Atlanta, it doesn’t have to look far. “We do target minority recruitment fairs, and we attend minority events where we can do recruitment efforts,” she says.
Strengths
- SR. MANAGEMENT
- EMPLOYEE BASE
- BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AMERICAN EXPRESS CO. Location: New York Type of Business: Travel, financial & network service Diversity Contact: Henry Hernandez, Chief Diversity Officer
American Express is best known for its charge card division, but the company is also one of the world’s largest travel service networks. The firm’s diversity initiatives are evident in its high percentage of ethnic minority senior managers as well as its community outreach. According to Hernandez, American Express offered 115 grants totaling $2.03 million to the African American community in 2004. “To win the marketplace, [American Express] must attract the most talented people,” he says. “To that end, during an eight-month pilot [program,] high-performing individuals were paired with senior level executives in a mentoring relationship.”
Strengths
- SR. MANAGEMENT
- BOARD OF DIRECTORS
ARAMARK Location: Philadelphia Type of Business: Diversified outsourcing services
Diversity Contact: Elizabeth Campbell, VP Employment Practices & Services, Corporate Diversity Officer
ARAMARK is a provider of food, uniforms, and facilities management services to healthcare institutions, universities, school districts, stadiums, and arenas. With annual sales of $8.8 billion, ARAMARK employs more than 200,000 people. The company has almost 50,000 black employees and spent millions with black-owned firms in 2004. “Key to maximizing the success of ARAMARK is our ability to understand and mirror the diversity of our clients and customers,” says Campbell. One ARAMARK executive made our list of the “75 Most Powerful Blacks in Corporate America.”
Strengths
- EMPLOYEE BASE
- BOARD OF DIRECTORS
BANK OF AMERICA Location: Charlotte, NC Type of Business: Financial services
Diversity Contact: Geri P. Thomas, Corporate Diversity Executive
With a better than average score of minority executives and board members, the nation’s second largest financial institution fares even better with its suppliers and employees. Bank of America is also highly invested in community outreach by providing scholarships to minority students, recruiting at historically black colleges and universities, and financing home loans for African American consumers. “All of us at Bank of America have been energized by the corporation’s 10-year goal to lend and invest at least $750 billion for community development,” says Milton H. Jones, a global quality and productivity executive.
Strengths
- SUPPLIER DIVERSITY
- EMPLOYEE BASE
BELLSOUTH Location: Atlanta Type of Business: Telecommunications Diversity Contact: Valencia Adams, VP & Chief Diversity Officer
BellSouth has a long history in telecommunications. Its commitment to diversity is reflected in its over 63,000 employees; more than 16,000 are black, along with nearly 10% of its senior managers. “For us, inclusion is not only fundamental to our employee workforce, but also to our leadership structure, our supplier base, our charitable and corporate social outreach, and among the customers who make up our marketplace,” says Adams. BellSouth also has a variety of charitable and community outreach programs.
Strengths indicate diversity areas in which the company ranked among the top 20 respondents.
Strengths
- SUPPLIER DIVERSITY
- SR. MANAGEMENT
- EMPLOYEE BASE
CITIGROUP Location: New York Type of Business
: Financial services Diversity Contact: Susan Eng, Senior Analyst, Global Workforce Diversity
Citigroup is the largest commercial bank in the country