
By Melanie Harrington and Naomi K. McLaurin
F
Harrington McLaurin
For ManY organiZaTions, DiVersiTY has come to mean
only representation. Environmental forces generate plans designed
to avoid pain, such as the loss of business or market share. Ironically,
these plans are the first phase of what the American Institute
for Managing Diversity, Inc. (AIMD) refers to as the
“frustrating cycle.”
The cycle begins with the pressure to increase diversity rep-
resentation which results in increased representation, momentary
celebration, and then the steady attrition of these underrepresented
groups of employees. And the cycle begins again. Organizations
stuck in the cycle become frustrated with their inability to control
the waves of attrition.
The problem lies with the one-dimensional approach to diver-
sity. In reality, diversity representation results in other behavioral,
cultural, or communication differences for which the organization
may not be prepared.
Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr., founder of AIMD and noted
diversity expert, believes that four basic methods have evolved for
addressing diversity:
1. Managing work force representation—ensuring that the desired
demographics exist
2. understanding work force differences—ensuring that produc-
tive relationships exist in the work force
3. Managing work force diversity—creating an environment that
works for a representative and behaviorally diverse workforce
4. Managing strategic diversity—developing a capability to
make decisions in the midst of differences, similarities,
and tension.
Thomas suggests that many organizations are stuck in the
frustrating cycle because leaders approach diversity as the right
thing to do, rather than because of the business case for diversity
management. what’s more, they often don’t understand the breadth
of approaches to diversity that exist. To stem unwanted attrition
and end the cycle, organizations must be willing to manage more
effectively by expanding their approach to diversity.
large law firms are grappling with the frustrating cycle, which
they term “the revolving door syndrome.” however, several organi-
zations have explored why law firms are stuck in the cycle and have
developed practical action steps and best practices that firms can use
to end the cycle.
60 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
Attrition of Women and Minority Attorneys in
Large Law Firms
women and minority attorneys leave law firms for a variety
of reasons including: a lack of mentoring relationships; failure
to receive meaningful/challenging work assignments; insufficient
client contact, business development and networking opportunities;
little honest feedback, no advancement, and inadequate work/life
balance. Bias, salary disparities, feelings of isolation and exclusion,
and micro-inequities also contribute to attrition.
According to the National Association of law placement,
minorities account for 5.4 percent of partners and 18 percent of
associates. women account for 18 percent of partners and
45 percent of associates. But minority women account for less than
2 percent of partners and 10 percent of associates.
The American Bar Association Commission on women
study titled Visible Invisibility Women of Color in Law Firms details
a wide range of inequities in the law profession. Among the more
glaring examples:
• 53 percent of women of color remained employed at law firms,
compared to 72 percent of white men.
• 44 percent of women of color reported being denied desirable
work assignments compared to 2 percent of white men.
• 43 percent of women of color reported having limited client
development opportunities compared to 3 percent of white
men. Interestingly, women of color met with clients when it
was advantageous to the firm.
Furthermore, lawyers of color were compensated substantially
less than their white counterparts.
Action Steps and Best Practices
According to MCCA’s Creating Pathways to Diversity® reports
titled A Study of Law Department Best Practices; The Myth of the
Meritocracy: A Report on the Bridges and Barriers to Success in Large
Law Firms; and Mentoring Across Differences: A Guide to Cross-
Gender and Cross-Race Mentoring,1 law firms can reduce the attrition
of women and minority attorneys by implementing the following
action steps.
• Make diversity a “core value” and include it in the firm’s stra-
tegic plan. Diversity should be communicated throughout the
organization. link compensation of senior management to
diversity results.
 “ Many organizations are stuck in the ‘frustrating
cycle’ because leaders approach diversity as
the right thing to do, rather than because of
• Focus on retention and inclusion efforts such
as formal and informal mentoring programs.
Formal mentoring programs are a supplement
to, not a substitute for, informal mentoring.
Employers should promote cross-gender and
the business case for diversity management.
Dr. r. roosevelt thomas, Jr., founder of aiMD

”
cross-race mentoring as a part of their diversity initiatives; set pri- Over 115 companies have signed the Call to Action, including Dupont,
orities, policies, and compensation that reflect the importance of wal-Mart Stores, Inc., pfizer Inc, Microsoft Corporation, and The Coca-
mentoring and diversity; and make it a priority for leaders to serve Cola Company.
as mentors. The Coca-Cola Company recently awarded its first “living the
• Women and minority attorneys should be identified for key promo- Values” Award to Shook, hardy & Bacon llp. The award honors the
tion and professional development opportunities. u.S. law firm, with whom it does business, which best demonstrates its
• Firms should distribute assignments to ensure that women and commitment to diversity with creative and innovative solutions that align
minorities receive the opportunity to do high-level work and gain with The Coca-Cola Company’s diversity values.
exposure to important corporate clients. In November 2007, a questionnaire was distributed to the company’s
• If a senior associate or partner consistently fails to include women 18 u.S. partner law firms. It requested descriptions of the practices and
or minorities in his/her practice group, management should remind values which support and drive diversity and inclusion efforts in several
these lawyers to be more inclusive. areas including: the commitment of a firm’s senior management to diver-
• Performance evaluations should provide honest and timely feed- sity with established systems for measuring progress and accountability,
back that is based upon fair and objective performance criteria representation of minorities and women, and creative partnering arrange-
and competencies. ments with minority- and women-owned firms.
• Firms should focus on their own biases, assumptions and stereotypes, Firm responses were evaluated against the best-in-class practices in
as they may contribute to the attrition of women and minority at- each area. Shook, hardy & Bacon llp earned the highest aggregate
torneys. For example, because of family demands, it is often assumed score. More and more companies are seeking firms that reflect the global
that women are not as committed to their careers as men. In addi- marketplace, similar values, and an increasingly diverse consumer base.
tion, women and minority attorneys are expected to serve on diversity
committees without considering the role white men should have in Shifting to an Expanded Approach
the firm’s diversity efforts. According to Thomas, AIMD’s founder, external influences require
• Firms should establish work-life quality initiatives that include poli- firms to reexamine the paradigms upon which diversity efforts are based.
cies such as flexible schedules, alternative career paths, family leave, An approach solely focused on diversity representation will not foster
telecommuting, and childcare assistance. an environment that supports an expanded approach to diversity.
Today, there is a need to bring diverse thinking and representa- To remain competitive, law firms and other organizations will need
tion into the legal department in order to effectively deal with diverse to support the full array of approaches necessary for the demands of
populations in a global economy. Moreover, diverse teams produce a today’s marketplace. PDJ
better work product.

1 ©2003 Minority Corporate Counsel Association, Inc. All rights reserved.

External Influences on Law Firms’ Diversity Efforts
Companies are influencing diversity in outside law firms by sign-
ing a pledge titled A Call to Action: Diversity in the Legal Profession.
In 2004, Rick palmore, then general counsel, Sara lee Corporation,
authored a document that reaffirmed its signers’ commitment to diversity
in the legal profession.
The signatories pledged to make decisions regarding which law firms
represent their companies “based in significant part on the law firm’s
diversity performance.” They also “intend to end or limit [their] rela-
tionships with firms whose performance consistently evidences a lack of
To view the full reports, please visit www.mcca.com.
Melanie Harrington, Esq. is president of the American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc.
Prior to joining AIMD she served as General Counsel of an Atlanta-based management
consulting firm.
Naomi K. McLaurin, Esq. is the managing director, southeast region, for the Minority Corporate
Counsel Association. She is the co-founder and former executive director of the Atlanta Legal
Diversity Consortium, former dean of career services, Emory Law School and former director
of diversity, Georgetown University Law Center. She practiced law at large law firms in New York
and DC.

meaningful interest in being diverse.” The American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc. is the nation’s leading nonprofit
think tank dedicated to furthering the field of diversity management.

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 61

 thoughts through the office door…

Work-life Balance
Giving Way to Life-work Balance
By Carlton Yearwood

I
Chief Ethics and Diversity Officer
Waste Management, Inc.

It was a weekend morning But now, a paradigm shift…to life-work balance. Ah,
of paperwork catch-up at the how unsettling. The workplace and work itself become
office. Brrinng, brrinng…the subordinate to building personal relationships and strong
desk phone rang as a surprise. bonds in a shared human community. In large measure,
Not courting distraction, I hesi- younger people now give precedence to building com-
tated answering, but…bbrrrringg!…then did anyway. monalities across fundamental human attributes—like
The caller, to my good fortune, was a friend of many trust, care, and support—in far greater measure than
years, office-bound exactly as I was but half a continent anything that business might present them.
away, and looking for a respite. So we talked. There are great opportunities here for the CDO
From shared-play lot games in Queens, New York, faced with turnover among young hires, men and
we went separate ways as young adults, and then grew women, minorities and non-minorities, with or without

“
more distant as jobs and cir-
cumstances pulled elsewhere. The workplace and work itself become
Only the quirk of landing in
subordinate to building personal relationships

”
the same professional work
later in our life brought us
full circle, and back into con- and strong bonds in a shared human community.
versation again. we ended
every phone call, it seemed, with rueful reckonings of college degrees. For example, outreach based on social
how we should have stayed closer, how solidly we would networking, building shared personal confidences, and
have counselled each other, and the promise not to be developing extended familial traits in the workplace
too-long absent from a next conversation. may offer the chance of breakthrough solutions. A com-
At goodbye, I returned my focus to my desktop, pany could grow its programs on the naturally strong
where I’d been scanning a white paper about Gen X, Y bonding that diverse work candidates already bring to
and Millennial’s workplace values. The paper indicated the table, enhancing shared feelings, honest dialogue,
that these groups see the personal benefits of friendship and open communication.
and close social bonding being far more valuable than Extending this thinking also means less focus
anything the workplace might deliver. how very differ- on structured salary increases, traditional benefits,
ent from my own experience, I thought, with my just- and upward mobility as ways of rewarding employees
completed phone call still fresh in my mind. and building loyalty. The adept organization would
I began to consider what a substantial challenge be able to provide even more personally fulfilling and
this repositioning could be for CDOs. For the longest meaningful incentives on an entirely new platform of
time, we’ve looked at the issues affecting diverse workers personal satisfaction with life.
and a diverse working environment from a perspective I may not be a part of the new alphabet generation,
of work-life balance and later as work-life integration. but the thinking sure intrigues a boomer like me. PDJ
It assumes a shared notion that working is a priority,
and so we’ve pondered how to use business tools—
information technology, job sharing, office architecture
and more—to make the workplace a more flexible and Waste Management, Inc. is the leading provider of
accommodating place for our quality hires, across gender comprehensive waste and environmental services in
and ethnic lines. North America. The company is strongly committed to
a foundation of financial strength, operating excellence,
and professionalism.
62 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
 I connect the dots
differently. That brings
value to the work I do.
I have a passion for marketing, and I love what I do.
At Hallmark, I have the opportunity to be a great marketer
in an industry I believe in—one that enriches people’s lives.

I work in a collaborative environment that celebrates the

individual and values me as a whole person. Our multiple
perspectives make our work stronger. It’s a rewarding
opportunity to be part of a brand that helps people define
and express the very best in themselves.

aviva ajmera hebbar

customer strategy and planning director

l i v e yo u r pa s s i o n . l o v e yo u r wo r k . 
for i n for m at i on on h a l lm a r k c a re er opp ort u n i t i e s , v i s i t w w w. h a l l m a r k . c om / c are ers.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 63
© 2 0 0 6 h a l l m a r k l i cen s i n g , i n c .
 my turn
What Keeps Diversity
Professionals Up at Night?
By Shirley A. Davis, PhD
Director of Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Society for Human Resource Management
I
In The March/April 2008
issue of Profiles in Diversity Journal,
I wrote the first in a series of
articles that will identify and
summarize ten important chal-
lenges that cause diversity professionals to suffer from in-
somnia. Instead of enjoying a good night’s sleep, our minds
and thoughts are preoccupied with the fires that we had to
put out that day and the anticipation of those we face the
next morning.
Rather than spending time with the senior and front
line leaders that drive the business strategy, we focus
much of our attention on transactions that are of little
value to the bottom line. It’s no wonder that we continue
to grapple with obtaining buy-in and commitment from
leadership. If we are going to rest easier, we have to elevate
our diversity and inclusion efforts to a more strategic level,
both in our day to day actions as well as in our long term
business planning.
In this issue, I will address these two parallel but inter-
secting challenges that diversity professionals have yet to re-
solve: 1) aligning the diversity and inclusion initiative with
key business objectives and 2) becoming more strategic and
less transactional.
Aligning the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative
with Key Business Objectives
we all agree that CEO and senior leadership engagement
is critical to the success of diversity initiatives. however,
when I’ve asked an audience of diversity practitioners (as
well as hR professionals from entry to senior levels) the
question: “how many of you can name the top three busi-
ness objectives in your organizations?” less than 10 percent
admit that they can. And if less than 10 percent can answer
this question, one can only assume that 90 percent of diver-
sity and inclusion strategies are NOT linked to the overall
business strategy in a significant way.
The fact that most diversity professionals spend much
of their time on administrative and tactical tasks may
explain why few can answer “yes” to the question above.
64 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
(part 2)
And yet these same diversity practitioners insist that we
need to be more strategic; we need to earn a seat at the
table; and we need to ensure senior leadership buy-in and
engagement. however, without understanding the business
and the nature of the organization—its strategic objectives,
how it plans to achieve its vision, and how the D&I strat-
egy will help the organization succeed—the former state
will remain an aspiration rather than a reality.
Not only must the D&I strategy link to the firm’s
business objectives, but the diversity officer must work
collaboratively across departments and lines of business
to ensure that diversity efforts are embedded into all of
the organization’s business/operating plans and processes.
For example, the marketing department must consider the
types of branding efforts, advertisements, and sponsorships
that will be pursued and how D&I messaging will be em-
bedded in each.
Additionally, the firm must consider how it will acquire,
serve, and retain diverse customers; how it will partner with
and serve more diverse communities; how products and
services will be tailored to meet customers’ unique needs;
and how new and more diverse markets will be targeted
and served.
I could go on to talk about how to work with all the
other departments to integrate diversity into the organiza-
tion, but the key message here is that the D&I initiative
has a place in every department and division. Moreover,
the strategic leader of the organization’s diversity efforts
must partner with, educate, and coach our business leader
counterparts on what they should be thinking about in the
diversity and inclusion realm.
Quite simply, the diversity strategy must demonstrate
tangible business outcomes. Most diversity offices today
still tend to be more concerned with inputs, such as
attracting and selecting more women and people of color,
training, creating a better work environment, or ensuring
fairness and equity for all, and not enough with outputs,
such as the value created by the workforce. we still,
for the most part, speak in soft outcomes rather than
hard results.
 “ To tell your CEO that ‘we hired
more women and people of color’ is
not enough if you can’t show the
value created as a result of those efforts.
To tell your CEO that “we hired more women and people of
color” is not enough if you can’t show the value created as a result
of those efforts. likewise, it’s not enough to say that you’ve trained
all senior leaders and middle management on diversity and cul-
tural sensitivity and not be able to show how the training affected
the business.
To senior executives who have to report quarterly and annual
results to their shareholders and board of directors, this language
may be seen as soft, intangible, and unquantifiable. This, coupled
with the fact that the business case for diversity may not be clearly
articulated or understood in the organization, may cause many
senior executives to dismiss these efforts altogether.
Instead of speaking in terms of diversity/HR outcomes, we need
to speak in terms of business outcomes, which include increases in
productivity and efficiencies, increases in employee engagement,
increased retention, or increased customer service scores.
Not until we know our organizations’ top three strategic busi-
ness objectives, and can position D&I as providing tangible busi-
ness outcomes, can we break the cycle of having to continuously
prove the case for our D&I efforts.
Becoming More Strategic and Less Transactional
hR departments and diversity offices are still not perceived
by senior executives as strategic business partners. According
to a 2008 study released by the Boston Consulting Group
entitled, “Creating People Advantage: How to Address HR Challenges
Worldwide Through 2015,” executives report that hR departments
lack the business line experience and the ability to clearly quantify
their results. And when nearly 70 percent of diversity initiatives
are housed in the hR department (according to a 2007 ShRM
study), this has important implications.
”
Most of my peers say that, in order to be viewed as a critical
partner in the business and for our efforts to be taken more seri-
ously as a key strategic initiative, hR and diversity practitioners
have to increase their competence in business acumen, both in the
language of business as well as a more comprehensive and holistic
understanding of the business.
Many hR and diversity professionals still admit today that
they spend too much of their time on administrative transactions,
putting out fires, and being reactionary rather than building rela-
tionships and spending time in the operation focused on the stra-
tegic objectives, which ultimately enables them to better anticipate
business needs. And while in recent years hR departments and
diversity offices are reengineering their focus and more are gaining
a seat at the table, we still need to take steps to keep the seat by
adding value while we’re there.
There is value in being more strategic. A recent study conduct-
ed by ShRM, the university of Michigan, and the RBl Group,
called “Competencies for the New HR,” revealed that being more
strategic accounted for 43 percent of hR’s total impact on business
performance.
If we are going To MaKe The TransiTion from
being transaction-focused to being more strategically-focused,
we have to develop the competencies of a business manager who
understands the key business drivers and knows how to integrate
the diversity efforts into the overall business planning process.
we must develop meaningful, quantifiable metrics that matter
and communicate the business impact of our efforts to our senior
leaders in a clear and compelling way. PDJ
Shirley A. Davis, PhD, is Director of Diversity and Inclusion
Initiatives for the Society for Human Resource Management in
Alexandria, Virginia. She can be reached at sadavis@shrm.org.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 65
 Diversity &Inclusion
drives innovation and success
Kodak’s commitment to diversity and inclusion touches customers,
consumers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and more. While
our vision is global, we focus upon the distinctive cultures and
communities in which we live and work.
We champion diversity as a business imperative to help drive
innovation. Working together, we create technologies and services
that unleash the power of pictures and printing. Our innovations
enrich people’s lives, and bring us all closer together.

www.kodak.com/go/diversity

© Eastman Kodak Company, 2008

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A conversation with
Desiree Dancy
Desiree Dancy may be relatively new to
her position at The New York Times Company, but she has
the wisdom and experience beyond her tenure at this
media giant.
cOMpanY name:
the new York times company A New York City native, Desiree attended school with a
HeadQuarters: diverse collection of first-generation Americans who brought
620 Eighth avenue
new York, nY 10018 their customs and beliefs to the classroom. Over time, she
WeB site: www.nytco.com came to see how diversity enhances everyone’s life.
primary Business or industry: Now this jazz aficionado works every day to support,
Media and publishing
retain, and recruit a diverse workforce that will see
industry ranKinG:
583 on fortune 1000 The New York Times Company well into the 21st century.
2007 revenueS: $3.2 billion Come meet our newest Front-Runner in Diversity Leadership.

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 67

 Interview Desiree Dancy
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Office with a view:
Desiree Dancy’s office overlooks
beautiful, vibrant new York city.
Please describe The New York Times
Company in terms of its size and scope
of operations for those who may not be
familiar with it.
The New York Times Company (NYSE:
NYT), a leading media company with 2007
revenues of $3.2 billion, includes the New
York Times, the International herald Tribune,
the Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspa-
pers, wQXR-FM, and more than 50 web
sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com,
and About.com. The company’s core purpose is
to enhance society by creating, collecting, and
distributing high-quality news, information,
and entertainment.
How would you define diversity and inclu-
sion (D&I), as it relates to the efforts within
your company?
The New York Times Company is committed
to diversity in its most inclusive sense, so it’s
not simply an issue of race or ethnicity. we seek
to attract, develop, and retain people from a
rich variety of experiences, ethnic backgrounds,
and cultures. In a rapidly changing world, our
diverse workforce strengthens our competitive
position in the marketplace and helps us achieve
our company’s core purpose.
we embrace diversity in several critical
areas, such as leadership commitment and
accountability, recruiting, employee involve-
ment through internal programs, community
outreach and more. Our guiding principles on
diversity and inclusion are respect and fairness,
inclusion of different points of view, work and
life balance, and development of talents. These
principles are reflected in our “Rules of the
Road,” our company’s statement of values.
68 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal
the new York times company
IP
What are the main components of your
D&I program?
There are four components to our D&I
program. By focusing on diversity in the tra-
ditional sense, we pay close attention to our
recruiting and retention efforts. Our goal is to
not only recruit a more diverse workforce, but
also to ensure that we maintain and support
the diverse workforce we already employ across
the company.
we are able to complement the effort
through our Education and Awareness pro-
grams. As part of the many mentoring initia-
tives we offer, our REACh Mentoring program
pairs high-performing individuals with mem-
bers of our executive committee for a year-long
mentoring experience.
Additionally, we offer learning pro-
grams designed to increase the skill sets of
our leaders by providing them with practical
tools for creating and better managing in an
inclusive environment.
Our communication initiative allows us
to keep our employees abreast of the many
events throughout the company. Along with
regular e-mails, we utilize our Diversity &
Inclusion web site and other company sites as
sources of information.
lastly, our focus on employee-engagement
activities such as our diversity councils and
employee affinity groups brings all of these
components together. we believe that by
involving employees of all levels in diversity
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
and inclusion efforts, we will be much more
successful in creating a culture that is not
only inviting to a more diverse population but
also more supportive.
In today’s marketplace, do you have any
particular cultural, socioeconomic, or demo-
graphic challenges to selling, producing, or
delivering services? What particular chal-
lenges do you face in hiring and retaining
good people?
we have always excelled at hiring and retaining
good people. however, the economic outlook
is somewhat murky, and the media industry is
in a period of transformation. Therefore, our
relationships with minority and other profes-
sional organizations that have traditionally been
great pipelines for our talent are more important
than ever.
we also continue to leverage our rela-
tionships with these same organizations by
encouraging our employees to take advantage
of the career development opportunities they
provide. In many cases, we sponsor employee
participation in leadership workshops and other
developmental conferences and seminars.
How do you keep diversity a priority
throughout the company? Specifically, how
do you energize people or get their buy-in
for diversity?
Diversity remains a priority by keeping it on
the agenda of our business leaders and on the
newsroom masthead. Through a high degree of

Dancy confers with an Hr colleague.
communication with our employees, we look to
create buzz around the various events we host,
celebrate our organizational and professional
accomplishments, and generally keep people
informed. we try to take advantage of every
opportunity to market and brand our diversity
and inclusion messages internally and, when
appropriate, externally.
Two key components of our diversity and
inclusion strategy are employee engagement
and communication. By actively engaging our
employees, we are able to demonstrate our
belief that everyone plays an important role in
driving diversity throughout the company. It’s a
top down, bottom up approach with everyone
meeting in the middle.
All of our executive committee members,
including Chairman and publisher Arthur
Sulzberger Jr. and CEO and president Janet
Robinson, serve as sponsors of our affinity
groups and participants in one or more mentor-
ing programs. Employees in various positions
hold leadership roles on our diversity commit-
tees and employee networks. They represent the
company with our external diversity partners
and are looked to as trusted advisors.
Are there unique opportunities in your
particular industry for implementing
diversity programs?
I believe the unique opportunities are based
in the reality that the media industry has only
started to truly embrace diversity and inclu-
sion. This means there is great potential for the
future. That’s not to say that the industry—and
specifically The New York Times Company—
has not focused on diversity.
we have a long history of supporting
various minority professional organizations and
developing young talent. For example, the
New York Times Student Journalism Institute,
which initially targeted journalism students at
the historically black colleges and universities
and now has expanded to student members of
the National Association of Black Journalists
(NABJ), has touched the lives of close to 200
young black journalists since its inception in
2003. we’re proud of this accomplishment.
we have a similar program with the
National Association of hispanic Journalists.
That program launched last year and is
Interview Desiree Dancy
already a much sought
after opportunity for
latino student journal-
ists. we also have long
contributed to the Asian
American Journalist
Association’s Executive
leadership program.
Most recently, we
partnered with the NABJ on the New York
Times/NABJ Fellowship Academy. This pro-
gram is geared to address the needs of newly
minted newsroom managers, helping them ac-
quire the skills they need to succeed. The com-
mon thread running through all these programs
is outreach into external communities.
we have a unique opportunity internally
as well, which I am addressing through the
approach that I bring to the company. That
approach is to continue community outreach
and simultaneously strengthen our strategic
focus on recruiting and retaining women and
people of color.
To this end, my manager, David K. Norton,
the senior vice president of human resources,
has instituted centers of excellence that span
the organization, including our newsrooms.
Along with a diversity and inclusion center of
excellence, the company now has centers of
excellence focused on organizational capabilities
and talent acquisition. Our goal is to use these
centers and their programs and practices to
enhance our current culture, so that employees
are supported not only through formal poli-
cies but also through day-to-day experiences.
For example, we look to improve the inter-
actions employees have with their managers
and each other. By doing so, we believe we can
create a stronger platform for individual and
organizational success.
Do you have any examples of how tapping
employee diversity has yielded significant
product or profit breakthroughs? Inter-
business synergies?
Our company has a pretty successful record of
leveraging talented employees at all levels of
the organization to develop new products and
services. One example is our online publication
“pixels and print,” which is targeted to our
advertising customers. This publication grew
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
the new York times company
out of a collaborative effort of multiple depart-
ments in our New York Times newspaper and
NYTimes.com, with a great deal of help from
some gifted business people in our corporate
headquarters. what’s more, the team members
included long-tenured employees who were ex-
perts in print publications and young dynamos
from our new media outlets. Together, they
created a very significant publication from a di-
versity and inclusion perspective. For example,
the most recent issue included an in-depth
look at Baby Boomers and presented a series of
multicultural marketing case studies on reach-
ing Asian, hispanic, gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and
transgender audiences. Our customers value the
insights that our company brings on reaching
and including diverse audiences and are asking
for more.
CORPORATE LEADERSHIP
What resources (financial and manpower)
are allocated to diversity? How do these
reflect your company’s leadership commit-
ment to diversity?
The role of vice president, diversity and inclu-
sion, is new to The New York Times Company.
It’s been in place for less than two years. Even
so, our staff of two has a budget that allows us to
effectively raise awareness around the effort and
fund employee networks, sponsor events, and
underwrite employee participation at various
conferences and workshops.
The fact that we’ve been able to meet
major milestones on the diversity and inclusion
continuum in a short period of time speaks
volumes to the commitment of our leadership.
Again, both our chairman and CEO are actively
involved in every area of our diversity initiatives
as are other executive committee and newsroom
masthead members. we have regular and ongo-
ing discussions where we share ideas and de-
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 69
 Interview Desiree Dancy
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sity SERIES
in Diver
Dancy takes a break along pulitzer Hall.
velop strategies to drive the effort forward. The
New York Times Company leadership is intent
on making real and sustainable change and is
very visible in that regard.
Do you address diversity in your annual
report? Is it important to talk about diver-
sity with shareholders?
like many other organizations, our compa-
ny’s annual report includes a statement about
our commitment to diversity and inclusion. we
feel that it is important to remind our share-
holders that our leaders continue to consider
diversity and inclusion an important part of
their responsibilities.
What qualities do you look for when hiring
management? How do you measure atti-
tudes or assess their past performance with
regard to diversity and inclusion issues?
Regardless of the level, all candidates are
assessed according to rigorous recruiting prac-
tices. Our approach is to gather objective infor-
mation so that our recruiters and hiring manag-
ers can evaluate a candidate’s skills, experiences,
attitudes, and behaviors on a broad spectrum
of topics related to the open position, specifi-
cally, and employment at The New York Times
Company, generally.
Is diversity a compensable annual objective
for the executive management team?
How do you reward special initiatives?
What accountability do you employ to
meet objectives?
Our Company maintains a pay-for-performance
philosophy, which is why it established a rigor-
ous performance-management process several
years ago. At the beginning of each year, em-
ployees and managers are required to set their
goals, including a diversity and inclusion goal.
At the end of the year, employees and managers
70 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal
the new York times company
IP
are accountable for their performance against
those goals, as well as performance against
leadership or managerial competencies and the
behaviors that demonstrate our values.
with respect to our company’s executive
management, they also participate in an an-
nual bonus program that includes a diversity
component. These managers are measured on
their diversity and inclusion achievements and
rewarded based on performance.
Do you have any programs in place to
increase the cross-cultural competence of
your senior management team? Can mid-
level managers acquire similar training?
Yes, we have a number of programs in place to
increase the cross-cultural competence of our
senior management team. These same programs
are offered to mid-level managers, as well.
last year, we formed five employee affinity
groups: African, latino and Asian heritage as
well as a GlBT & Allies and women’s Network.
These groups are open to all employees and are
sponsored by members of our executive com-
mittee. As executive sponsors, our senior leaders
maintain working knowledge of the groups’ key
concerns and objectives and provide executive
committee insight by meeting regularly with the
steering committee. They also tie the initiative
to the bottom line by working with a group to
determine how it can best support The New
York Times Company’s business objectives.
we’ve also implemented a “Managing
Inclusion” training program that all managers
are required to take. The full-day program was
initially launched at our Boston Globe office
and is now offered at our corporate headquar-
ters in New York and the Shared Services Center
in Virginia. This year, we will offer the course
at properties in our Regional Media Group.
There are also plans to offer an online version,
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
“Embracing Inclusion,” to non-managers and
other individual contributors.
Through our local diversity committees,
we host diversity discussion groups which are
facilitated by our own internal human resources
consultants. These sessions provide small groups
of employees the opportunity to discuss timely
articles written on diversity and inclusion. They
read the articles and, over the course of two or
three meetings, discuss the concepts, offer their
opinions and consider how the information
relates to their own departments, business units,
or other parts of the company. These dialogues
have been very effective at encouraging inclusiv-
ity and collaboration and we have been pleased
with the results.
All of these programs have been well
received by staff and have helped to elevate
our awareness of diversity and inclusion, as
well as enhance meaningful dialogue around
the company.
When hiring or promoting people, how do
you ensure that the individual selected was
chosen from a diverse group of candidates?
Managers are required to work closely with
the local hR department to review potential
talent for an open position, and to determine if
both external and internal candidates are being
considered. The open position is carefully evalu-
ated to determine the skills and competencies
potential candidates must demonstrate to be
qualified for consideration.
Then, the manager and hR department
monitor the interview process to ensure that a
diverse group of qualified candidates is consid-
ered. For executive positions, the search process
also includes a thorough talent review, which
allows the business unit hR leader to discuss the
individual and his or her capabilities for leader-
ship competencies with other senior executives.

How are decisions about diversity made
at The New York Times Company? Is there
a diversity council and who heads it up?
Who participates?
Our Diversity Council, co-chaired by our
Chairman and publisher, Arthur Sulzberger
Jr., and our Senior Vice president of human
Resources, David Norton, comprises represen-
tation from multiple levels within the organiza-
tion, as well as a cross-section of newsroom and
business units.
Our council makes it a priority to link diver-
sity and inclusion to business strategy with the
ultimate objective of increasing performance,
productivity, and customer satisfaction. The
council works through the employee networks
to support external and internal diversity and
inclusion efforts.
The council also has oversight for the com-
panywide communications on diversity and
inclusion to employees, and monitors relevant
metrics that have been identified and tracked by
my department.
What evidence makes you confident
that you and your team have developed
momentum for the organization in the
right direction? What is the vision for the
company in five years?
As I indicated in an earlier question, we’re proud
of the fact that we’ve been able to meet major
milestones on the diversity and inclusion con-
tinuum in a short period of time. The New York
Times Company leadership is intent on making
real and sustainable change. I believe that we are
moving in the right direction and will continue
to do so, because of our leaders’ emotional com-
mitment to diversity and inclusion success.
EMPLOYEE INCLUSIVENESS
How do you gauge inclusion of employees?
What are the tests, measurements and
benchmarks (metrics) that indicate where
the company is on the inclusion graph?
Since my role is relatively new to the company,
we have just begun to track the various metrics
that we feel make sense for our businesses.
while we tracked diversity metrics—demo-
graphics—in the past, we weren’t at a stage to
use the data strategically. Today, we are starting
to use the data to focus on specific areas and
to plan for the future. The data and analysis is
provided to our executive committee on a quar-
terly basis, when it is reviewed and discussed
thoroughly. we are also at an early stage of de-
signing a report that identifies meaningful busi-
ness results, linked with company objectives,
which align with diversity and inclusion efforts.
Interview Desiree Dancy the new York times company
My goal is to let employees
and stakeholders see that diversity DESIREE DANCY
and inclusion activities contrib-
ute to a vibrant culture, deliver Company
business results, and help the or- The New York Times
ganization achieve its objectives. Company
Some say diversity is a Title
“numbers game.” How does Vice President, Diversity
your company know its & Inclusion
culture is not just tied up
Years in current position
in numbers? How do you
16 months
celebrate success?
If you’re asking do we have a specific target that Education
indicates success, which we’re shooting for, that’s New School University, Milano Graduate
not us. But, if you’re asking how do we typically School of Management, MS in human
celebrate, then I would point to our employee resources management; Metropolitan
networks as an example. They are led by very College of New York (formerly Audrey
committed individuals who look to offer op- Cohen College), BA in business
portunities for employees to learn and grow, as management
well as to celebrate successes within the group,
and have fun. And based on the rate of partici- First job
pation at many of these celebrations, I’d say our Summer internship at the New York City
employees get it! Department of Rent Control
we also use our diversity and inclusion web Philosophy
site and other internal communication vehicles Be Bold
to share the various awards and recognitions
that the company and our employees receive What I’m reading
throughout the year. Sacred Games, by Vikram Chandra
Are employees more involved in the
Family
company than they were two years ago?
Husband and one daughter
In what ways? Interests
with respect to diversity and inclusion, we Cooking, music, luxurious pampering
believe that employees are much more involved
than they were two years ago. we have evidence Childhood hero
to support our belief. First, two years ago di- Marion Anderson
versity and inclusion topics that appeared on “Best” picture (film/art)
our intranet received limited traffic. Today, a West Side Story and Carmen Jones with
diversity and inclusion topic is always one of the
top three most popular intranet pages, which we
Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte
My music (favorite background listening)
measure each month. To us, this demonstrates
Any Jazz vocalist
that employees are interested in the topic and
are motivated to look for information.
Favorite game
Second, we have diversity committees/coun-
Zingo (a favorite of my 4 year old)
cils at the business unit level that were in their
beginning stages two years ago. Many more of Desk-drawer munchies
our employees are actively engaged today and Almonds
see their involvement as an important aspect of
Favorite charity
their work experience.
Center for Anti-Violence Education.
lastly, two years ago we did not offer
employee networks. when we launched our Person (historical/fictional/actual)
employee networks about six months ago, the I’d like to get to know over lunch
enthusiasm was overwhelming. hundreds of Zora Neal Hurston (my daughter’s
employees signed up for various groups and, namesake)
since then, have attended meetings, workshops,
briefing sessions, receptions, and many other
networking events.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 71
 Interview Desiree Dancy
Front-nners
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diversity and inclusion networking event.
How are their opinions solicited and
valued? Do you have an employee
‘suggestion box’ or other system, and
who monitors and responds?
Our company has an open door policy, and
anyone can come to me with suggestions,
ideas, comments, and feedback. In addition,
we maintain a dedicated e-mail inbox that em-
ployees use regularly to ask questions or to send
information. As appropriate, my hR research
specialist and I monitor the box and respond to
the messages.
I also maintain another office in the New
York Times newspaper’s newsroom so that I can
engage formally and informally in face-to-face
conversations with our newsroom employees.
Finally, I make it a point to attend many em-
ployee network meetings and I ask for feedback
and ideas. Our employees are never shy about
sharing their opinions or suggestions!
At the same time, we have recently
implemented an online feedback mechanism
that is offered to employees who participate
in an event. we want to get timely feedback
so that we gauge how employees valued the
event and, if needed, make course corrections
for next time.
How do you deal with those who perceive
inclusion programs for underrepresented
groups as being exclusionary for others?
Have you encountered this attitude?
All in all, our employees are very committed to
diversity and inclusion. They understand the
business and the journalism cases for our indus-
try. In addition, there is a strong feeling that it is
simply the right thing to do. So here at The New
York Times Company, I have not encountered
dissatisfaction about who the programs include
or exclude. At the same time, I recognize that
we have been very inclusive in our invitations to
join employee networking groups, asking only
that the individual be interested in the group.
This open invitation was very well received.
72 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal
the new York times company
IP
ERSH
SERIES
Dancy enjoys another
Please
describe your
method for
orienting new hires into your culture. How
do you educate new employees about the
importance of diversity?
New hires participate in an onboarding process,
which includes an orientation to our company
and its mission and values. Our commitment
to diversity and inclusion is front and center
as part of the orientation presentation when
the presenter goes over our Rules of the Road,
which indicates how we expect employees to
demonstrate our values.
In addition, new hires are invited to net-
working events so that they can meet colleagues
and other new hires in a more social setting.
Many of these networking events are hosted
by the affinity groups with executive commit-
tee sponsors as keynote speakers. These events
provide new hires with the opportunity to meet
and interact with our senior leaders early in
their tenure with us.
Can you name specific ways your company
supports upward development toward
management positions?
At The New York Times Company, we offer a
wide variety of career opportunities in journal-
ism and business. Importantly, our company
recognizes the value of sustaining individual
career aspirations with many ways to learn and
develop. As a result, whatever an individual’s
role, responsibilities or location, an employee
can continue to gain skills, competencies, and
experience while meeting the challenges of
working in a fast-paced, ever-changing media
business environment.
Leadership Development
A fundamental part of our commitment to
training and education is our approach to lead-
ership development. Grounded in a robust suc-
cession planning process, our company offers a
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
curriculum that identifies talented individuals
and helps to nurture their growth with class-
room and online training, mentoring programs,
coaching, facilitated study groups, stretch as-
signments, on-the-job training tools, and guid-
ed experiences outside of the organization.
Robust Performance Management Process
we also maintain a sophisticated performance
management cycle that helps employees target
goals, identify opportunities to learn and grow,
and build on existing strengths through con-
structive feedback. In addition, our approach
to performance management is designed to
identify and reward performance results.
More Ways to Develop and Grow
• Tuition Reimbursement Plan. Our company is
committed to helping employees grow and de-
velop professionally through undergraduate and
graduate education and certificate instruction.
• Training and Workshops. All of our locations
offer instructional classes and live workshops, as
well as online training tools, to help employees
sharpen technical skills, managerial proficien-
cies and leadership competencies.
• Personal Growth. Our company offers live
instruction and webinars on a variety of top-
ics of interest, including health and fitness,
recreational activities and hobbies, parenting,
interpersonal relationships, pet care, vacation
planning, retirement preparation and more.
How does The New York Times Company
include women and minority employees
into the fabric of the organization?
we treat newly hired women and minority
employees in the same way as other new hires,
through an onboarding process and with orien-
tations and invitations to the networking events
we described earlier.
 Interview Desiree Dancy the new York times company

Dancy discusses initiatives with partners from

the national association of Black Journalists (naBJ).

Dancy collaborates on
various initiatives with colleagues.

SUPPLIER / COMMUNITY / Where does your personal belief in diversi- Yet, what attracted me to the role was the real-
CUSTOMERS ty and inclusion come from: who were your ization that it gave me a unique opportunity to
role models, or was there a pivotal experi- give back to the community.
Tell us a little about your commitment to
ence that helped shape your view? A huge part of my job as a diversity recruiter
minority suppliers? Do you have specific
Growing up and attending school in New York, was to educate students about the industry and
goals for spending, either in dollars spent
specifically Brooklyn and Manhattan, I was the opportunities available to them. In short
or a percentage of money spent with vari-
fortunate to attend very diverse institutions. I order, I found my calling. The job tapped into
ous suppliers?
would say that my elementary through high- my interpersonal and communication skills
we benefit from having a diverse vendor base
school experiences had a great impact on me, in and, although I didn’t know it at the time, my
and actively track our use of both minority and
that I was exposed to other students who were selling and influencing skills as well.
women owned businesses as part of our Supplier
extremely diverse. when I started in the diversity and inclu-
Diversity strategy. we utilize varied sources to
The majority of my classmates were im- sion field, the primary focus was on recruiting,
identify and validate suppliers prior to their
migrants or first-generation Americans. They and over time companies realized that was only
inclusion in our vendor master, allowing for full
literally came from every corner of the world a part of the equation. I stayed in the function,
exposure of qualified MBE/wBE businesses
and brought many of their customs and beliefs working for a few investment banks, and the
across our many properties.
to the classroom. I didn’t value the experience roles I held grew as the function did. I’ve been
How do you educate/promote diversity and at the time when I was in school, but in able to shape my career by staying committed to
inclusion for vendors, customers, or the retrospect, this exposure at an early age certainly the function.
general public? shaped my world view and understanding of
how diversity and inclusion enhances so many Who were/are your mentors? What about
Our companywide strategic sourcing and pur-
aspects of our lives. their business skill or style influenced you?
chasing function communicates on an ongoing
How did they help in your professional and
basis with our vendors. with respect to custom-
How did you get to your present position? personal life?
ers and the general public, our brands promote
What was your career path? Fortunately, I’ve had a number of mentors. I
diversity to their customer markets and commu-
I started my career in hR in a campus recruiting like to think of myself as an active learner, and
nities as appropriate. On a corporate level, our
function at an investment bank. After a short in that vein I try to take something away from
company web site, www.nytco.com, features
period, I was asked to take on a role in diversity each of my experiences. So I’ve been able to
a section dedicated to diversity and inclusion
recruiting. The concept of specifically targeting learn a lot from so many people.
under “Company.”
women and people of color was new to me.

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 73

 Interview Desiree Dancy the new York times company

Front-nners
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What are your specific responsibilities for zations and practitioners have to know that it is
E
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OF

advancing diversity and inclusion in your a marathon and be willing to make the commit-

Ru
PR

ity
in D ivers
Formally, I do have my personal executive
board that includes former graduate school
classmates, former work colleagues, and for-
mer clients. Most don’t know each other, and
generally don’t have anything in common
other than knowing me. I like being able
to tap into this group, because they give me
feedback based on very different perspectives
and experiences which I think allows for more
well-rounded insights.
Are you mentoring anyone today?
Giving back is important to me so, yes, I
am mentoring a few people. I
organization? What are the strategies you ment for the long haul. There will be situations
IP employ to move inclusion forward? out of your control that seem to set you back.
ERSH
LEAD My specific responsibilities are to set the diver- These include the economy and industry and
SERIES
sity and inclusion strategy for The New York organizational changes to name a few. when
Times Company in partnership with senior faced with these situations, the challenge be-
management. while I employ many specific comes how to not lose significant ground. You
strategies, I believe the most important strate- must be focused. You must find creative ways to
gies are centered around effective communica- maintain momentum.
tion and employee engagement.
How are you as a manager measured in
It is important for me to not only have a
terms of performance? Is your compensa-
seat at the table with senior management and
tion related to diversity performance?
understand what the larger organizational issues
like all employees at The New York Times
are, but also to have my ear to the ground and
Company, my performance is measured based
know what issues are of concern to the rank and
on goals established at the beginning of the year
file. By having a strategy that taps into our em-
with my manager. For me, these goals include
ployees at all levels, we are able to have ongoing
business goals and diversity and inclusion ob-
dialogue that influences the initiatives we put
into place. jectives. Additionally, the measurement of my
performance also takes into account how I do
on our leadership competencies,

have two mentees at The New
York Times Company and two
who are former colleagues. I’ve also
signed up to be a mentor with one
of the minority professional orga-
nizations I belong to, but I haven’t
“
which include the capability of
When I started in the diversity and inclusion embracing diversity and building
and sustaining inclusive teams.
field, the primary focus was on recruiting, My performance is also consid-
ered in terms of our values called
and over time companies realized that was our Rules of the Road. One such

”
been assigned a protégé as yet. I
rule calls upon all employees to
also think when you have close
friends you’re always mentoring in
only a part of the equation. champion diversity, which ensures
that we demonstrate the behaviors
some way.
that support our values. All of
What business books or journals do you these factors inform my perfor-
read regularly or recommend for aspiring Have you any “mottos” to rally your team mance review, and with our company’s pay-for-
leaders? regarding D&I? performance philosophy, the final rating of my
I like reading the Harvard Business Review “Diversity and Inclusion. Thrive and grow.” It’s performance has a direct impact on my total
because it covers a variety of topical issues. I the identifying motto that appears on all our compensation.
read a number of diversity and inclusion web printed materials and on our web site. what’s
What has been your proudest moment as
sites. My favorite of late is the new Diversity interesting is that the motto was developed in a
very inclusive way. A team of stakeholders from leader in this company?
Spectrum website which is an aggregator of
around the company met to talk about the im- I’m really proud that we’ve been able to
articles from across the globe. It’s just good to
portance of expressing the underlying themes of establish five very active affinity groups and an
see what the hot-button issues are.
diversity and inclusion. Through the conversa- effective diversity council in less than two years.
How would you describe your concept and tion that ensued, we crafted “Thrive and grow,” It really highlights the passion, enthusiasm
style of leadership? which resonated with the team. when we rolled and commitment the senior leadership team
I would say that my style is very participative and it out, our employees let us know (through and my colleagues overall have for moving
collaborative. I am confident that our employ- informal means) that it conveyed the energy diversity and inclusion forward at the New
ees value diversity and inclusion and that they and excitement that they felt about diversity York Times Company.
understand and support the company’s objec- and inclusion.
Are there particular areas/employee sectors
tives. By encouraging employees to participate
Were there any experiences that you feel still need improvement?
in the councils, networking groups, programs,
discouraged you or taught you hard we talked earlier about the changing media
and other opportunities offered, I contribute to
lessons about D&I implementation? landscape and the impact it’s had on our abil-
a culture of teamwork and let committed indi-
The hardest lesson about D&I work is that its ity to recruit and retain. Those are the areas in
viduals create new solutions and inspire others.
success does not happen overnight. You can which we need to see improvement. PDJ
It’s definitely a win-win relationship.
make progress, but to have true success, organi-

74 Pro f i les i n D i ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

IT’S A SMALL,
DIVERSE, MULTICULTURAL
WORLD AFTER ALL.
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Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 75

 S t r at e g i e s
S up p li er from t h e E x p e r t s

76 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

 Strategies from the Experts supplier diversity

Companies Leading
Supplier Diversity

D iv ers i ty
in a recent survey of a select group of leading organizations,
Profiles in Diversity Journal found that many companies still struggle
with aspects of their supplier diversity programs. these range from
finding diverse suppliers with sufficient capacity to meet the needs
of the organization to sustaining momentum for a supplier diversity
program that may not be well understood within the company. to a
certain extent, each company seems to have its own issues.
Supplier diversity programs are a triple-win proposition. the
company implementing the program broadens its vendor base and
obtains pricing or operational advantages. the diverse suppliers gain
valuable market knowledge and skills that come from working with
a major company. and finally, customers and communities benefit
from the spinoff of emerging businesses that provide employment
and contribute to the tax base where they operate.
the companies in the pages that follow shared with us their
strategies and techniques to improve and advance their own supplier
diversity programs. We think the ideas shared here—offered by
companies who are success models of supplier diversity—may help
others that are still working through some of the issues that often
accompany such programs.

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 77

supplier diversity Strategies from the Experts
LonG Before the term
‘supplier diversity’ made its way
into the business vernacular of
corporate america, some of the
country’s largest and most prof-
itable companies were already
reaching out and doing business
with minority and women entre-
preneurs. aflac is no exception.
Over the past few years,
aflac has significantly increased
spending on its supplier diversity
program to include advances in
educational training for minor-
ity vendors. Since the inception
of the program in 2003, aflac
has surpassed the $100 million
mark in spending with minority-
and women-owned companies.
aflac’s efforts to support these
entrepreneurs include participa-
tion in the Georgia fast track
Mentoring initiative, an 18-month
program dedicated to teaching
minority and small business own-
ers the skills and proficiencies
needed to procure contracts with
large corporations.
Why does aflac find
supporting small and minority
businesses important? Because
we are a homegrown company
78 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal
Expanding Small and Minority Businesses
through Mentorship
By Brenda Mullins
Second Vice President, Human Resources and Diversity Officer
AFLAC
that began as a small business,
and we understand the value
that a diverse supplier base can
bring to our organization.
Our dedication to diversity
and educating minority entrepre-
neurs reflects our commitment to
providing the best information
and business opportunities for
growing companies to help them
expand. aflac recognizes that
small business is the backbone to
free enterprise.
the purpose of aflac’s sup-
plier diversity program is to en-
hance, educate, and support mi-
nority business development. in
promoting product and service
capabilities of minority entrepre-
neurs, we have simplified ven-
dor bidding by providing online
procurement opportunities, net-
working events, and education
and training to minority-owned
companies. to help entrepre-
neurs promote their product and
service capabilities, aflac offers a
number of outreach programs:
•A
 n extensive education and
training program for small,
minority and women business
owners designed to help grow-
ing companies secure procure-
ment opportunities.
•A
 n online resource center
that provides aspiring entrepre-
neurs with small business ad-
vice and useful tips for starting
a new business.
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
• S ponsorship of small business
networking events across the
country including Moving Your
Business forward, an event for
minority business owners to
gain the most updated informa-
tion about technology, finances
and marketing techniques that
will help grow their businesses.
Our corporate purchas-
ing and vendor diversity office
develops relationships and pro-
vides opportunities to new
entrepreneurs. We do this by part-
nering with local and national
organizations such as the Georgia
Minority Supplier Development
council, the columbus chamber
of commerce, the Georgia Black
chamber of commerce and
the native american Business
Leaders.
aflac has been recognized
as a leader among top compa-
nies providing the best business
opportunities to women- and
minority-owned organizations.
We have made it our business to
help these companies succeed.
Our mission is to continue to de-
velop processes and procedures
that provide easy, efficient, and
accountable supplier access for
future business opportunities.
More importantly, our goal is
to continue encouraging, educat-
ing, and enriching these growing
operations to help them achieve
a greater level of success.

AXA Equitable Agressively
Develops the Pipeline of Suppliers
by Kim Berney, AVP, Supplier Diversity/Vendor Relations
and Nelida Garcia, SVP and Chief Procurement Officer
Q
Q: Many organizations have
stated that sustaining sup-
plier diversity momentum
within the organization is a
major challenge. How does your
organization best sustain its
A
supplier diversity momentum?
A: to sustain our supplier diver-
sity program at aXa Equitable,
we don’t just wait for the pro-
curement needs to be presented.
rather, we go out and prepare
for them. Sustainability is an on-
going process involving:
•N
 etworking. We network con-
stantly with diversity suppliers
and organizations, letting them
know who we are, what we
need, and how we need it. We
both attend and host events
to build awareness and under-
stand our business needs.
•P
 reparing suppliers. Beyond
networking, we nurture busi-
nesses that may not be able
to meet our needs now but
demonstrate promise for doing
so in the future. We work to-
gether to develop a pipeline,
educating them about our busi-
ness and processes.
•F
 ocusing on strategic opportu-
nities. We identify opportuni-
ties with significant and sus-
tainable impact. for example,
a large portion of our procure-
ment spending is for technol-
ogy software. Because software
Strategies from the Experts supplier diversity
AXA EQUITaBle
is always being
updated, this is a
significant focus
for our pro-
gram. another
Berney
focus is consulting, an ongoing
need met by a robust market of
diverse consultants.
•M
 eeting regularly with senior
management. Our Diversity
council meets regularly with
senior management to update
them on our diversity goals
and progress.
•M
 ake it part of the RFP process.
Supplier diversity has to be inte-
gral to the routine rfp process.
this allows an organization to
learn from mistakes, develop
best practices and build to grow.
for example, we evaluate large
corporations we do business
with and how they value and
demonstrate diversity in their
own business practices. this is
something most large corpora-
tions can start doing now.
Q: finding qualified diverse sup-
pliers that have the capacity and
capability to support and grow
with large organizations can be
a challenge. How do you meet
this challenge and what strate-
gies can you share?
A: aXa Equitable is a national or-
ganization, with over 12,000 em-
ployees and financial profession-
als working across the country.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
Garcia
Because of this, we often require
suppliers with nationwide goods
and distribution.
part of our program is a
commitment to educate suppliers
about what they can do to meet
our future nationwide needs. We
mentor the smaller suppliers that
demonstrate promise and help
them prepare for a future part-
nership with us. We prepare by:
•R
 eviewing new companies who
have registered as a potential
supplier with aXa Equitable,
scheduling an introductory
meeting at the appropriate
time with the supplier and key
internal stakeholders.
•T
 aking time to understand
the supplier’s business develop-
ment plan.
• F inding opportunities with-
in organizations to which
aXa Equitable belongs, to
conduct educational events
for suppliers.
•P
 roviding smaller projects for
a supplier to work with aXa
Equitable, to create an oppor-
tunity to learn about each other
in a low risk environment.
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 79
supplier diversity Strategies from the Experts
We find the followinG help us sustain our supplier diversity momentum:
Commitment to Spend Goals
We have target spend goals that
are set and driven by our cEO
and top executives. Driving our
commitment from the top, Ken
Lewis—our chairman, cEO and
president—considers the support
of diverse suppliers as showing
our commitment to having a
supply chain that reflects our
customer base. Our supplier
diversity performance is mea-
sured on Ken Lewis’ performance
management plan, as well as
the performance management
plans of his leadership team and
other members of management
throughout the corporation.
80 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal
Sustaining Supplier Diversity Momentum
by Joseph Hill
Executive Vice President
Global Strategic Sourcing Executive
BaNK of AmerIca Supply Chain Management
Training
Bank of america believes in con-
stant training of business part-
ners and other supply chain man-
agement associates. Our Supplier
relationship Development team
performs internal Web-based
and classroom-based training to
our Supply chain Management
Sourcing associates to reinforce
their knowledge of how to sup-
port our many supplier diversity
initiatives.
a major component of
this training includes identifying
purchasing and cross-sell oppor-
tunities for diverse suppliers. in
addition to enhanced training
and communication, we have our
sourcing and purchasing partners
attend diversity events with us.
this allows them a great oppor-
tunity to meet with diverse sup-
pliers and understand, first hand,
the services and capabilities they
are able to provide.
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
Supplier Development
Our Supplier relationship
Development Managers (SrDMs)
allow us to focus not only on
the identification of diverse sup-
pliers, but also on supplier re-
lationship development. SrDMs
are located across the country,
each supporting unique com-
modities, including the profes-
sional services arena. SrDMs work
closely with diverse suppliers,
supporting their development,
and positioning them as Bank of
america suppliers and leaders in
their industry. in addition, they
provide guidance and advice on
how to more effectively support
Bank of america, which can lead
to cost savings for the bank.
Supplier diversity efforts
are tied to other diversity and
inclusion efforts. tying supplier
diversity efforts to other diversity
and inclusion efforts allows for
the sharing of ideas and market-
ing budgets and helps eliminate
any duplication of efforts.

Identifying, Implementing
and Supporting Suppliers Who
Reflect the Diversity of
Our Global Markets
by DeRoy Bryant, VP, Global Sourcing and Procurement and
James Thurman, Director, Global Sourcing and Procurement
& Supplier Diversity Development Program
Our dedication to perfecting
vision and enhancing life for peo-
ple around the world includes a
commitment to supporting sup-
pliers who reflect the diversity
of our global markets. With our
Supplier Diversity program, we
make this happen by identifying
a variety of suppliers, including
enterprises owned and operated
by people of color and women,
and other diverse businesses that
provide us with the quality, ser-
vice, value, and technology we
need to continue our reputation
as one of the best known and
most respected healthcare brands
in the world.
Bausch & Lomb believes our
corporation and the communities
in which we operate benefit from
sourcing practices that capitalize
on the unique skills, knowledge,
creativity, and talent that come
from a diverse supply base.
Our senior leadership is
responsible for ensuring a cul-
ture that fosters equal oppor-
tunities for minority-owned,
women-owned and other di-
verse enterprises. this is largely
accomplished by the dedicated
support of our executive steering
committee. the committee meets
quarterly, led by Bausch & Lomb’s
corporate Diversity Officer.
Strategies from the Experts supplier diversity
BaUsch & LomB
The following Bryant Thurman
are the key attri-
butes of the supplier diversity
program at Bausch & Lomb:
• S upplier Diversity targets
are included in performance
objectives.
• B &L’s supplier diversity
program is primarily a U.S.-
based initiative.
• Current scope of the program
is minority- and women-owned
business enterprises.
• SDP manager is a member
of the Global Sourcing Board
driving integration into sourc-
ing activities.
• The executive steering commit-
tee establishes the organiza-
tional policies and practices.
• An implementation team,
chaired by the Manager of the
Supplier Diversity Development
program, oversees and executes
policy standards and practices.
• Team members are responsible
for reporting, building program
awareness, and driving sourcing
integration and accountability
within the organization.
Additional Responsibilities of
Implementation Team Include:
•C
 ollaborating with and advis-
ing regional representatives
from all product categories,
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
functional areas, and business
operations;
• Tracking supplier diversity spend
(including tier two Spend);
• Managing supplier diversity
process-awareness training and
online training at www.bausch.
com/supplierdiversity.com;
• Maintaining an engagement
process and database to iden-
tify potential vendors in order
to retain an accurate record
of their capabilities for future
business opportunities;
• P articipating at the
annual national Minority
Supplier Development council
conference;
• Hosting an annual supplier di-
versity recognition ceremony.
it is important to note that
our supplier diversity program
is linked with other B&L diver-
sity initiatives. for example, our
employee networks develop and
manage a wide array of business,
social, and community activities
to further the success and devel-
opment of B&L employees, stake-
holders, and customers.
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 81

Comcast’s Strategy Helps It Find Suppliers
That Can Meet Its Capacity Requirements
as the nation’s leadinG
provider of entertainment,
information, and communica-
tions products and services,
comcast’s biggest vendor spend
is with manufacturers who pro-
duce products that support our
business. Examples include set-
top boxes, cable wiring and elec-
tronic equipment, to name a few.
Due to the sheer volume of our
orders, and to ensure we receive
the best pricing available, we
often make our purchases direct-
ly through the manufacturer. as
a result, it can be difficult for us
to find a minority-owned or
women-owned business enter-
prise (MBE/WBE) that can com-
pete in that space.
We overcome this challenge
by identifying other large-pur-
chase items that lend themselves
to minority participation. in some
cases, we may partner with an
MBE/WBE that might have the
right skill set, but not the capac-
ity we need—a strategy that has
provided supplier diversity suc-
cesses for comcast.
if an MBE/WBE cannot pro-
vide the full scope of the service
or product we need, we ask them
to pair with a larger supplier
who is more established in that
area. through partnership agree-
ments, we facilitate a mentorship
Strategies from the Experts supplier diversity
by Ajamu Johnson
Senior Manager, Supplier Diversity
ComcasT CorporaTIoN
between the two vendors, and
the larger vendor is tasked with
mentoring the MBE/WBE to help
them build the necessary capac-
ity to fully service comcast. We
periodically assess the mentor-
ship to confirm that the MBE/
WBE is learning and growing.
Eventually, the larger vendor re-
leases a portion of their respon-
sibilities, and the MBE/WBE is
prepared to assume greater work
with comcast.
a. pomerantz & co., a
minority-owned business that
provides office furniture to
corporations, is an excellent ex-
ample of how these partnerships
can prove successful.
comcast paired a.
pomerantz & co. with Empire
Office, inc., a large, established
dealer for tella, a major furniture
manufacturer. Under tella’s su-
pervision, Empire mentored and
groomed a. pomerantz & co. to
eventually become an authorized
dealer for tella—an excellent op-
portunity for a. pomerantz & co.
to further grow their business.
the collaboration between
the two companies is a great suc-
cess story, as a. pomerantz & co.
will be fulfilling comcast’s office
furniture needs at the comcast
center, our philadelphia head-
quarters building, in the future.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
Setting Supplier Diversity Goals
Important to Success
in 2004, comcast created
a supplier diversity scorecard
that helped establish a nation-
al benchmark for the company.
the following year, the scorecard
was introduced to comcast’s five
regional divisions, who worked
closely with the corporate sup-
plier diversity team to establish
straightforward goals that lead
to accountability, while continu-
ing to emphasize growth and
results in the program.
Since its inception, the
scorecard has helped energize
our employees and has fostered
friendly competition between
the divisions, which has result-
ed in increased attention and
a stronger focus on positive
results. in addition, supplier
diversity accomplishments are
shared with comcast’s corpo-
rate senior leadership quarterly,
which has further raised the
program’s profile.
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 83
And that may be the one true link that brings us all together,

regardless of race, creed or color. Boeing proudly supports

those courageous enough to make discrimination, history.

 Strategies from the Experts supplier diversity

Ford’s Initiatives Help Develop

Diverse Suppliers
by Armando Ojeda
Director, Supplier Diversity Development
Ford

Q
PDJ: finding qualified diverse
suppliers may not be much of a
challenge these days, but find-
ing qualified diverse suppliers
that have the capacity and ca-
pability to support and grow
with large organizations might
be. How does Ford successfully
meet this challenge and what
strategies and best practices can
you share?
ford maintains a supporting
infrastructure that identifies
appropriate business opportu-
nities and fosters the ongoing
growth and development of di-
verse suppliers through a number
of initiatives, among them:
Aligned Business Framework
(ABF): as part of ongoing efforts
to rationalize the supply base,
technical teams to the supplier
site(s) to conduct needs assess-
ments and required training for
operational implementation. the
progress made by the supplier
company is measured against key
performance metrics—operation-
al efficiency and cost reduction
among them.
Dearborn Capital Corporation

A
in the current state of
the automotive business, ford’s
emphasis is being placed on
enhancing the sustainability of
established minority and women
suppliers already in the auto
supply base.
as a pioneer and leader
in supplier diversity, ford Motor
company recognized early on
the challenges and opportuni-
ties associated with integrat-
ing minority and women busi-
ness enterprises into a complex
industrial manufacturing sup-
ply chain. through its Supplier
Diversity Development program,
ford named over 60 existing
suppliers in its top commodities
as aligned Business framework
(aBf) suppliers. among them are
ten minority and women business
enterprises. aBf M/WBE firms are
positioned as preferred suppliers
and receive incremental business
over time as the base of suppliers
is consolidated.
Ford Technical Assistance Program
(FTAP): this initiative provides
engineering assistance to enhance
supplier performance in their
operations. Whether it’s LEan
manufacturing, Six Sigma or
Quality certification, ford sends
(DCC): Virtually all minor-
ity and women suppliers are
financed with bank debt.
Dearborn capital corporation,
an SBa-licensed Special Small
Business investment corporation,
operates this wholly owned,
$12 million fund to provide high
risk capital for the purpose of
assisting ford’s minority and
women suppliers in building
operational capacity and scale.
M/WBE’s typically use Dcc loans
for early stage and/or equipment
financing to manage incremental
business from ford and other
automotive OEM customers.

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 85

 I AM
Fernan R. Cepero, PHR
Vice President, Human Resources
The YMCA of Greater Rochester

Member since
2002

“It is impossible to be a passive

member of SHRM. Members
are given the opportunity to
grow professionally by getting
involved as volunteers and
at the grassroots level.”

Leading People. Leading Organizations.

www.shrm.org

08-0259
 Strategies from the Experts supplier diversity

Database Helps Identify Suppliers

and Solve Capacity Issues
by Kenyatta Lewis
Director of Supplier Diversity
MGM MIRAGE

Q
PDJ: finding qualified diverse suppliers may not be much of a challenge these days, but finding quali-
fied diverse suppliers that have the capacity and capability to support and grow with large organiza-
tions might be. How does your organization successfully meet this challenge and what strategies
and best practices can you share?

A
Lewis: Over the course of the development of its topics covered included managing financial
diversity initiative, MGM MiraGE has compiled an statements, strategic price management, customer
extensive database of diverse suppliers. Supplier value management, joint ventures, and staffing.
diversity executives realized, however, that there participants were also given the opportunity to
were many companies that had the potential to network and learn from each other’s challenges
grow capacity in order to meet our needs. and so and successes.
in 2007, MGM MiraGE created a customized train-
Seventeen companies participated in the
ing for its mid-range suppliers. the training aimed
first training session, and because of overwhelm-
to provide companies with the tools and insight
ing positive response, MGM MiraGE has plans to
needed to build capacity.
conduct more training sessions.
MGM MiraGE provided the two-day train-
ing free of charge to interested companies. the
company hired a facilitator, the Wheeler Group,
to provide one-on-one counseling and the oppor-
tunity to develop an individual-growth strategy.
additionally, each supplier completed a business
assessment prior to attending the training in order
to identify common areas requiring more learning
than others.

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 87

CHEVRON is a registered trademark of Chevron Corporation. The CHEVRON HALLMARK and HUMAN ENERGY are trademarks of Chevron Corporation. ©2008 Chevron Corporation. All rights reserved.

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Partnership With Construction Business
Yields Big Dividends for Wal-Mart
in order to continue being
a leader in supplier diversity,
Wal-Mart follows a three
prong strategy, which includes
growing the amount of busi-
ness it does with minority- and
women-owned businesses,
enhancing its second-tier
program, and establishing and
growing minority- and women-
owned business enterprise in-
vestment strategies. Our supplier
diversity program has gained
great momentum since its incep-
tion, growing from $2 million in
1994 to more than $4.8 billion
spent in 2007.
in order to continue
the progress well into the future,
Wal-Mart’s Supplier Diversity
team focuses on several key
initiatives:
• The team looks for minority-
and women-owned businesses
with great products or services,
competitive prices, financial sta-
bility, and marketplace success.
• Since 2005, the company has
held over twenty “How to do
business with Wal-Mart & Sam’s
club” seminars throughout the
country. the training educates
minority and women suppliers
about the business model and
teaches them first hand how to
do business with Wal-Mart and
Sam’s club.
• The supplier diversity team
Strategies from the Experts supplier diversity
by Eric Zorn
President of Wal-Mart Realty
Wal-MarT
works with a third party data
management company to
help conduct the proper report-
ing and validating of supplier
diversity direct and second-
tier spending.
One remarkable success
story involves a partnership be-
tween the supplier diversity team
and Wal-Mart realty and the
construction business. there is a
strong commitment to increasing
the company’s relationships with
minority- and women-owned
contractors in its building pro-
gram. this has led to the com-
pany hosting a minority construc-
tion summit. the summit included
suppliers interested in working
in the company’s new store, re-
model, and facility maintenance
programs.
Some of those relationships
include Broadway consolidated,
crossland construction and
powers and Sons. With that part-
nership comes the ability to cre-
ate new jobs and opportunities
for minority- and women-owned
businesses, as well as the abil-
ity to connect at the local level
to the communities where our
projects are at the forefront.
Strengthening those relation-
ships with minority- and women-
owned businesses is the right
way to create momentum for our
company.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
Wal-Mart has been recog-
nized for past and present efforts
in the supplier diversity arena.
Some of those recognitions in-
clude the following:
• Top 50 Corporations for
Supplier Diversity by Hispanic
Trends magazine for the
second year in a row
• A merica’s Top Organiza-
tions for Multicultural
Business Opportunities by
DiversityBusiness.com
• Most Admired Companies by
Black Engineer magazine
• Corporation of the Year
award by illinois Hispanic
chamber of commerce
• Black CEO Summit Supplier
Diversity award by career
communications Group.
Our momentum in supplier
diversity gives us encourage-
ment. We understand the impor-
tance of supplier diversity for our
company, our customers and for
the communities they serve. We
are proud to make advancements
in the supplier diversity arena
and to do business with thou-
sands of diverse suppliers with
great products and services.
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 89
 © 2008 Lockheed Martin Corporation

BETWEEN THE CHALLENGE AND THE SOLUTION,

T H E R E I S O N E I M P O R TA N T W O R D : H O W.

Diversity. It’s not a goal. It’s a necessity. When facing down the most important projects in the world, you need
fresh ideas. And unique perspectives. Delivering the most complete answers to solve complex problems is all a
question of how. And it is the how that makes all the difference.

lockheedmartin.com/how

Leadership Team Helps Keep Supplier
Diversity Momentum Going
Many orGaniZations have
found that sustaining supplier
diversity momentum within the
organization is a major challenge.
it is the support and commitment
of our board of directors and the
executive leadership team that
sustains the supplier diversity
momentum at Wellpoint, inc.
these are the key reasons
supplier diversity is a success
at Wellpoint:
• Supplier Diversity is a commit-
ment that begins at the top—
it extends from the board of
directors, the president and
cEO, and the executive leader-
ship team.
• Statement of Commitment
from angela Braly, president &
cEO.
• There is an established business
case and value proposition that
support the link between sup-
plier diversity and Wellpoint’s
key business objectives.
• Supplier Diversity is an inte-
gral part of the way Wellpoint
does business.
• The company has an enterprise-
wide supplier diversity initiative
and goal.
• Monthly and quarterly reports
that include trending data go
to executive management.
• Metrics and spending goals are
established and tracked.
Strategies from the Experts supplier diversity
by Brenda Burke
Supplier Diversity Director
WellPoINT, INc.
•T  he company has created sup-
plier diversity business unit
champions selected by the
executive leadership team.
their role is to serve as ambas-
sadors, promote the value and
business case for supplier diver-
sity, track goals, report progress,
and seek out diverse suppliers
for contract opportunities.
• Procurement actively works
to include diverse suppliers in
every bidding opportunity.
• In partnership with Corporate
communications, Wellpoint
promotes Supplier Diversity
via corporate newsletters and
its Web site.
• WellPoint expects and requires
that all suppliers interested
in doing business with us
will submit, in each rfp
response, a Supplier Diversity
participation plan.
• The Participation Plan is
reviewed by Supplier Diversity
for compliance.
• Supplier Diversity partners
with performance Management
to track tier i vendor com-
pliance during the term of
the contract.
• The company offers a supplier
registration portal linked to the
Wellpoint Web site.
Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l
•W  ellPoint is a corporate mem-
ber of the national Minority
Supplier Development council
and the Women’s Business
Enterprise national council.
• WellPoint promotes active
involvement with Supplier
Diversity related organizations
and events, including repre-
senting Wellpoint on boards
and committees.
• WellPoint sponsors many
Supplier Diversity related events
nationally, exhibiting at nation-
al business opportunity fairs.
• The company has created
it-Supplier Diversity net-
working Summits.
• Supplier Diversity holds meet-
ings with internal affinity
groups to promote the value
of supplier diversity and to en-
courage utilization of diverse
vendors. this has resulted in
new business opportunities for
small diverse vendors.
it is clear to see that Supplier
Diversity would not be able to
sustain this level of activity and
growth without the tremendous
support and commitment from
the top of the organization.
M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 91
political
T riggers
The race is on for the 44th President of the
United States. negative ads have started to run
rampant, and so have the MicroTriggers.

You mean you’re not voting for…. Maybe a simple “Hi” would be better

“ I try to keep my politics at home. But there are so

many conversations at work about the presidential race
that it is difficult to avoid at least hearing about politics
“ I really appreciate it when people greet me with
‘hola.’ It says to me that people acknowledge who I am
and that they are trying to show me that. But when they
unless you stay in your cubicle with your headphones greet me with ‘hola’ and then continue the conversation
on. The day following one of the Democratic debates, in English, with no attempt to actually learn the
a group of my colleagues were having a spirited language, it starts to feel patronizing. Sometimes it’s like
conversation about the candidates. Some folks were big they are making fun. That’s when I start to be offended.”
fans of hillary Clinton; others were strong supporters of —Anonymous, Washington, DC
Barack Obama. There were also a few undecideds who
had traditionally voted Republican. we are accustomed
to having emotion filled conversations, but this one No thanks to the clap
seemed to be getting out of hand. I definitely wanted to
stay out of this one. But my co-workers had something
else in mind.
“ Yes, meetings get loud. Sure, it’s difficult for a
facilitator to get the attention of a large crowd of people.
But when I am asked to ‘clap if you hear me,’ I definitely
‘Even Gloria* is supporting Obama, and she’s one get triggered. And unfortunately it has become a
of the most conservative people I know.’ whoa, wait common practice at my company. what am I, a seal?”
a minute, why was my name being inserted into this —Anonymous, Washington, DC
conversation? here I was trying to mind my own
business, and I was being dragged into it anyway.
I yelled out, ‘I’m not in this guys. Keep me out of it.’
One of my Clinton-supporting colleagues said, ‘Gloria,
there’s no way you’re supporting Obama. At your age,
you’ve gotta be kidding. plus, you’re a woman. I know
you’re a hillary fan.’ For some reason, her words struck Janet Crenshaw Smith is
a nerve. what did she mean, ‘at my age’ and why did she president of Ivy Planning
assume that as a woman I would be voting for the female Group LLC, a consulting and
candidate? training firm that specializes
I wanted to explain that she was dead wrong about my in diversity strategy and
political views. And since I know the political leanings of leadership. Her book is titled,
the leadership team here, I didn’t feel at risk for sharing MicroTriggers: 58 little
them. But I kept quiet and just did a slow burn. I know Things That have a BIG
that things will be getting even hotter around here over Impact. Have a MicroTrigger
the next few months.” story to share? Send it to:
—* Name Changed - Anonymous JSmith@ivygroupllc.com

92 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8

How do YOU avoid diversity landmines?

Joe Biden hits

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#42
Referring to Obama Barack as “So Articulate”
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In a time of rapid change for our company and for our
industry, we believe that the unique perspective of each
Pfizer employee is vital. Why? Because the tough health
care challenges people are facing today call for new,
different, and diverse ways of thinking.
That’s why we’re implementing a global strategy to ensure
Pfizer’s culture not only respects, but also leverages each
individual employee’s background, character, and life
experiences. We’re putting those unique perspectives to
94 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
© 2007 Pfizer Inc Printed in USA
work to find new, innovative solutions for patients, and
better ways of working with our customers, our partners,
and the communities we serve.
At Pfizer, we believe diversity means an inclusive and
empowering work environment. The result? A happier,
healthier tomorrow for us all.
www.pfizer.com
AIMD . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 13 Hallmark Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 SHRM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 86
www.aimd.org www.hallmark.com www.shrm.org

Bank of America. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 Ivy Planning Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93 Sodexo . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 22

www.bankofmerica.com www.ivygroupllc.com www.sodexousa.com

Bank of the West. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Lockheed Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 UnitedHealth Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

www.bankofthewest.com www.lockheedmartin.com www.unitedhealthgroup.com

The Boeing Company . .. .. .. .. .. .. . 84 Monster. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Wal-Mart. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 26

www.boeing.com www.monster.com www.walmart.com

Chevron. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 PepsiCo, Inc. . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 32 Waste Management . . . . . Inside Back

www.chevron.com www.pepsico.com www.wm.com

Dell . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 5 Pfizer, Inc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 WellPoint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Back Cover

www.dell.com www.pfizer.com www.wellpoint.com

Eastman Kodak Company . . . . . . . . . 66 Rohm and Haas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

www.kodak.com www.rohmhaas.com

Ford Motor Company Inside Front, Shell Oil. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

www.ford.com pg 1 www.shell.com

Prof iles in Div er s it y Jou r na l M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8 95

 last word

Networking :
A Powerful Tool for Inclusive Progress
By Marie Y. Philippe, PhD

L
lloyd G. Trotter, a great GE pio-
neer, stated: “The network matters
the most. A career is about doing a
good job plus something else, and
the something else is the network.
You’ve got to force yourself to net-
work, especially if you are a minority…You can’t socialize
only with those you feel most comfortable with. You’ve got
to go out and network.”
Many very hard working, intelligent, well educated,
and articulate employees cannot understand why their
demonstrated dedication and hard work does not translate
into promotions or other forms of recognition. when
asked for counsel, my initial two questions are almost
always: Do you network throughout the organization? and
Do you have at least one mentor who can help you expand
your network beyond your own comfort zone?
what is organizational networking? It is a complex,
non-linear connective set of relationships between mem-
bers of a group focused on a business or social mission.
Networking requires individuals to develop new relation-
ships at different organizational levels, sometimes in dif-
ferent geographies, and then to be willing to share the new
relationships with others whose own branches in turn will
further expand the network. All this is done in the spirit of
mutual support.
There is no magic bullet when it comes to cultivating a
network. It can begin as simply as making a phone call or
sending an e-mail to ask a question or request a meeting,
or as dynamically as trying to catch someone in the elevator
to share a brilliant idea. There are, however, some practices
that highly successful people find particularly effective.
here are ten best practices recommended for members
of under-represented groups in corporate leadership:
• Extend yourself across race, class, gender, and
age barriers.
• Do not give yourself a fixed timetable to achieve your
networking objectives.
• Do not let past experiences with others keep you from
trusting new people.
• Develop and perfect your self-marketing drill for the
elevator ride.
96 Pro f i les i n Di ve rsit y Journal M ay / J u n e 2 0 0 8
• Take participation seriously: attend retirement parties,
volunteer in golf tournaments, actively play the field
during corporate picnics, etc.
• Take the leap for stretched assignments with the sup-
port of established mentors.
• Select mentors (yes, we often need more than one)
who can support the expansion of your network and
with whom you can build trust.
• Evaluate the mistakes of others from different
gender or ethnic groups within the context of the
full relationship (educate rather than walk away
assuming malice).
• Never underestimate the power of your relationship
with your boss and the needed support.
• Keep in mind that name-dropping does not endear
you to anyone. One-on-one meetings with the CEO
or others at that corporate echelon must not lead to
misguided superiority.
poTenTial allies originaTe from as many
different relationships as people can conceive. There
is great truth in the six degrees of separation concept.
Through diverse networking, you (A below) may only be
six steps away from the greatest contact (B below) of your
life. happy Networking! PDJ
Marie Y. Philippe, PhD, is known for her contribution to
corporate diversity and organizational change management. A
regular contributor to profiles in Diversity Journal, she can
be reached at: Marie.Philippe@lifethc.com
 Don’t ever give up on what you believe in.
Not once.
Not ever.
My dream is to do extraordinary things every day.
Life’s calling. Where to next?

Power On
My parents always treated me
like any other kid. And when
I fell, my mom didn’t always
rush to pick me up. “Sarah’s
going to pick herself up.” It
was a really important lesson
for me to learn. For me to
keep up, I always had to
be tougher than the rest.
And I think that’s still
true today.
– Sarah Reinertsen

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 Also Featuring…Front-Runner Desiree Dancy—The New York Times Company • Asian Pacific American Heritage Month • Supplier Diversity Experts

Thanks to you,
Sam is content in knowing his health insurance covers his extended Volume 10, Number 3
family – and that has him back in the swing of things. MAY / JUnE 2008
$
12.95 U.S.

PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL

MaY / JUNE 2008 • VOLUME 10 NUMBER 3
www.diversityjournal.com
At WellPoint, we are addressing tomorrow’s health care issues
today. With the growing number of extended families living together
in one home, we are making it easier for members to secure
coverage for themselves, their children – even their parents. President and CEO
The Asian American population honors this tradition in many cities
across the country. To support this culture, we offer a range of ANGELa BRaLY, of WellPoint, Inc.
products and services that work for every family circle, no matter
how large it is. Working to better people’s lives is not something sees Diversity Management as a
you do every day. But it can be – at WellPoint.
fundamental part of How they Do Business
Better health care, thanks to you.

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