Diversity Executive - September 2008 - (Page 34)

Gerald M. Ostrov Bausch & Lomb Eye health company Bausch & Lomb, which has 13,000 employees worldwide and annual revenue of approximately $2.5 billion, is dedicated to “perfecting vision and enhancing life for consumers around the world.” In the company’s quest to help people see better, it has helped employees view each other in a positive and respectful way via diversity and inclusion initiatives. For Chairman and CEO Gerald M. Ostrov, Bausch & Lomb’s focus on diversity is much more than a feel-good exercise. It’s about improving the organization’s value proposition. “Bausch & Lomb simultaneously nurtures the diversity of thinking, ideas and outlook that already exists within Bausch & Lomb’s workforce and makes consistent and aggressive efforts to attract, develop and retain talented people with a variety of perspectives from all cultures and population segments,” he said. “We believe that a diverse group of talented and committed people, working in an environment that enables them to apply their collective talents to our shared principles and commitments delivers the greatest value to our customers, consumers, employees and other stakeholders alike.” Ostrov also said Bausch & Lomb’s perspective on the issue of diversity extends far beyond the conventional deﬁnition of the term. “Genuine workplace diversity addresses more than gender, race, age and sexual orientation,” he explained. “It encompasses diversity of thought of experience and of culture. As a multinational company serving a broad spectrum of consumers and customers, such diversity isn’t just ideal; it’s absolutely critical for embracing innovative viewpoints and ideas that are central to Bausch & Lomb’s future success.” Accordingly, the company takes a multifaceted approach to integrate diversity and inclusion into its business processes and strategies. Some examples of this include Bausch & Lomb’s hiring and procurement practices. “Our strategic stafﬁng organization manages hiring, recruitment and retention using a variety of criteria, and diversity and inclusion play a signiﬁcant role,” Ostrov said. “Our hiring managers understand the value a diverse employee base delivers to the business. To maintain a competitive edge within the global markets in which we operate, we need a workforce that reﬂects the diversity of these markets. 34 Diversity Executive | www.diversity-executive.com | September/October 2008 “Another example comes from our global procurement organization. Doing business with dependable and diverse suppliers — including minority-owned, women-owned and other diverse enterprises — is an essential component of maintaining our position in a competitive marketplace. Our supplier diversity development program actively identiﬁes diverse suppliers to help expand our ability to exceed customers’ expectations with world-class quality, service, cost and technology.” Speciﬁc diversity initiatives at Bausch & Lomb include the Leading Inclusive Teams program, a managerial training course implemented earlier this year that is designed to enhance understanding of diversity and inclusion and its impact on the business, and WN@BL (Women’s Network at Bausch & Lomb), which recently hosted 60 employees at the company’s corporate headquarters in Rochester, N.Y., in an effort to match mentors and mentees within the enterprise. Additionally, Bausch & Lomb has been honored ﬁve times by the Human Rights Campaign with a perfect score on its Corporate Equality Index. Ostrov attributed this recognition in part to the assistance and support the company receives from GLOB&L, its gay and lesbian employee resource group. Ostrov said diversity would continue to play a crucial role in Bausch & Lomb’s future performance. “As we continue to expand globally and enter into new markets, our success will come from our ability to innovate in product development and marketing,” he said. “We need diverse teams with keen awareness of the wishes and desires of consumers and customers who, like our employee base, hail from a variety of cultures and backgrounds.” – Brian Summerfield David Lissy Bright Horizons Family Solutions As a leading provider of employer-sponsored child care and early education, Bright Horizons believes in creating an environment of inclusion in which all families and children feel welcome, accepted for who they are and nurtured — something the company views as fundamental to its success. In educating children, Bright Horizons is educating global citizens who are the next generation of leaders of industry, academia and public service. To create an inclusive environment, the company recruits and retains top employees from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, and looks to each of its 18,000 employees throughout North America and Europe as diversity champions who take pride in sharing their culture with colleagues and the children and families they serve. http://www.diversity-executive.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Diversity Executive - September 2008

Diversity Executive - September 2008 Editor's Letter Contents Leadership Connections Guest Editorial Diversity Executive Online 2042: A New Business Era Begins The Rules of Attraction Where to Look for Diverse Talent Like Minds Think Great Culture Teams Target Business Opportunities at Luxottica Retail Special Section Rebalancing Gender At ING Americas, the Color of Diversity Is Orange Profile Business Intelligence Case Study Strategies Advertisers' Index Editorial Resources

Diversity Executive - September 2008

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