Diversity Executive - September 2008 - (Page 45)

sity Companies” list by Diversity/Careers in Engineering and Information Technology for supporting minorities and women, encouraging work-life balance and increasing supplier diversity. Pitney Bowes has been recognized by Black Enterprise for its creation of Diversity Leadership Councils and employee groups, as well as by Hispanic Enterprise and Diversity MBA magazines. The company also has received the Catalyst Award for its efforts in advancing women. – Deanna Hartley and they are given guides, case studies, suggested readings and other tools that help present and explain the issues. The company also has established a program called Global Communities that aims to strengthen and leverage international and cross-cultural relationships. “Global Communities brings a central and collaborative focus to the many diverse contributions our people make in their community — whether it is giving time, resources, skills or money,” the PwC Web site states. Then there’s the company’s partnership with Menttium Corp., an organization that promotes development and diversity in business through mentoring. PwC sponsors a one-year Menttium program that pairs 100 women in management with top female executive mentors outside the ﬁrm. According to the company’s Web site, “the program allows women to share experiences, identify life priorities and hone leadership skills.” PwC also hosts an annual “Diversity in Business Leadership Conference,” a three-day forum designed to help high-performing staff members develop leadership skills. The company boasts a strong supplier diversity program, as well, and supports organizations and initiatives that certify, train and develop diverse suppliers. Dennis Nally PricewaterhouseCoopers With ofﬁces in 769 cities in 144 countries, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) truly is a global organization. As such, the company — which provides industryfocused assurance, tax and advisory services — is inherently attune to and appreciative of the differences that come from its diverse workforce of approximately 146,000. “In order for PricewaterhouseCoopers to be viewed as a distinctive and credible professional service provider when our clients are thinking with a global mindset, we need to have credentialed and experienced professionals who are diverse in both their makeup and their thinking,” said U.S. Chairman and Senior Partner Dennis Nally. “[Our global] CEOs recognize that they need diverse thinking in the way they approach their target markets in order to be successful.” To make that diversity commitment consistent and actionable, Nally said the company has undergone several key structural changes during the past few years. “We have embedded diversity into all of our people initiatives, policies, programs and communications,” he explained. “For example, our chief diversity ofﬁcer, Roy Weathers, reports directly to me. He presides over our Ofﬁce of Diversity, where we have both national subject matter experts and diversity managers. I have also appointed diversity partner champions in each of our three primary business units — assurance, business advisory and tax — as well as in our internal ﬁrm services. [They] help drive our national diversity and inclusion strategy within those service lines. ” PwC also includes formal diversity training in its new-hire onboarding program, in its training for newly promoted managers and as part of preparation for newly admitted partners. To leverage the diversity of its workforce to the fullest, the company also has implemented several key programs. First, there’s the Meeting in a Box initiative. Created in response to feedback from some of the company’s employee resource groups, Meeting in a Box brings employees together to facilitate discussions about diversity. Workers are educated on the business case for diversity and inclusion, We need diverse thinking in the way we approach our target markets to be successful. – Dennis Nally, U.S. Chairman and Senior Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers On top of all that, PwC communicates and celebrates via monthly e-mails the personal stories and successes of its diverse employees. Nally said the results of its integrated diversity outlook thus far have been tangible. “We continue to measure our diversity progress through internal metrics, as well as through external benchmarking, and we are making great strides,” he said. “Even more importantly, however, we are hearing from our people that they can see and feel our commitment, and that it’s making a difference.” – Agatha Gilmore September/October 2008 | www.diversity-executive.com | Diversity Executive 45 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

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.