Diversity Executive - November 2008 - (Page 51)

ground on making a difference, a sense of obligation to make things better.” Her work experience reﬂects this commitment. Initially hired on as manager of educational relations at Verizon, Yrizarry moved on to serve as director of the company’s philanthropic arm, managing a budget of $75 million for scholarship programs, diversity initiatives and economic development projects. Most recently, she served as executive director of public policy and strategic alliances for Verizon. “At Verizon we say, ‘When diversity is an integral part of a company’s culture, everyone beneﬁts.’ That’s equally how I feel about the power of diversity and inclusion,” she said. “By championing diversity in the workforce and cultivating a culture of inclusion in the workplace, we create an environment that respects all people, provides meaningful work and personal growth opportunities and allows all to perform at the highest levels. As a result, we contribute to society, drive economic development in all of our communities, and Verizon is able to deliver the best products and services for its customers.” Several years ago, Yrizarry worked to ensure this mindset was woven into the very fabric of Verizon’s business model by serving on a special team created to revisit the company’s mission statement and retool it to reﬂect the direction of the business — a direction that had been shaped over the years by mergers, technology advancements and demographic shifts. The company’s four core values — integrity, respect, performance excellence and accountability — came from these efforts. “It is these values that drive our continuous focus on an inclusive workplace with employees from diverse backgrounds, life experiences and points of view — where there is zero tolerance for discrimination of any kind and where we embrace and value the unique talents and contributions we each bring to the table,” Yrizarry explained. “I’m proud to have been a part of this work because it cuts across every aspect of our business and connects to each and every one of our employees.” In fact, her work on this project might have shaped her vision for the future of diversity at Verizon. “Growth strategies and changing business models result in divestitures, acquisitions and other business decisions that may impact diversity. We must continue to monitor this and continue to emphasize the importance of diversity in the context of change,” she said. Yrizarry said working on broadening supplier diversity also is a priority for Verizon going forward. “By one measure, the $3.1 billion we spent with diverse suppliers in 2007 is a job well-done. However, supplier diversity remains a challenge in our industry,” she said. “Our largest purchases are high-tech items, a segment where unfortunately there are few if any minority suppliers. We must continue to identify quality vendors across all categories and work with direct suppliers to broaden their supplier diversity efforts.” – Agatha Gilmore For more profiles of Diversity Executive’s Who’s Who in Diversity and Inclusion, please visit www.diversity-executive.com/whoswho. You’ll find profiles of the industrys leaders, including: Angela Avant KPMG Tracy Brown Wings That Soar David Casey WellPoint D. Michael “Mickey” Collins Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) Patricia J. Crawford Wells Fargo Mae Douglas Cox Communications Chris Forman AIRS Michelle Gadsden-Williams Novartis Pharma AG Ed Gallegos Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Randy Groomes Terry College of Business, University of Georgia Danroy Henry Sr. Bright Horizons Family Solutions Frederick Hobby Institute for Diversity in Health Management J. Glen House, M.D. Disaboom Douglas C. Freeman Virtcom Consulting Marilyn French Hubbard, PhD. Henry Ford Health System Andre P. Hughes Accenture Susan Johnson Pitney Bowes Kathleen K. Lundquist, Ph.D. APT Inc. Bernard J. Milano KPMG Foundation Robert Rodriguez, Ph.D. Kaplan University Toni Thompson McCann Erickson New York Donna Venable IKON Office Solutions Inc. Nadine O. Vogel Springboard Consulting LLC Carole Weinstein Learning Works November/December 2008 | www.diversity-executive.com | Diversity Executive 51 http://www.diversity-executive.com 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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