Diversity Executive - November 2008 - (Page 39)

Hamilton was barely two blocks away when the 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed, causing a number of people’s deaths. “Growing [up] in the middle of the civil rights era and the civil rights movement made a lasting impression on me,” Hamilton said. “It’s kind of poetic at this stage in my career, the kind of work I’m doing.” Hamilton took over chief diversity ofﬁcer responsibilities at CSX almost six years ago. Prior to that, she had a variety of jobs in the company, many of them involving leading diverse departments — ranging from heading the claims department to running the career management center in the operating department. During her tenure at CSX, Hamilton earned a reputation for supporting and promoting diversity, which paid off when she was the ﬁrst to be offered the chief diversity ofﬁcer position. Under Hamilton’s leadership, the company has gained national recognition from a variety of publications including DiversityInc, Black MBA, Diversity MBA Magazine, Black Enterprise magazine and Hispanic Business magazine — a feat she is proud of because she said it strengthens the company’s brand as an employer of choice. “We don’t use the term ‘diversity’ anymore because we believe the word ‘inclusion’ is more welcoming and more appreciated regardless of [one’s] background,” Hamilton said. The company has almost 30 inclusion groups, including a global inclusion council — which comprises representatives from various departments — and nine employee networks. While some of the employee networks are based on race or ethnicity, others are based on interest and include a caregivers’ group, working parents’ group, women’s network, young professionals’ group and even a military group. In addition, Hamilton said the company is looking to get involved in the area of disabilities in a number of ways. “We’re looking for recruiting sources [and have] identiﬁed a few for people with disabilities,” Hamilton said. “We’ve [also] partnered with the Wounded Warrior Project — which [assists the] military wounded who are getting rehabilitated into civilian life — on programs that would bring wounded warriors into our workforce.” Much of the company’s success in the diversity arena can be attributed to a supportive and engaged executive team and board of directors, Hamilton said. But she would like to take the company’s inclusion initiatives one step further. “Inclusion needs to be second nature, [and] I’d like to see us get to the point where you don’t even need a chief diversity ofﬁcer because it’s part of what you do,” Hamilton said. “That’s my dream — that it’s so integral in our company, you wouldn’t need me because it’s functioning without me.” – Deanna Hartley Growing [up] in the middle of the civil rights era and the civil rights movement made a lasting impression on me. It’s kind of poetic at this stage in my career, the kind of work I’m doing. – Susan Hamilton Chief Diversity Officer CSX November/December 2008 | www.diversity-executive.com | Diversity Executive 39 http://www.diversity-executive.com

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

Diversity Executive - November 2008 Editor’s Letter Contents Leadership Connections Guest Editorial Diversity Executive Online Middle Management Roadblock ‘Hidden Winds’ Hinder Progress The Domino Effect Supplier Partnerships Unlock Economic Opportunities Measuring Diversity Special Section: Who’s Who in Diversity and Inclusion Dimensions of Difference Overcoming Language Diff erences Business Intelligence: Combating Subtle Discrimination Case Study: Shifting Diversity Into Overdrive Advertisers’ Index Editorial Resources Strategies

Diversity Executive - November 2008

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