Download - Profiles in Diversity Journal | Nov/Dec 2003
WHAT MAKES THIS TRUCK STRONGERAND MORE CAPABLE THAN EVER BEFORE?
PUBLISHER / MANAGING EDITORJames R. Rector
SENIOR EDITORKatherine Sandlin
EDITORIAL CONSULTANTLaurel L. Fumic
ADVISORY BOARD
HONORARY CHAIRSteve Miller, former Chairman,
President and CEOShell Oil Company
CHAIREdie Fraser, PresidentDiversity Best Practices
VICE CHAIRSCarlton Yearwood, VP Business Diversity
Waste Management, Inc.
John Sequeira, Senior Diversity AdvisorGlobal Diversity—Strategy & Planning
Shell Oil Company
Dee Wood, Manager,Career Network DevelopmentGeneral Electric Corporation
May Snowden, VP Global DiversityStarbucks
Toni L. Riccardi, Chief Diversity OfficerPricewaterhouseCoopers
OVERSEAS CORRESPONDENTSDr. Myrtha Casanova, President
European Institute for Managing DiversityBarcelona Spain
Graham Shaw, DirectorCentre for Diversity and Business
London UK
LETTERS TO THE EDITORCommentaries or questions should beaddressed to: Profiles in DiversityJournal, P.O. Box 45605, Cleveland, OH44145-0605. All correspondence shouldinclude author’s full name, address, e-mailand phone number.
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The Forum For Business Diversity
We believe there is no better way for Profiles in Diversity Journal to celebrate its 5th year of
publication than by celebrating the accomplishments of women in this second annual
Women of Initiative issue.
Women made for big news in 2003. For example, this year will be remembered as the year
Annika Sorenstam made her debut on the PGA tour, the first to “tee it up” with the men’s tour since
“Babe” Zaharias in 1945. Much like her predecessor, Sorenstam’s achievements in the sport are
larger than life. Just the year before, she had won 13 of 25 events—truly an all-time achievement in
itself—and secured her spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame. But her incredible milestones took a
back seat when she announced she had accepted an invitation
from the organizers of the Colonial to play in the event.
Reaction to Sorenstam’s decision was mixed, to say the least. A
handful of PGA players spoke out against her participation,
maintaining their tour was reserved for men only. Others were
clearly behind her. Even the press was split on the issue. And
while Sorenstam contended that she wasn’t interested in
making a statement for women worldwide—simply wanting
to test the limits of her game—it would be hard to say that
aspect was not on her mind as she played her round. By the
time 2003 was done, she would have been followed on the
“men’s green” by two more exceptional golfers: Suzy Whaley
at the Greater Hartford Open and Michelle Wie on the
Nationwide Tour. But Sorenstam, while not the first,
will certainly be remembered as the one that opened
the floodgates.
This year also saw the Nobel Committee award its
2003 Peace Prize to Iranian lawyer Shirin Ebadi. One of the
first judges in the Islamic Republic, Ebadi led efforts to change
Iran’s discriminatory laws against women, provide protection for street children, and free those
detained for expressing their opposition to the government. Her advocacy earned her a prison
sentence and banishment from her profession. While the first Iranian, Ebadi was the 11th woman to
receive the prestigious award in its 102-year history. And, while news of the award was virtually
ignored by Iran’s media, word spread among human rights activists and reformist legislators there.
This year, too, saw Carole Moseley-Braun throw her hat in the ring as a democratic contender for
the U.S. presidential race. While not the first black woman to do so (the first was Shirley Chisholm
in 1972), she certainly affirms the fact that black women political professionals have led the way,
shattering the glass ceiling of competitive presidential politics.
The women in organizations around the world that we honor here as our “Women of Initiative”
may not hold the title of “first” either. But, as you read in the following pages, it doesn’t mean they
are not making waves. Hopefully, there will be many courageous and inspired women in their wake.
It is quite fitting then that, on our fifth anniversary, we help celebrate those that make a difference
in the world around them. We hope you find we make a difference, too, and that you find
inspiration in the stories we share within.
Making Waves
From the editorial staff of Profiles in Diversity Journalpointofview
James R. Rector Katherine SandlinPublisher Editor
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 5
CREATIVEDavid Potokar
PRINTINGMaster Printing
Anything.
Abbott Laboratories. www.abbott.com
What’s possible when 70,000 people with
diverse cultural, national, and
family backgrounds, skills and
life experiences work together
Sharon Larkin, mother of twoactive boys and Divisional VicePresident of Human Resources.
toward one common vision?
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 7
Conte
nts
From Challenge to Opportunity . . . . . . . . . . .12Laurette KoellnerThe Boeing Company
Positive Impact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Linda GoodenLockheed Martin Corporation
Just Another First . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Anne StevensFord Motor Company
Steward of America’s Heritageand Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Secretary Gale NortonU.S. Department of the Interior
In the Kaleidoscope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20Pernille LopezIKEA North America
Wind in their Wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Susan L. BostromCisco Systems, Inc.
Delicate Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Ann ThornburgPricewaterhouseCoopers
CCOOVVEERR SSTTOORRYY::Shattering the Glass CeilingStories from some of the highest-ranking women incorporations and government organizations inAmerica today.
Secretary of the Interior Gale Nortonand a few of the 47,909 children that receive education through the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Volume 5, Number 6 • November/December 2003
Abounding Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Ellen J. KullmanDiane H. GulyasDuPont
Mission Possible . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Gloria BohanOmega World Travel
Understanding Diversity as a Business Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34Betsy BernardAT&T
Corporate Responsibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Barbara J. KrumsiekCalvert Group, Ltd.
Passion Isn’t Enough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36Lynn Laverty ElsenhansShell Oil Company
Because We Can . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42Lurita DoanNew Technology Management, Inc.
Conte
nts
Volume 5, Number 6 • November/December 2003
page 8 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Alexis M. Herman, MGM MIRAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76
Alison Anthony, Williams . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64
Anna Mok, Deloitte & Touche LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Ana Mollinedo, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. . . . . . . .92
Angie Casciato, Credit Suisse First Boston . . . . . .68
Arleas Upton Kea, FDIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Audrey Boone Tillman, AFLAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46
Barbara Kipp, PricewaterhouseCoopers . . . . . . . . .64
Beverly Ramsey, Los Alamos National Laboratory .54
Bonita C. Stewart, DaimlerChrysler Corporation . .46
Brenda Fraser Castonguay, Progress Energy . . . .59
Caryl M. Stern, Anti-Defamation League . . . . . . . . .47
Catherine Land-Waters, AGL Resources . . . . . . . .48
Celeste Amaral, Eastman Kodak Company . . . . . .50
Cherie Rice, Waste Management, Inc. . . . . . . . . . .78
Christine A. MacKenzie, DaimlerChrysler Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49
Connie Glaser, Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88
Deborah Cannon, Bank of America . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Deborah Elam, General Electric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Dickie Sykes, AMEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72
Dr. Z. Clara Brennan, St. Augustine College, Chicago . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50
Ellen Schubert, UBS Investment Bank . . . . . . . . . .84
Geri P. Thomas, Bank of America . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51
Ginger Parysek, The Lifetime Healthcare Companies . . . . . . . . . . . . .54
Gloria Pace King, United Way of Central Carolinas, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . .93
Ilene H. Lang, Catalyst . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86
Jackie Martin, United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Jane Wildman, Procter & Gamble Baby Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65
Jean Crowder Drummond, HCD International . . . .79
Jean Thomas, Cendant Corporation Hotel Group . .66
Jeannie H. Diefenderfer, Verizon . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92
Joyce A. Bender, Bender Consulting Services, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85
Joyce Mosley, IKEA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77
Karen A. Smith-Pilkington,Eastman Kodak Company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56
Kathy Geier, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company . . . . . . . . . . .78
Kimpa Moss, RSM McGladrey, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Lili Zheng, Deloitte & Touche LLP . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67
Lorraine Brock, Nationwide Insurance . . . . . . . . . .76
Lynn Crump-Caine, McDonald’s Corporation . . . . .90
Maria Degois-Sainz, Guidant Corporation . . . . . . .57
Marie C. Johns, Verizon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95
Mary C. Farrell, UBS Wealth Management USA . . .72
Mary George Opperman, Cornell University . . . . .84
Michelle M. Crosby, Ph.D., Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. . . . . . . .94
Nancy Lonsinger, Roche Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . .94
Orien Reid, Alzheimer’s Association . . . . . . . . . . . .91
Patricia Bomba, M.D., F.A.C.P., Excellus BlueCross BlueShield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52
Sara L. Hays, Hyatt Hotels Corporation . . . . . . . . . .87
Shelley J. Seifert, National City Corporation . . . . .48
Stephanie K. Wernet,The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company . . . . . . . . . . .68
Sylvia H. Plunkett, FDIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55
Ursula M. Burns, Xerox Corporation . . . . . . . . . . . .90
Yolanda Conyers, Dell Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .59
WWoommeenn ooff IInniittiiaattiivvee
Conte
nts
WWoommeenn ooff IInniittiiaattiivvee
The New Girls’ Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44Now 10 years old, the Business Women’s Networkopens doors for women and women-owned businesses throughout the U.S.
Inside and Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal makes diversity amajor initiative.
Networking Pays Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Developing valuable contacts at conferences composed of other businesswomen, such as theopportunity offered by Office Depot, Inc. inFebruary, can be well worth the time and investment.
Enrich, Enhance, Advance . . . . . . . . . . . .81Giant Food Inc. addresses the needs of women employees with a highly successful, four-tiered initiative.
People Behind the Culture Change . . . . .99Thanks to the talented women whose support bringsthem to life, Sodexho’s network groups provideemployees with first hand knowlege, invaluable forprofessional and personal growth.
Volume 5, Number 6 • November/December 2003
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 11
Winning the Conflict with Yourself . . . . . .96Audra BohannonNovations/J. Howard & AssociatesThe simple strategy that can help us see past the outside influences that keep us from getting ahead.
Coaching . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102Dr. Mary Stewart PellegriniHow to choose a confidential partner for improvingyour personal effectiveness.
The Grinch that Stole Our Cultural Diversity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Dr. George F. SimonsMany Americans don’t understand why much of theworld currently views their nation as the greatest threat to world peace. How would they understand,then, that it is seen as the greatest threat to diversityas well?
TThhee CChhaannggiinngg LLaannddssccaappee
LLeeggaall BBrriieeffiinnggssWomen and the Workforce . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108Holland & Knight LLPForty years after the enactment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act,sex harassment and discrimination remain major impediments toachieving a diverse and inclusive workplace.
Laurette KoellnerExecutive Vice PresidentChief People and Administrative OfficerThe Boeing Company
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
FromCHALLENGE to
Engaging and educatingevery employee isLaurette Koellner’sstrategy for maximizingcreativity and innovation.
page 12 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 13
Laurette Koellner has never shied
away from a challenge. During
her 25-year career in the
aerospace industry she has
applied personal qualities of
determination, curiosity, and diligence to
every position she’s held and every
business objective she has achieved.
As executive vice president and chief
People and Administration officer—and
the top female executive at the world’s
leading aerospace company—she travels
the globe promoting The Boeing
Company’s global strategy and
business objectives.
At every employee meeting Koellner hosts,
she takes the time to reiterate the
importance of Employee Involvement in
the workplace, the business case for
diversity, and the value of Lifelong
Learning.
“We must involve and develop
employees at all levels,” said Koellner.
“There is no question we have a ton of
untapped potential in our people. It’s
leadership’s job to create an atmosphere
where employees’ ideas can flow.”
Koellner believes strongly that diversity
among Boeing employees strengthens the
resources of the company and brings
value to the business. “Optimum
innovation will only happen when we
leverage the multiple perspectives, talent
and skills of our diverse workforce,”
said Koellner.
“Because our people are our greatest
resource, we need to encourage their
development, empower them to turn their
ideas into process improvements, and
provide them with the information they
need to do their jobs as efficiently
as possible.”
“Laurette’s leadership has focused her
teams on developing clear strategies and
metrics to achieve business results.
We’ve realized the benefit of her influence
as we’ve worked across our enterprise to
implement Boeing’s diversity and
compliance strategy,” said Joyce Tucker,
Boeing Vice President—Global Diversity,
Compliance and Policy Administration.
Koellner takes the philosophy of Lifelong
Learning beyond Boeing. As a mentor in
a Chicago-based program, New Leaders
for New Schools, she is supporting
Boeing’s K-12 education strategy—
and proving that Boeing’s community
investment is about much more than
just dollars.
Under Koellner’s direction, Boeing is
working across the enterprise to direct
support for elementary and secondary
education to teachers—and therefore all
of the students they subsequently teach
throughout their careers.
Throughout her life, Koellner has
learned to take a challenge and turn it
into opportunity.
Koellner grew up in Brooklyn, NY, where
her father was deputy chief of the New
York City Fire Department. Her father
and mother moved her family from
Brooklyn to Merritt Island, FL in the
middle of her senior year in high school.
Following graduation from high school in
Florida, Koellner began working at clerical
jobs while attending college in the
evenings. The experience proved to
Koellner that hard work pays off when
partnered with clear goals.
As a co-op night student at the
University of Central Florida’s Brevard
County campus, Koellner earned her
bachelor’s degree while working at
Patrick Air Force Base. Later, she earned a
Master of Business Administration at
Stetson University while working at
McDonnell Douglas.
Throughout her career Koellner sought
lateral assignments, often requiring moves
across the country, to gain experience in
different areas of the business. This
diversity of experience was key in her later
selection for a series of increasingly senior
leadership positions.
Koellner married her high school
sweetheart from Brooklyn, Victor. They
have a daughter, Stacey-Anne, who is a
senior in college.
For more information about diversity at Boeing,visit their website at www.boeing.com or contactBeverly Pizzano, Director of Global Diversity, [email protected].
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
O P P O R T U N I T Y
“It’s leadership’sjob to create an
atmosphere whereemployees’ ideas
can flow.”
PDJ
page 14 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Ask businesswoman Linda Gooden
what she’s proudest of professionally,
and she states—without a moment’s
hesitation—that the company she
manages has had a positive impact
on people across America.
She doesn’t mention that she is the first
and only minority woman to serve as
president of an operating company within
Lockheed Martin, a Fortune 100
corporation that’s the largest information
technology provider to the federal
government. Or that the company over
which she presides—Lockheed Martin
Information Technology—has recorded
25 percent annual growth for the past five
years, today employing more than
7,000 people in 24 states. Or that she’s
won several national awards for her
leadership and contributions to the
business world, including the 2002
Corporate Leadership Award byWomen in
Technology and the 2002 Federal 100
“Eagle” Award by Federal Computer Week
for providing the year’s greatest
contributions to the federal information-
technology community.
To Gooden, her biggest success is that
the company she leads is helping make
a difference.
“Our company slogan is ‘Helping Make
America a Better Place to Live,’ and it’s
important to all of us to know that we’re
providing IT services that enable our
customers to address important social
issues,” she says.
Satisfying customers and shareholders is a
top business priority, and Gooden’s
organization achieves that goal by
focusing on the needs of the end-users—
the people who benefit from the
customer services. To name just a few of
many, Lockheed Martin Information
Technology provides advanced IT systems
and services that enable:
• The Social Security Administration to
accurately and promptly process Social
Security benefits for 50 million
Americans each month;
• The Federal Bureau of Investigation to
operate and maintain its Automated
Fingerprint Identification System,
which records 14.3 million fingerprints
each year and reduces the time it takes
law enforcement agencies to identify
criminals; and
• The Office of Child Support
Enforcement to identify delinquent
child-support payments, which has
resulted in identifying more than
$21 billion owed to children whose
divorced parents have reneged on their
financial responsibility.
“We work on some very important
projects that really affect people’s lives,”
Gooden says. “These projects have a big
impact on a lot of people. It’s good to
P O S I T I V E I M P A C T
President of Lockheed Martin InformationTechnology Linda Gooden grew up believing she
could accomplish whatever she focused on.Now she spurs an entire organization to believe
the same.
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 15
know we’re playing a role in improving
the quality of life in America.”
Lifelong Lessons at anEarly AgeGooden grew up the only girl in a family
with four brothers, a devoted mother with
high expectations, and a truck-driver
father who insisted that his children
receive a good education. Her oldest
brother, 11 years her senior, was a
powerful role model—the first in her
family to go to college and always vocal
about the fact that he and his siblings had
the talent to do anything they set their
minds to. One summer when he worked
at a local park, he woke Gooden and her
younger brother early every day to play on
sports teams there. Whatever the sport,
the winning team always got ice cream.
“Those early days at the park taught me a
lot about winning and losing as a team
and about the value of having a good
team that works well together,”
Gooden says.
Her brother’s influence continued as the
siblings matured. He went on to earn a
Ph.D., and he always set an example that
education had value.
“My brother never let me use my gender
or race as an excuse,” says Gooden, whose
family is African-American. “That was an
important value he learned, we all learned,
from my mother. She instilled in all five of
us the belief that we could achieve
whatever we focused on.”
Growing up as the only girl among four
brothers has served Gooden well in
business. For one, she grew up considering
herself one of her brothers’ peers—not
as someone who was different because
she was female. For another, that
experience has enabled her to move
comfortably in predominantly male
corporate executive circles.
Applying LessonsLearned for the Goodof the CommunityGooden sees in each
employee the inherent
talent and value that her
family and mentors along
the way have seen in her.
She looks at a person not in
terms of gender or race, but
with a deep respect for the
person’s value to the team.
And today, there’s far more
at stake than a bowl of
ice cream.
Lockheed Martin
Information Technology, a
$1 billion business, supplies
IT systems and solutions to
a wide range of customers,
including the U.S.
departments of Health and
Human Services; Energy;
Justice; Commerce;
Transportation; and
Defense, including three
branches of the Armed
Services. Customers also include the Social
Security Administration, General
Accounting Office, Environmental
Protection Agency, National Aeronautics
and Space Administration, and numerous
large commercial clients.
The company, which was formed in 1997
with Gooden at the helm, grew from a
pilot program she designed in 1994 to
modernize Social Security systems. The
company continues to provide cutting-
edge solutions in the IT marketplace.
“You really can be entrepreneurial within
a large corporation,” she says of
Information Technology, an operating
company within the larger Lockheed
Martin Corporation, which employs more
than 125,000 people around the world.
“We care about our community, about the
future, about our customers and about
our shareholders, and we have a good
balance of concern for all of those entities.
We try new and different things that are
smart business decisions and benefit the
lives of real people.”
Working to Improve theLives of OthersActing on its concern for the
community, Lockheed Martin
Information Technology—which is
headquartered in Seabrook, MD, and has
locations in 24 states—partners with
local public schools and colleges to
improve education.
The company established a math and
science academy in a Maryland high
“You really can beentrepreneurialwithin a largecorporation.”
Linda GoodenPresident
Lockheed MartinInformation Technology
Lockheed Martin Corporation
“You really can beentrepreneurialwithin a largecorporation.”
Linda GoodenPresident
Lockheed MartinInformation Technology
Lockheed Martin Corporation
continued page 32
page 16 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
F ord Motor
Company’s
Anne Stevens
says she owes
much of her
success to a
willingness to take
risks—in and out of
the office.
One of her most
recent: piloting an
F-16 fighter jet as part
of her role on the
Lockheed Martin
Board of Directors.
Under the guidance of
professional fighter pilots, she reached a
mind-bending speed of 9 Gs—faster than
any non-pilot had traveled in the jets for
at least seven years.
Among the stunned
pilots at Lockheed
Martin, the feat has
earned her a new
nickname: “Gravity monger.”
It was just another first for Stevens,
54, who recently was named Ford Motor
Company’s first female group vice
president. In her new position, she has
responsibilities for all Ford automotive
operations in the major Canadian,
Mexican and South American markets.
It’s a weighty job, especially during a time
when great pressure is on the domestic
auto industry. Stevens says she’s looking
forward to the challenge.
“My father believed in taking risks … that
if you aren’t going for the stretch of your
abilities, you will never maximize your
opportunity to learn,” she said. “He
taught me that the biggest sin we could
commit in life was to not fully develop
and use all of the talent and potential
that we were born with. Knowledge is
power, but only in using it will you ever
have true power in life.”
Stevens, who was born in Reading, PA,
always was a tinkerer. After briefly
considering a career in medicine, she
earned a degree in engineering from
Drexel University and held a series of
management jobs at several Fortune 500
companies before joining Ford in 1988.
Stevens firmly believes in the power of
diversity to strengthen corporations and
enrich lives. Again, it was a lesson learned
at her father’s knee.
“This early awareness of the strength in
diversity was one of the many valuable
lessons that I have carried with me in
nearly every facet of my life,” she said.
“My dad taught me to never equate
knowledge or intelligence with position.
Some of the smartest people are often on
the front line.
“I’ll know I’ve reached my pinnacle as a
business leader when I’ve created an
inspired, high performing, aligned team
that not only performs well, individually
and together, but also has with it a sense
of camaraderie and mutual caring.”
Prior to assuming her new role, Stevens
had been the Company’s vice president,
North America Vehicle Operations, since
August 1, 2001. In that capacity, she was
FORD’S FIRST FEMALE GROUPVICE PRESIDENT, ANNE STEVENS,KNOWS THAT IF YOU AREN’T GOINGFOR THE STRETCH, YOU’LL NEVER
REACH THE SKY.
Just Another
FIRST
continued page 26
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
Appointed by President George
Bush, Gale A. Norton is the first
woman Secretary of the Interior
in the Department’s 154-year history.
Interior manages one out of every five
acres of land in the United States and has
eight bureaus with myriad responsibilities,
ranging from scientific research, to
energy production, to endangered species
protection. The Department is also the
repository of much of the Nation’s history,
reflecting the many cultures that formed
today’s America.
For instance, the National Park Service
chronicles Black history through the
underground railroad that represented the
routes to freedom taken by fugitive slaves
before and during the Civil War. The
Tuskegee Institute in Alabama is a
National Historic Site and is also the
school that produced the Tuskegee airmen
of World War II fame. There are sites
throughout the nation on public lands
that celebrate our Hispanic heritage from
the Cabrillo National Monument in
California to the San Antonio Missions in
Texas and Fort Augustine in Florida.
Interior is also responsible for America’s
four overseas Territories and works
daily with 562 federally recognized
Indian Tribes through its Bureau of
Indian Affairs.
It is this cumulative diversity of
responsibility, work and mission that
compels the Department to maintain a
diverse workforce.
“A diverse workforce is essential to
providing services to the culturally and
linguistically varied populations that visit
and work with the Department’s facilities
and lands,” says Norton.
Presidential appointments to the
Department reflect its diversity, as well.
Of Norton’s five Assistant Secretaries,
two are women and three are ethnic
minorities: Lynn Scarlett, Assistant
Secretary for Policy Management and
Budget; Rebecca Watson, Assistant
Secretary for Land and Minerals
Management; Bennett Raley, Native
American, Assistant
Secretary for Water
and Science; Craig
Manson, African
American, Assistant
Secretary for
Fish and Wildlife
and Parks; and
Dave Anderson, Native
American, for Assistant
Secretary for Indian Affairs.
Secretary Norton has been responsible for
a number of “firsts” at the Department.
She appointed the first-ever women
Directors of the National Park Service and
the Bureau of Land Management. In
addition she named the first-ever woman
Chief of the National Park Police.
The Department has ranked number one
among federal agencies over the past three
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 19
Photo byTami A. HeilemannDepartment of the Interior
Steward ofAmerica’s
Heritage andResources
The first woman Secretary of the Interiorin U.S. history finds diversity
central to her responsibilities, her workand her mission.
Secretary Gale NortonU.S. Department of the Interior
continued page 38
page 20 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Inrealitywearenotaddingaprogram;weareleadinga
culturalchange,”saysPernilleLopez,president,IKEANorthAmerica,
speakingfranklyaboutthefurniture
retailer’scomprehensivediversityinitiatives.Sincetakingovertheroleof
presidentin2001,Lopezhasmade
diversityapriorityandhassucceededinputtingitonthe
company’sglobalagenda.
Looking toward further integration of the innovative diversity
strategies that have come under her leadership, she adds,
“Awareness has to become an integral part of the way we do
business, how we think, plan and act. This requires the
commitment to tackle the long-term task of meeting and
overcoming the many road-blocks that will be faced. People must
be engaged, thinking must be challenged and action must be
taken. The responsibility cannot lie with an individual specialist or
a department; at IKEA we have made the success of our efforts
part of everyone’s responsibility, regardless of their level or
function within the company.”
With a 10-year, 50-store expansion for North America under way,
Lopez sees diversity as key to success. Elaborating on the business
case for diversity, she says, “This drives our ambition that our
co-worker (IKEA employee) populations in all our stores represent
the diversity of the communities they serve,” she says. “To bring
the value of the many dimensions of diversity to our organization,
IKEA actively encourages and sponsors co-workers’ cross-border
and cross-function mobility. This benefits our business directly
through the exchange of ideas and experiences as well as the
working relationships and networks that are created.”
All new stores opening under the expansion include a quiet room
for co-workers to visit on their breaks. They might use the room to
meditate, pray or just relax, explains Sari Brody, leadership and
diversity manager for IKEA North America. The store managers
are also charged with creating their own strategies to maximize the
value of differences. “Our philosophy is that a diverse workforce
will improve business results, strengthen our competitiveness, and
make IKEA a better place for which to work,” says Brody.
Some stores have opted to celebrate a co-worker’s culture each
month. The presenter usually brings in food and music and gives a
brief talk on his or her culture. Employees are also interviewed
about their cultural heritage and profiles are placed on the
company Intranet.
Lopez offers an analogy to illustrate the endless potential of
valuing differences: “I have this tiny kaleidoscope which serves as a
daily reminder of how important both diversity and change are to
IKEA. The colors refracted inside the kaleidoscope are always
mixing and changing into new and interesting patterns. I think
IKEA is much like a cultural kaleidoscope in its ever-growing
diversity—and I think that’s a very strong asset. If we can embrace
the diversity of viewpoints that we are lucky enough to have, then
I think that we can be ‘kaleidoscopic’ in our ability to always be
“If we can embrace thediversity of viewpoints that we
are lucky enough to have,then I think that we can be‘kaleidoscopic’ in our ability
to always be changinginto something
more and more interesting.”Pernille LopezPresidentIKEA North America
“
“If we can embrace thediversity of viewpoints that we
are lucky enough to have,then I think that we can be‘kaleidoscopic’ in our ability
to always be changinginto something
more and more interesting.”
In The
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 21
changing into something more and
more interesting.”
Having held responsibilities from sales to
retail to human resources, Lopez brings a
wealth of experience to her role as
president. One of her greatest assets is her
humanistic approach and key ambition
to foster an environment of growth,
inclusion, and empowerment, where
co-workers are provided with the tools and
partnerships to successfully manage and
balance both their career and personal lives.
She believes in leading by example. Her
personal philosophy for work-life balance,
which IKEA also champions, is “Take care
of your personal life and your work will
follow.”How else could she maintain a
fulfilling personal life as a wife and mother
of two—who finds time and energy to
do yoga every morning at 6:30 a.m.,
feed the children breakfast and then get
them ready for school—and still run a
$1.3 billion company?
Recent results of Lopez taking IKEA’s
already progressive work-life balance
policies a step further include job sharing.
By permitting two part-time co-workers
to work flexible schedules to fill one full-
time opening, IKEA reduced turnover to
56 percent from 76 percent in 2001. Lopez
also extended full benefits to co-workers
who work at least 20 hours a week.
Such generous health benefits are virtually
unheard of in the retail industry. But IKEA
culture is all about being different and
challenging the status quo. Co-workers at
all levels are encouraged to ask “why” and
constantly strive to make things better.
That’s how Lopez received her promotion
to head human resources in 1997.
She attended a women’s leadership
conference in New York City and saw IKEA
was lacking in programs to support women
in the workplace. She returned suggesting
to IKEA’s then-president, Jan Kjellman, that
IKEA “do something.” A month later, he
offered her the new job. One of her first
initiatives was to create the work-life
balance task force in 1999 and help develop
a diversity campaign. Today, she has created
a mentorship program and has mentored a
single mother who works in IKEA’s
Baltimore call center. Going into the
program, Lopez says she knew from
personal experience how beneficial a
mentor can be, but what she didn’t
anticipate was how much she would gain
from her contribution.
She learned it was sometimes a challenge to
resist the urge to jump in and “fix
everything.”“The most important thing to
know is that both people learn from the
experience,” she says. “At IKEA we want the
mentee to direct the goals and the process;
they must work at the pace that’s right for
them, when they are ready.”
The mentoring program, “Partners for
Growth,” has four main goals: To develop
leaders, support career development,
develop diversity in the organization and
strengthen the IKEA culture. Since it was
instituted in 2001, about 40 managers have
participated annually. The initiative goes
hand-in-hand with Lopez’s ambitious plan
to promote from within at a rate of
90 percent and IKEA’s goal to
become the best retailer for
which to work.
“We are actively campaigning
to attract people who can be
part of our success,” she says. “The strength
of this effort is in not only offering
competitive compensation, excellent
benefits and learning and growth
possibilities, but also in grounding the way
of working in the culture and values that
are at the core of our company.”
While Lopez is active in the Swedish
American Chamber of Commerce and her
local church committee, much of her work
around the community is directed through
her work and the influence IKEA has in the
areas in which the company serves.
“Community involvement is important
because it builds respect and trust for a
company within the areas it serves,” she
says. “But it is also important to have
priorities and focus. IKEA, for example, has
chosen children and the environment and
works with partners such as UNICEF and
Save the Children on global, national and
local levels.”
IKEA has strict policies against child labor,
which suppliers and sub-suppliers are
required to follow. The company is also
working with UNICEF in India on school
projects in 500 villages close to the
production sites of the suppliers. On the
environment, IKEA aims to build
long-term relationships with suppliers that
share the company’s commitment to
promote good practices and who want to
grow and develop together with IKEA.
Suppliers are obligated to continuously
strive toward minimizing the
environmental impact of their operations.
Please visit http://jobsat.ikea-usa.com/us/privacy_statement.asp for information on careeropportunities with IKEA. Additional informationon IKEA’s social and environmental responsibilityprograms can be found at at www.ikea.com.
KaleidoscopeWife, mother, and leader of a1.3 billion dollar company,
IKEA’s Pernille Lopez pushes totake work-life balance policies
a step further.
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
PDJ
As a mother of three children, two of them daughters,
Bostrom’s eyes light up when she talks about getting
more young women to enter the technology field.
“Technology and engineering are still male dominated
professions,” says Bostrom. “Women are more than
50 percent of the global population but underrepresented in the
technology industry at large. We need more women to enter these
fields and it starts with our daughters and nieces.”
Bostrom is Senior Vice President of the Internet Business
Solutions Group (IBSG) and Worldwide Government Affairs
at Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader of networking for the
Internet. Bostrom draws upon best practices from Cisco
and other industry leaders to help companies and
governments develop their own Internet business
strategies and solutions. Cisco’s implementation of Internet
business solutions has enabled the company to scale to
unprecedented growth and levels of customer satisfaction
and Bostrom enjoys sharing that knowledge with business
and government leaders around the world.
Bostrom is also executive sponsor of the Women’s
Initiative at Cisco. As executive sponsor, Bostrom
speaks at company and industry events about
diversity and the importance of women to the
technology field. Bostrom firmly believes that
diversity in the workforce brings diversity of
thought which increases a business’ competitive
advantage. She believes that diversity is a
business imperative and is critical—to
attract the best employees, gain diverse ideas
for decision making, and create a work-
force that mirrors a company’s cus-
tomers and the world at large.
Bostrom has been
involved with Cisco’s
Women’s Initiative
since its inception in 2001.
A small group of women formed the first network at Cisco’s
Wind in
SUSAN L. BOSTROMSenior Vice PresidentInternet Business Solutions Groupand Worldwide Government AffairsCisco Systems, Inc.
page 22 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 23
San Jose, CA headquarters and Bostrom
stepped up to be the executive sponsor.
The group formed the network to increase
Cisco’s competitive advantage by
capitalizing on the talents and skills of its
women employees. The launch of this
network generated momentum across
Cisco, resulting in the formation of many
women’s networks and eventually a
broader effort—the “Women’s Initiative.”
The focused effort continues to develop a
pipeline and increase the representation of
women at the company. Today, there are
16 women’s networks at Cisco throughout
the U.S., Asia and Europe. In addition,
functional networks for women in
technology/engineering and sales have
been created.
“The participation of senior leaders across
the company has been critical to the
success of Cisco’s Women’s Initiative,”
says Bostrom. “Many of my peers have
volunteered to sponsor new networks,
giving more women the opportunity to
network with other women, develop their
careers at Cisco, and increase their
visibility at the company.”
Bostrom is pleased that Cisco has received
recognition for its Women’s Initiative
and is increasingly asked to share best
practices with other companies within
and outside of the technology industry.
Cisco has been named one of the “100
Best Companies for Working Mothers” by
Working Mother for three years in a row.
It was also recognized by Fortune
magazine, the National Association for
Female Executives, and the Professional
Businesswomen of California for being
one of the best places for women to work.
One best practice that Cisco is often asked
about is its annual Women’s Leadership
Conference. The conference is a forum
for leaders at the company to take a hard
look at the progress that has been made
over the past year and the obstacles that
need to be overcome related to the
development of women at the company.
Bostrom delivers the keynote at this
annual event and serves as an advisor
on the overall direction and agenda for
the conference.
Cisco also has been recognized for its
efforts around developing a pipeline for
women in technology. Cisco recently
produced a video entitled “I Am An
Engineer.” The video profiles four women
engineers at Cisco who defy stereotypes
and talk about what they like about being
engineers. The video was created for 12-17
year old girls as a tool to start the
conversation about careers in technology
and has been shown at conferences,
in schools as part of Cisco Networking
Academy classes, and with Cisco
customers and partners. Cisco is also
developing workshops and programs
to encourage more girls and women
around the world to enter the
technology profession.
Despite all of the achievements to date,
Bostrom is a realist when it comes to
Cisco’s Women’s Initiative. “We have a lot
of work to do, a lot of progress to make,
and much to look forward to.” In the
meantime, she’s keeping her fingers
crossed that at least one of her daughters
will pursue an engineering degree.
For more information on the Women’sInitiative at Cisco Systems, Inc.,contact Karen Bohanon, Managerof the Worldwide Diversity Group,at [email protected].
Their W I N G S
“Women are more
than 50 percent of
the global population
but underrepresented
in the technology
industry at large.
We need more women
to enter these fields
and it starts with our
daughters and nieces.”
Cisco’s Susan Bostrom works to inspire our next generation of women in technology
PDJ
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
page 24 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
For Ann Thornburg, diversity—and plurality—of
perspectives and role models are principles to live by.
Ann is an audit partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers,
member of PwC’s U.S. Board of Partners and Principals, and
leader of PwC’s CIPS (Consumer-Industrial-Products-Services)
industry for Boston.
“The power of multiple inputs is incredible,” she says. “There is no
‘one size fits all’ role model for women. There are many different
models, diverse styles and perspectives to gain from others,” she
says. “Women need to reach out to a broad network of mentors
and role models to develop a catalog of wisdom,” she continues.
“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket, or be too reliant on one
person when you can grow and learn from the styles and input of
different people.” She cites one mentor who once gave her
advice that was hard to swallow. “He was tough and harsh, but
he gave me real words of wisdom that I have never forgotten,”
she admits. “It helped me face up to some things I had to change,”
she explains.
In her more than 25 years of experience providing services to
healthcare and non-profit organizations, Thornburg has marked
several “firsts” in her career. She was the first woman in the
Boston office to be admitted to the partnership. In recognition of
her ability to engender trust and respect among her partners, she
was appointed PwC’s CIPS leader in Boston when there were no
other women on the firm’s Boston leadership team.
Thornburg is also the first and only woman elected to PwC’s U.S.
Board of Partners and Principals. She was elected in 2001 for a
four-year term by the partnership in part due to her reputation for
being outspoken. “One trait valued highly on our Board is the
ability to speak out and challenge things when needed. I stand up
for what I believe should be done without concern for the personal
implications, sometimes to a fault,” she states.
When Thornburg was elected to the Board, she too sought advice
from several former Board members. She learned from them that
there is “a delicate balance in managing Board relationships. You
want to be a trusted advisor and not just an outspoken
critic. It’s important to be supportive of management while
watchful of potential issues,” she explains.
Thornburg also recognizes the role women serve especially well.
“Women can be very effective in business.Women are so good at
reading non-verbal signals and listening to what is said and what’s
not said,” she says. “Women have other unique skills that are very
effective when we capitalize on them.”
As evidence of PwC’s serious commitment to women, Thornburg
serves as chair of the Partner Admissions Committee on PwC’s
Board. “It’s a symbol that women are important and it ensures
fairness in the process. But the best part has been to see my male
partners support diversity as much as I do,” she states.
BALANCEDelicate
Mentor, champion, critic—PwC’s Ann Thornburg ongetting, and giving, the support we need to excel.
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
continued page 26
page 26 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
One of the keys to Thornburg’s success, she emphasizes, is having a
very supportive spouse and support system. Her husband is a
critic, an advisor and a mentor. Now a retired university dean and
minister, he has four children from a previous marriage, bestowing
her with eight wonderful stepgrandchildren.
To succeed in both personal and professional goals, Thornburg
asserts, women “must be explicit about their goals, whether they’re
married or not, or have children. To achieve balance, it’s critical to
have buy-in from those around you. Women have more options,
and with options come choices—and it is not always easy to
balance. Women need a plan and an intentional focus to make it
all work,” she adds.
Over the past 10 years, Thornburg has also learned to enjoy golf as
a “comfortable way to integrate business with fun. It’s a great
equalizer,” she says. She recently sponsored a skills-building golf
day at her country club for PwC Boston women partners and
managers. “It’s important for women to get over the first hurdle,
and a great way to do it is with other women,” Thornburg advises.
Among all her community involvement, she serves as a member
and former chair of the Board of Directors of Goddard House, a
nursing and assisted living facility. “Women can do a great job
networking through community activities. It’s a good place to
expand your horizons and develop skills, and do something
worthwhile and beneficial for yourself and others,” she concludes.
PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focusedassurance, tax and advisory services for public and private clients. More than120,000 people in 139 countries connect their thinking, experience andsolutions to build public trust and enhance value for clients and theirstakeholders. For more information about diversity atPricewaterhouseCoopers, contact Leslie Azia, PricewaterhouseCoopers,Center for an Inclusive Workplace, at [email protected].
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
“Women can be very effective in
business.Women are
so good at reading
non-verbal signals and
listening to what is said
and what’s not said.”
Ann ThornburgAudit Partner, U.S. Board of Partners and Principals,
and Leader of the Consumer-Industrial-Products-Services Industry, Boston
PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
delicate balance Continued from page 24
Ann Thornburg, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
just another firstContinued from page 16
Anne Stevens, Ford Motor Company
responsible for overseeing the operations
of twenty-one assembly plants and eight
stamping and tool and die plants in
Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Previously, she was vice president, North
America Assembly Operations. In
addition to the Lockheed Martin Board
of Directors, she serves on the board of
the UAW Family Service & Learning
Center, the board of trustees at Drexel
University and on an advisory board for
a graduate business program at
Northwestern University.
In 2000, she received the prestigious
Shingo Leadership Award and later was
appointed to the Shingo Prize Board of
Governors. In 2001, she received an
Outstanding Business Leader award from
Northwood University. In 2003 she
received the Eli Whitney Award from the
Society of Manufacturing Engineers.
Stevens was named to Fortune
magazine’s 2001 and 2002 list of “50 Most
Powerful Women in Business,” Crain’s
magazine’s “Most Influential Women,” and
“Michigan’s 95 Most Powerful Women” by
Corp! magazine.
For information about Ford’s diversityinitiatives, contact Rosalind Cox, Manager,Diversity and Worklife Planning, by phone at313.248.7505 or by e-mail at [email protected].
“I’ll know I’ve reachedmy pinnacle as a businessleader when I’ve created aninspired, high performing,
aligned team thatnot only performs well,
individually and together,but also has with it a
sense of camaraderie andmutual caring.”
Anne StevensGroup Vice President, Canada,
Mexico and South AmericaFord Motor Company
PDJ
PDJ
Diane H. Gulyas has always been fascinated by
“how things work.” Group vice president of the
DuPont Electronic & Communication
Technologies platform—comprising Display Technologies,
Electronic Technologies, Fluoroproducts and Imaging
Technologies—she says her natural curiosity found a
home at the true growth environment of DuPont.
Gulyas joined DuPont in 1978, a chemical
engineering major recruited from the University
of Notre Dame.
“I went to Notre Dame in the second year that
women freshman were admitted,” says Gulyas, “so
the student body was 5000 men to 500 women.
Needless to say, I had no problem moving into a
male-dominated field from there.
“DuPont was attractive to me because they
offered me a flexible career path. My recruiter
said that I should come as an engineer and see
where my interests and talents take me. He spoke
the truth—DuPont provides great development
opportunities and does not pigeon-hole
people based on their education.”
Gulyas spent her first ten years in a variety of sales,
marketing, technical and systems development positions,
primarily in the DuPont Polymers business. The next four
years, she was in Europe as European business manager,
based in Geneva, for Engineering Polymers, and plant
superintendent at the Mechelen, Belgium site. She served
as executive assistant to the Chairman of the Board,
E.S.Woolard, in 1993-1994.
“I learned a lot during my time with EdWoolard, Dupont’s
CEO,” says Gulyas. “I worked by his side day to day for
18 months and I considered it my ‘on-the-job MBA.’
I attended DuPont board meetings and senior leadership
meetings. I saw how the company made decisions and
allocated resources, but most importantly, I developed a
personal network that included the top 50 people at
DuPont, an asset that I continue to use today.”
Gulyas has held two positions as global business
director—Nylon Fibers New Business
Development and Global Zytel® Engineering
Polymers. Before being appointed group vice
president in February 2002, she held the vice
president and general manager position of the
DuPont Advanced Fibers Businesses—Kevlar®,
Nomex®, and Teflon® fibers, at the Spruance
Plant in Richmond, VA.
Active in her community, Gulyas is a former
Board Member of the United Way of Richmond
and DuPont’s 2004 Chairperson for United Way.
She was a member of the Executive Committee of
the Virginia Business Council. She currently serves
on the Strategic Direction and Advocacy
committees of the Delaware Nature Society.
“I think that participating in the community is very
important,” says Gulyas. “It is part of what keeps us
balanced. At the highest levels in corporate America, it
is a challenge to find balance for women—and men as
well—as the demands on our time are great. You just
have to have discipline to carve out time for the things
that you value ... for me, it might be playing golf with my
husband, taking the dog for a long walk in the park, or
spending time with my sisters.”
Abounding
DIANE H. GULYASGroup Vice PresidentDuPont Electronic &Communication Technologies
Predominantly male-oriented, the sciencessay DuPont Group Vice Presidents
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
page 28 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 29
Group vice president of DuPont Safety & Protection,
Ellen J. Kullman leads a $4.0 B business enterprise
that is one of the five growth platforms of the
DuPont Company: DuPont Advanced Fiber Systems, DuPont
Chemical Solutions Enterprise, DuPont Nonwovens,
DuPont Safety Resources and DuPont Surfaces. Under
her direction, DuPont Safety & Protection is
focused on becoming the global market leader in
providing solutions for people, property and
operations in the area of safety, security
and protection.
Kullman began her career at DuPont in 1988 as
marketing manager in the medical imaging
business. Following two years as business director
for the x-ray film business, she moved to Printing
& Publishing as global business director, electronic
imaging. In 1994, she joinedWhite Pigment &
Mineral Products as global business director and
was named vice president and general manager in
1995. She assumed leadership of two high growth
businesses, DuPont Safety Resources (1998) and
Bio-Based Materials (1999). Ellen was named group
vice president and general manager in 2000 with the
addition of Corporate New Business Development and
Intellectual Assets Licensing. She later assumed
responsibility for DuPont Flooring Systems and
DuPont Surfaces in 2001. She was named to her
current position in February 2002.
Before joining DuPont, Ellen worked for
General Electric in various business development and
marketing positions.
“While at GE I worked on the Vice Chairman’s staff,” says
Kullman. “There were only three of us, so I was deeply
involved in how the company worked and made decisions.
I had a wonderful mentor in the staff Vice President
who really challenged me to think more broadly on
business opportunity. I grew tremendously during this
job—it established many of my beliefs and principles
on Business development and resource allocation.
“Often I see women who are not happy in
their role yet wait for someone/something else
to change it. We are responsible for our own
development and our satisfaction with our
careers,” says Kullman. “The roles I have
excelled in are the ones that I have loved.
And to find that ‘match’ is key.
“Both Diane and I are believers that we
need to do everything we can to help
women succeed in the company,” she says.
“I mentor several individuals, and when I
travel to DuPont offices—especially those
outside the U.S., where the networks are
not as well developed as ours—I often get
the women together to discuss what is
going on and to exchange ideas.”
Kullman received a Bachelor of Science degree in
Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University and
MBA from Northwestern University. She serves on
the Boards of the Delaware Symphony, the Board of
Overseers for Tufts University School of Engineering
and as a trustee of Christiana Care Corporation. She
and her husband, Michael, live in Greenville, DE, with
their daughter and twin sons.
“I really don’t believe there is such a thing as balance with
these jobs,” says Kullman. “I say ‘jobs’ because my position
at DuPont is a 24/7 job and my family is a 24/7 job.
Somewhere in there I figure out how to get the important
stuff done. There are school functions/sporting events
during the day and travel meetings at night or on
weekends. I love what I do and I love my family.
And if you really love it then it will work out!”
Opportunitiespresent abounding opportunities for women,Ellen Kullman and Diane Gulyas
PDJ
ELLEN J. KULLMANGroup Vice President
DuPont Safety & Protection
GGloria Bohan founded
Omega World Travel in 1972.
Her first office, located in
Fredericksburg, VA, started
with one employee and some ideas about
business that were fairly radical at the
time. While the competition stayed behind
their desks, Bohan went door to door with
Omega brochures, and personally
delivered tickets. She kept her offices
open late, while the competition closed
at 5:00 p.m. By the late seventies, not only
was Omega a full-fledged competitor,
Bohan had positioned it to be a
trend-setter.
Omega was an early user of computer
reservation systems and a pioneer in
24-hour emergency service. In 1982,
Omega was one of the first companies to
competitively bid on official government
business under a test program by the
federal government. These travel
management contracts opened the door
to Omega becoming one of the largest
government contractors in the country.
By the mid-eighties, Omega had become
one of the largest agencies in the greater
Washington area by pioneering the
concepts of on-site locations, business
travel management, and servicing official
government travel.
Over the last decade, Bohan, a hands-on
owner, has continually diversified Omega,
which now services every major area of
corporate, leisure and government travel.
Omega provides full service, on-site
corporate and on-site government offices
with more than 200 locations worldwide,
including fulfillment centers, overseas
offices, and Internet services, with 1,100
employees and revenues in excess of
$1 billion. And as if conquering this world
of travel wasn’t enough, Bohan seeks to
open new ones. She is a co-founder of
Space Adventures, a company promoting
private space tourism.
“The core strength of our company
emanates from the professionals who
drive the service,” says Bohan, a hands-on
owner who travels regularly to meet with
her offices around the world. “My goal is
to make every employee think like a
salesperson and have them offer the client
the best deal and be totally responsive to
their needs.
“We advise, communicate and relate to
the customer. We benchmark needs and
bring our own creative resources and
partners together to attain the highest
service levels. Our diverse domestic
employee base has enhanced the
company’s ability to service customers
“We see NO limits …”Gloria BohanPresident and CEOOmega World Travel
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
page 30 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
MMIISSSSIIOONNPPOOSSSSIIBBLLEE
MMIISSSSIIOONNPPOOSSSSIIBBLLEE
page 32 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
around the world. We provide an
environment for our employees to grow
and prove what they can achieve.
“We believe that through training,
incentives and an entrepreneurial
approach, leaders are born.
“Omega is a proven leader in the travel
business. We see no limits. We bring to
the table 31 years of experience and
innovation, and an infrastructure that
offers choices and customization.
Through our advances in technology, our
growth and leadership position in the
travel industry will continue.”
Omega is certified as a woman-owned
business by the Women’s Business
Enterprise National Council (WBENC).
In 2002, Omega World Travel was
honored as Top Diversity-Owned
Business in the U.S. by small business
portal Div2000.com. Omega’s employee
base is 86% woman and minority.
Bohan received the Entrepreneurial
Visionary Award in 2003 from the
Women’s Business Center in recognition
of outstanding women of extraordinary
accomplishments. Earlier this year, she
was awarded an Honorary Doctorate
from Marymount Manhattan College for
“her vision of service to the public,
her skills in organizing a successful
enterprise, her commitment to the
advancement of women, and fidelity
to the values and ideals of liberal
education.” She has also received
Entrepreneur of the Year Award from
the Business Women’s Network and
the National Foundation for
Women Legislators.
Bohan is a member of The National
Association of Women’s Business
Owners, Women Presidents’
Organization and The American Society
of Travel Agents. She is active in a
number of civic groups including the
Race for the Cure, Suited for Change,
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society,
Girl Scouts of America and the
Salvation Army.
For more information about Omega World
Travel, contact Suzanne O’Donnell at
“My goal is to make every employee
think like a salesperson and have them offer
the client the best deal and be totally responsive to their needs.”
mission possibleContinued from page 30
Gloria Bohan, Omega World Travel
positive impact Continued from page 15
Linda Gooden, Lockheed Martin
school, where it provides computers and
its employees mentor students. With
support from the corporation, Gooden’s
operating company also created a
scholarship program for underserved
high school students who want to attend
college. And the company supports a
number of community colleges and
universities with programs that engage
minority and female students in the
areas of math, science and engineering.
Personally, Gooden also devotes time
and energy to enhancing educational
opportunities for underserved students.
She is on the Board of Trustees of The
Keystone Center; the Board of Visitors of
the A. James Clark School of
Engineering, University of Maryland;
the Board of Visitors of University of
Maryland, Baltimore County; the Board
of Directors of the Prince George’s
Community College Foundation; and the
Board of Directors for the National
Capital Area Council of the Boy Scouts
of America.
“My emphasis in those volunteer
activities is to help develop projects and
programs that encourage diverse
students to participate and to provide
visible role models for these students to
emulate,” says Gooden, who received a
bachelor’s degree in computer
technology from Youngstown State
University and completed post-
baccalaureate studies at San Diego
State University.
“The nation has created an underclass
that really doesn’t have access to
education, to computers, to the
Worldwide Web,” she says. “In the next
10 to 20 years, there will be a real deficit
of employees in science and engineering
if we don’t invest time and energy
encouraging talented young people from
all walks of life to pursue careers in math
and science. It’s our duty to provide
opportunities to children who might not
have them otherwise.”
For information about diversity at LockheedMartin contact Dave Waller, DirectorCorporate [email protected].
PDJ
PDJ
page 34 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
The U.S. Supreme Court’s
recent University of
Michigan decisions, which
upheld the principles of
diversity, were great news.
The Court clearly recognized that diverse
universities are critical to making the
“American Dream” a reality.
And the decisions were great news for
corporate America. No
company will
succeed if the
people at the
top—and in the
talent pipeline—
do not represent the incredible diversity of
the marketplace. That’s why smart
companies energetically foster a corporate
culture that embraces diversity and
encourages inclusion. They have strategies
for recruiting, developing and retaining
talented women and minorities. And they
have mentoring programs to help women
and minorities develop a wide variety
of skills and connect with powerful
internal networks.
In short, smart companies manage
diversity just as they do other important
business issues.
At AT&T, we define diversity broadly. It’s
not just about gender or race. It’s about
all of the dimensions of diversity and the
richness they bring to our workforce and
our world.
AT&T values diversity because it’s the
right thing to do for our employees and
it’s the right thing to do for our business.
Diversity sparks creativity and
innovation, which are keys to
survival, let alone success, in
today’s global marketplace.
Diversity broadens our
perspective as a company.
And it helps win the trust of
customers, stakeholders and
suppliers of all backgrounds.
We work hard to create not
only equal opportunity, but
also expanded opportunity at AT&T.
I personally benefited from this
commitment. When I first joined the
company, in 1977, I was chosen for the
company’s Management Development
Program. The program groomed women,
minorities and high-potential college
recruits to be leaders in AT&T by exposing
us to many parts of the business.
Today, I am AT&T’s first woman president.
When I returned to AT&T two years ago,
one of my priorities was creating an
emerging leaders program, much like the
one that helped me. It focuses on building
skills through rotational assignments for
high-potential managers. More than 40
percent of the participants are minorities.
Our strategic intent is clear: The next wave
of AT&T leaders will better reflect the
communities in which we live and work.
Our commitment to those communities
goes beyond workforce programs to AT&T
Cares and the AT&T Foundation, through
which we donate dollars, services and time
to help keep our communities strong. Our
programs and policies also support our
commitment to making purchases from a
diverse base of suppliers who reflect the
communities we serve.
We also sponsor seven internal business
resource groups that reflect the diversity of
AT&T people: Asian Americans, African
UnderstandingDiversity
As a Business Issue
Betsy BernardPresident, AT&T
AT&T works hard to create not only equal opportunity, but also expanded opportunity.
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
continued page 40
As a Business Issue
News of the corporate
accountability scandals
may have passed from the
front page in recent
months, but the scandals
continue to have a significant impact on
our world. They have destabilized and
depressed markets and, perhaps most
importantly, have eroded investor trust—
the very foundation upon which American
prosperity has been built and must
continue to stand.
But there is a silver lining. The wave of
scandals has compelled us to look deeply at
the relationship between ethics and
economics, and is helping to create a new
conventional wisdom: that sound corporate
responsibility matters. Indeed, the scandals
are generating fundamental changes that
can strengthen our financial system.
Like many in the financial community,
we at Calvert have applauded the
government’s new reform measures to
strengthen the checks and balances of the
financial system. But we also recognize that
it is simply not possible to write enough
rules and regulations to prevent people
from doing the wrong thing. For real
reform to occur, the environment that
fosters fraud and deception must
be transformed.
At Calvert, we believe it is our
responsibility to contribute to that
transformation by using our power as
investors to promote disclosure,
transparency, and accountability. To that
end, in June 2003 Calvert launched
Corporate Responsibility Matters, a
comprehensive program designed to
achieve five main goals:
• Strive for integrity-driven performance
through continued evaluation of the
corporate governance practices of each
company in which we invest
• Encourage companies to disclose not
just financial information but
information on all social and
environmental issues that affect the
bottom line
• Promote board diversity
• Champion engaged shareownership
• Promote sound business practices and
public policies.
We have been especially active in our
efforts to promote board diversity. Calvert
has long recognized that diversity is an
important attribute of a well-
functioning board of directors.
Boardrooms that look like America serve
The New Conventional
Wisdom
CORPORATERESPONSIBILITY
“The wave of scandals has compelled us
to look deeply at the relationship between
ethics and economics, and is helping to create a
new conventional wisdom that sound corporate responsibility matters. Indeed, the scandals
are generating fundamental
changes that can strengthen our
financial system.”
Barbara J. KrumsiekPresident and CEOCalvert Group, Ltd.
About Ethics and Economics
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 35
continued page 40
continued page 38
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
Lynn Laverty Elsenhans is president of Shell Oil Company and themost senior representative for the Royal Dutch/Shell Group in theUnited States. She also serves as president and CEO of its Oil Products business in the U.S.
Elsenhans joined Shell Oil Company in 1980 after graduating fromRice University in Houston with a BA in Mathematical Sciencesand an MBA from Harvard University. She held successive positions in Shell’s major businesses in the U.S. before being named President of Shell Oil Products East in 1999. In this role, she wasresponsible for Shell’s refining and marketing business in Asia and the Middle East. In 2002, she was named Director—StrategicPlanning, Sustainable Development, and External Affairs for Royal Dutch/Shell in London before assuming her current positionin June 2003. PASSION
Isn’t Enough
Diversity and inclusiveness are values in Shell that
we have a great passion for—not only because it’s
the right thing to do, but also because it’s very
important to meeting our business objectives.
Having said that, passion isn’t enough. We must have very clear
targets and leaders accountable for delivering those targets. We
must have policies that are solid and the kinds of practices in our
company that support what we are trying to achieve. I feel in
Shell that we do have these elements in place. We’ve made a lot
of very good progress, but there is still much to be done.
I believe we are well along on our journey of making diversity
part of our everyday business. Each Shell organization has a
diversity scorecard to measure progress toward creating an
inclusive work environment, achieving goals for workforce
representation, minority- and women-owned business spend
and managing our talent pipeline.
These scorecards are one method to ensure that businesses and
their leaders track progress and achieve the company’s diversity
goals. Linking diversity performance to the compensation of our
leaders reinforces accountability.
All this is a strong signal from the top that “lip service”
isn’t good enough and that Shell leadership is determined
to make diversity and inclusiveness
a part of the cultural fabric of this company.
We have much yet to do in the areas of
developing the talent we have in order for it
to be the best that it can be. We’ve made
progress in that we now have very
structured talent management reviews
that we take very seriously in terms
of succession planning and
development opportunities for our
future leaders. We conduct these
reviews with a “diversity lens” to ensure
that we consider underrepresented
minorities and women in meeting
our objectives.
Our nine employee networks continue to
flourish and Shell is strengthening their
role and more closely linking their
activities to business goals. These networks
support our efforts to attract and recruit
talent, onboard new hires, and retain the
talent we already have through mentoring
and development opportunities. They also
help Shell deliver on its commitment to be
a good corporate citizen through community
service and volunteer activities.
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
continued page 40
Lynn Laverty ElsenhansPresident and Country ChairShell Oil Company
page 36 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
the best interests of shareholders and
the economy.
One important step that we have taken has
been to formulate model charter language
on board diversity. We offer the
model language to companies as a way
for them to formalize their commitment to
maintaining an independent and diverse
board. They may either adopt the
model language as it stands, or
formulate their own language
embodying the model’s principles.
Calvert’s model charter language has been
endorsed by the State of Connecticut,
which recently launched its own innovative
statewide board diversity initiative. And in
October 2003, the National Association of
State Treasurers signaled their agreement
by passing a resolution on corporate
governance that incorporates aspects of
Calvert’s Model Charter Language.
We have also been very active in waging
shareholder campaigns to promote board
diversity. During the 2003 proxy season,
Calvert filed nine shareholder
resolutions urging companies to build
more diverse boards. In addition, we wrote
to the CEOs of the 640 companies that
make up the Calvert Social Index urging
them to add women and people of color to
their boards.
Another issue that we and other
institutional investors have been working
on is proxy-voting disclosure. Proxy voting
is the means by which shareholders
(including mutual fund companies)
express their support, or dissent, for
issues relating to the management of the
companies they invest in. It is the most
direct way for investors to influence
corporate behavior.
Calvert has disclosed its proxy votes for a
number of years, and recently revised its
proxy voting guidelines to more thoroughly
examine corporate governance issues.
Clearly, these are exciting times. Despite
the wave of corporate accountability
scandals—or because of them—we are
seeing the emergence of a new business
culture based on the integration of ethics
and economics. On behalf of Calvert,
I invite you to join us in helping to bring
forth a new world in which our society’s
economics truly reflects its highest sense
of ethics.
For information about Calvert, visitwww.calvert.com. #4612 (12/2003)
page 38 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
corporate responsibilityContinued from page 35
Barbara J. Krumsiek, Calvert Group, Ltd.
steward of heritage and resourcesyears in contracting with small
businesses. Interior also rates above
the government-wide average of
employment of persons with
disabilities—with 10 percent of the
workforce instead of the average
7.5 percent. In fact, there has been an
increase in the employment numbers of
women, minorities and people with
disabilities under Norton’s tenure.
By ensuring that the
Department
workforce includes
employees of all
backgrounds and
experiences, Interior
is better able to
understand and serve
its customers, the
citizens of America.
For more informationabout the diversity of theU.S. Department of theInterior, contactJohn Wright, [email protected].
“A diverse workforce is essential to
providing services to the culturally and linguistically
varied populations that visit and work
with the Department’s
facilities and lands.”
PDJ
PDJ
Continued from page 19
Secretary Gale Norton, U.S. Interior Department
page 40 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans,
people with disabilities, women, and the
gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and trans-gendered
communities.
We offer career-development training for
all AT&T people, not just those on the
executive track. We offer courses in
diversity training to help people build the
skills to maintain and manage a diverse
workforce. And we have succession-
planning standards, so that the slate of
candidates for job openings includes
women and minorities.
Today, more than ever, when investors,
customers and the general public are
closely scrutinizing corporate America,
companies must focus on results, not
empty rhetoric, when it comes to diversity.
At AT&T, we know we’re not where we
want to be. But we’ll continue to make
progress on this journey, because we know
that when people have opportunity, there
are no limits to what they can accomplish.
For more information about careers at
AT&T, visit their website at
www.att.com/careers.
As we went to press, we learned Betsy Bernard was leaving her post atAT&T to pursue other opportunities.
business issue Continued from page 34
Betsy Bernard, AT&T
Our businesses also integrate diversity into the
way they do business with external parties. Last
year, Shell’s U.S. businesses spent more than
$514 million with minority- and women-
owned businesses and are finding real ways to
expand their influence.
I’ll give you an example in what our legal
department is doing with law firms that
perform services for Shell.
Shell wants to ensure that these firms are
encouraging women and minorities to
become partners. Not only does Shell
request demographics, it asks that the firm
demonstrate that women and minorities play
significant roles in the organization. Continued
service to Shell is contingent upon meeting
these expectations.
We also have a unique initiative on the
marketing side of our business with our
multi-site operator program. Our supplier
diversity goals were “top of mind” in recruiting
nearly 100 operators to manage clusters of
our company-owned retail sites around the
country. We looked for business acumen,
financial resources, an entrepreneurial spirit
and a proven track record in retail to take on
these assignments, but we also sought out
prospects that represent the demographics
of the markets in which they will operate.
These multi-site operators are forming the
backbone of our retail marketing efforts in
major metropolitan markets.
Diversity is a journey and we have a ways to
go yet. But our goal is to ensure that
everyone has a place at the starting line and
after that, it’s up to each of us how well we
run the race.
For more information about Diversity at Shellcontact John Jefferson, Director of Diversity [email protected].
“All this is a strongsignal from the topthat ‘lip service’ isn’tgood enough and thatShell leadership isdetermined to
make diversity andinclusiveness a part ofthe cultural fabric of
this company.”
passion isn’t enough Continued from page 36Lynn Laverty Elsenhans, Shell Oil Company
PDJ
PDJ
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Technology and Diversity: How doesdiversity keep technology companies on thecutting edge?
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page 42 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
BBeeccaauusseeWWee CCaannBBeeccaauusseeWWee CCaannLurita Doan, Founder and President of New Technology Management, Inc. on the entrepreneurial spirit that led her to take on the“big boys” of high-tech. Photo by Cameron Davidson
Shattering the Glass Ceiling Women of Initiative
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 43
W hy do I do the things I do? The answer always comes
back: Because I can. While my personal journey has
been an ever-changing one, from teaching at a universi-
ty, to working for large government contractors, to starting and
running a successful small business, I never forget that we women
have an unprecedented opportunity to play a larger role in society
as business owners and professionals. With individual personal
initiative, and by seeking out life—and
business—opportunities wherever they
may exist, we can not only take
responsibility for our lives but also take
on a greater responsibility to society.
Today’s women have more social and
financial freedoms and more personal
ability to turn small business
opportunities into thriving enterprises
than ever before. I’ve been incredibly
fortunate to be able to pursue my
professional dreams and lead my own
company, while also playing a role in
making the country a better and safer
place to live.
My company, New Technology
Management, Inc. (NTMI), fulfills high-visibility, high-risk
contracts that are essential to our nation’s border security. NTMI
provides turnkey technology solutions including design,
installation and maintenance of all secure surveillance equipment
currently being deployed at over 85 percent of all land border
ports of entry on America’s Canadian and Mexican borders.
Our success did not come easy and was by no means guaranteed.
I started my business with $25.00, no customers and no business
experience, except from the lessons passed down from three
generations of women and men in my family working in their own
businesses. We have been a family of entrepreneurs from the time
of my great grandmother, a free Black, who sold pralines in New
Orleans in the 1860s.
I was raised to understand that hard work is a critical element of a
successful small business, but that hard work alone isn’t sufficient.
If that were the case, there would rarely be a business that would
ever fail. Running NTMI is quite a bit more complex than selling
candy confections, but the basic principles and approach remain
the same. From stories handed down about my great grandmother’s
business life I learned the basics of running a small business, not
the least of which was the importance of being first to market. My
great grandmother would arrive at the French Market along the
Mississippi River by 5:30 a.m. in order to catch the lion’s share of
the “breakfast crowd” and to extol to the passing gentlemen the
virtues of a sugar jolt in the form of a praline and a quick cup of
café au lait. With NTMI, the parallels were striking when we
began with virtually no advertising budget, and being first to
market in our niche was our best and only marketing advantage.
My grandmother ran a business school and owned several rental
properties at the turn of the century (1908). She taught me about
the importance of participating in
society and politics and insisting on
equal rights. She operated a successful
business at a time when women did not
yet have the right to vote. She believed
passionately in the power of the vote as
the ultimate exercise of our rights as
citizens of the United States—a privilege
that too many women, a century later,
take for granted.
I believe in being politically active and
the importance of the individual vote.
I also believe that “you put your money
where your mouth is,” so each NTMI
employee is granted three hours’ paid
leave on Election Day to get out and
vote. I think of this as a small civic
contribution, which I hope more businesses will adopt. For me it’s
also a tribute to my grandmother’s passion for a political system
that has slowly but surely provided a more level playing field for
her granddaughter.
It is lamentable in many respects that, even today, small businesses,
which do most of hiring and buying and paying of taxes, seem to
play an undersized role in major policy debates. The solution is
more political involvement from the small business community.
Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of my life as an entrepreneur is
my role as a mentor. Mentoring is my opportunity to help others
benefit from my hard-won experiences and, at a minimum, to help
others avoid making the same mistake that I have made, and to
share in those personal victories that come from moving a little
further up the ladder of success. And it feels really good.
If, like me, you’ve started your business with only $25.00, a trip to
Kinko’s and a dream of what you’d like to do, you can’t help but be
a believer in the power of individuals to make a difference. I see the
future for women entrepreneurs improving steadily with every new
small business success story, and for the sake of our country, our
economy and our political discourse, our voices must be heard.
Based in Reston,VA, New Technology Management, Inc. (NTMI) is one of
the SBA’s 50th Anniversary Women-owned Business success stories. For more
information, visit www.ntmi.com.
“I started my business with $25.00,
no customers and no business experience,
except that gained from watching three
generations of womenand men in my family
working in their own businesses.”
PDJ
page 44 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
The story of the leadership and advancement of
women in corporate America today is an
exhilarating one. It has become a dynamic force,
with women making outstanding contributions to
the corporate, government, and nonprofit sectors.
We are the leaders of today and the architects of tomorrow.
No matter what euphemism you wish to use—shattering the glass
ceiling, bridging the cultural gap, etc.—this formidable segment of
the workforce is changing the workforce from within. A look at
this issue should tell you how.
Since 1993, the Business Women’s Network (BWN) has supported
this leadership and advancement, giving us a forum to champion
one another and show appreciation to our supporters, male and
female alike. Now a decade old, BWN can be best represented by
what we call “The New Girls’ Network.” In the ten annual Summits
we have held, our theme has been, “More business for more
women.” Our goal is to open doors for women and women-owned
businesses. We at BWN and Diversity Best Practices are proud of
women’s accomplishments and the strength of our economic
future. And as our membership grows, our focus does, too: to
use our strength to open doors for others, and to strengthen our
commitment to a more inclusive workforce.
There are so many organizations offering support for women;
at BWN, we now profile some 7,000 women’s organizations. These
organizations offer all of us superb networking opportunities and
a great source of support.When we, as members, support our
organizations, much is accomplished. For example, I am extremely
proud of what I have been able to accomplish through these
organizations. I was a founding member of the Committee of 200,
a past president of NAWBO in the Washington DC area, and
involved—and rewarded—in many more. I will always give back
to young women, as the mentor experience is both enriching and
rewarding to me. This year, my efforts resulted in being a Lifetime
Achievement Award Winner of Enterprising Women Magazine.
The pace of our world is dizzying and change is the only thing we
can count on. What can we as women do to ensure our growth—
and the growth of others—in this business evolution?
• Network. Look to others for support. The greatest leaders know
they cannot go it alone.
• Give credit to those who play a role in your success.We are only
as good as those on our team.
• Give back.Make yourself available to anyone who needs your
mentoring or advice. Your time is the most valuable thing you
can give.
If these “rules
to live by”
sound familiar,
it is probably
because it is
reflected in the
stories of each
of the Women
of Initiative
that have been
highlighted
here today.
Yes, we’ve come a long way. I believe women are the workforce
(and the marketplace, and emerging community leadership).
Today, ninety-nine percent of women will work for pay at some
point in their lives.Women are moving up to the executive suite
and are supporting other women along the way. Representation in
the board room is getting stronger and stronger; we at BWN
expect 15% of the membership of corporate boards to be women
by 2005. And women will continue to dominate the entrepreneur
community, with 1,600 forming businesses each day.
But we still have far to go. That is why we salute our role models
today—to share in our successes, to support each other’s growth.
May we all read and be inspired!
Edie FraserPresidentBusiness Women’s Network and Diversity Best Practices
TheNewGirls’Network
Now 10 years old, the Business Women’sNetwork opens doors for women and
women-owned businesses throughout the U.S.
From this year’s BWN Summit, President Edie Fraser withRosalyn Taylor O’Neale of MTV Networks, and Robert Fernandez andFiona Devan from Cummins Inc.
PDJ
An iVillage Company
helping you grow diversity
www.diversitybestpractices.comwww.bwni.com
1990 M St, NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20036(202) 466-8209 | (866) 533-2748
DDiivveerrssiittyy BBeesstt PPrraaccttiicceess ((DDBBPP)) is a member-
ship-based business resource with a vast network
of experts from the worlds of business, govern-
ment and organizations helping diversity leaders
make a quantifiable strategic impact.
For Audrey Boone Tillman and the
supplemental insurance giant AFLAC
Incorporated, the job of creating a more
inclusive environment is ever-evolving.
“Our culture is ripe with diversity
because we have someone in place who
understands it to be more than race,’’ says
Tillman, AFLAC’s director of human
resources and a senior vice president with
the company. “Dan said ‘I won’t sit around
a table with advisors who all look like me’.”
Tillman, who started in AFLAC’s legal
department as an attorney in 1996, doesn’t
head up the company’s diversity initiative.
But two years ago, Chairman and CEO
Dan Amos tapped her to be AFLAC’s
human resources director, placing the
company’s diversity program and other
employee-related programs under her
leadership. She didn’t make big program
changes—except one.
“The head of our diversity initiative wasn’t
a company officer at the time, so I
approached Dan. He understands how
important diversity is, and the importance
of support from the top,” says Tillman.
“Audrey is the driving force behind taking
our diversity efforts to the next level,” says
Brenda Mullins, second vice president of
diversity/employee relations. “Her
partnership with Dan and her drive to
succeed gave me the reinforcement,
support and inspiration that I needed to
expand our diversity initiatives.”
The highest-ranking African-American
female in AFLAC, this married mother of
three says her career has progressed
because of AFLAC’s work environment.
Audrey Boone TillmanSenior Vice President and Director of Human ResourcesAFLAC
page 46 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
“… if you’re willing to
WORK HARD, yourefforts will benoticed …”
The photo on the credenza tells a vivid tale
—a smiling Bonita Stewart,
DaimlerChrysler’s Director of Chrysler
Brand Communications, arm-in-arm with
Celine Dion, the pop diva whose
crystal-clear voice and music grace some
of Chrysler’s recent advertising spots. It’s a
strong testimony to the rising presence of
executive women in the male-dominated
automotive industry, certainly, but also
represents a marketing strategy built on
the strengths of diversity initiatives and a
conscious approach to attracting young,
hip buyers to the Chrysler brand.
“The world has changed,” says Stewart,
who holds responsibility for all print,
electronic and broadcast Marketing
Communications for the Chrysler brand.
“The top golfer in the world is African-
American; one of the most popular
rappers, white. There’s an African-
American ‘Friend,’ and a street-savvy
African-American detective on ‘Law &
Order.’ The media and the marketing
industry are responding to the positive
reality of our diverse population.”
Stewart credits her father for teaching her
the “Four C’s to Success”—Concentration,
Culture, Character and Courage—
qualities that are part of the reason Ebony
Magazine named her as one of their
“Outstanding Women in Marketing and
Communications” for 2003. She holds
an MBA in Business Administration from
the Harvard Graduate School of Business,
and began her career with the Chrysler
Group in 1993 as Manager of
Marketing Strategies.
Stewart takes pride in the knowledge that
her success allows her to open doors for
other women of color. “The greatest
rewards I’ve received in my career have
been the notes and letters from minority
women, thanking me for being a positive
role model.”
Bonita C. StewartDirector, Chrysler Brand CommunicationsDaimlerChrysler Corporation
“the WORLD has changed …”
PDJ
“AFLAC is the type of place where, if you’re
willing to work hard, your efforts will be
noticed and you’ll be rewarded,’’ said
Tillman. It’s an environment Tillman
works hard to advance. As head of AFLAC’s
human resources department, Tillman is
charged with being the main advocate for
the company’s employees. She says surveys
and talking to employees play a significant
role in updating services.
“When we changed some of our shifts to
6 a.m. we had working mothers ask, ‘What
do I do with my child?’” Tillman said.
“We negotiated with our daycare and got
them to adjust their hours to accommodate
them.” AFLAC has also recently created
accommodations for nursing mothers and
revised its medical insurance coverage so
that single mothers, who once had to
purchase Employee-plus-One coverage at a
higher premium, could feel less of a pinch.
“We went back and tailored the benefit to
reduce the premiums for our single
working mothers, putting more back into
their pocket books,’’ she said.
Tillman holds a bachelor’s degree in
Political Science from the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Juris
Doctor degree from the University of
Georgia School of Law. She is a member of
the State Bars of Georgia, North Carolina,
and the District of Columbia, and is past
chair of the Corporate Law section of the
National Bar Association.
Tillman finds the analytical skills she
honed practicing law a plus in her
position as head of human resources.
“We’re not afraid to ask the question ‘Is this
working?’ when it comes to our diversity
program or any of the other services and
programs we offer,” Tillman said.
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 47
Caryl M. Stern has a special method for
managing the vast array of urgent issues
that cross her desk every day. She sorts
them into two baskets. Incidents of
Anti-Semitism and Hate, and Strategies for
Fighting Back. “It’s really easy to be
overwhelmed by everyday incidents of
bigotry. That second basket is vital
because success in my job is about
focusing on solutions.”
Stern’s mission—and that of the Anti-
Defamation League (ADL)—is no less than
to eradicate Anti-Semitism, discrimination
and bigotry of all kinds. Her inspiration
was inherited. “My mother was a
Holocaust survivor who was sent to the
United States as a child—she didn’t see her
mother from the age of six until she was a
teenager. She could have been bitter, but
instead she was thankful. Her joy and zest
taught me that everything is possible. She
showed me the world is ours—we can
make it a good or bad place.”
In her current role as ADL’s Chief
Operating Officer and Senior Associate
National Director, Stern oversees the day-
to-day operations of the organization and
its network of offices across the country
and is also a well recognized activist against
hate. Stern coordinates with leaders in the
United States, Europe, Asia and Israel to
promote respect for diversity and to
counter prejudice and discrimination in
schools, the community and the workplace.
Stern is also regarded as one of the
education world’s leading innovators and
visionaries. Her book, Hate Hurts: How
Children Learn and Unlearn Prejudice
(Scholastic, 2000), moved the issue of
bigotry among children front and center
and is a tool used by tens of thousands of
parents and educators across the country.
Most recently, Stern shepherded a
bold new approach for reaching kids.
The CD-ROM entitled Hate Comes
Home was produced with industry
leader Will Interactive, Inc. to teach
high-school aged youth how to counter
prejudice, discrimination and hate-
motivated behavior.
Despite her busy schedule, she has a warm,
caring interpersonal style that endears her
to colleagues and friends alike. “I am
blessed to have three sons who range in age
from 4 to 32. I’ve learned from them the
importance of conveying values and beliefs
across the generational spectrum.” It is no
wonder that Working Mother Magazine
named her as one of 25 Moms We Love
in December 2000. She has also been
honored by the National Association for
Campus Activities (NACA), an
organization representing over 1,000
colleges and universities. Stern was a
recipient of the Founder’s Award, the
NACA’s highest professional honor. She
has also been honored with the prestigious
New York City Harmony Award.
Caryl M. SternChief Operating Officer and Senior Associate National DirectorAnti-Defamation League
“She showed me the world isours—we can make it a good
or bad place.”
PDJ
PDJ
Shelley Seifert is a
passionate advocate of
doing what’s right for the
33,000 employees of
National City Corporation.
“At National City, we care
about doing what’s right
for our customers,” she
says, “and we fulfill that
promise through people
who are committed to their customers, to their colleagues and to
their communities.”
As executive vice president and head of human resources for the
nation’s ninth largest financial services company, Seifert leads the
organization’s efforts to engage its workforce to increase
individual contributions—resulting in a winning environment
for employees, customers and investors.
“We’re focused on creating a culture of success,” she says, “by
hiring the right people, developing their talents and encouraging
high performance through communication and recognition.
Respect, inclusion and performance excellence prevail in all
we do.”
Employees experience this culture on their very first day, and
can advance their careers by demonstrating performance and
potential—as did 139 branch managers promoted this fall as part
of an initiative to enhance the company’s branch management
career path.
“We also know that most employees face issues of balancing their
work and personal lives, whether they’re raising children,
continuing their education or caring for elderly parents,” says
Seifert, the mother of an 11-year-old daughter. “By providing
support and resources, we believe we can help people maximize
the contributions they’re making at work.”
Under Seifert’s leadership, the company has introduced a number
of family-friendly programs, including flexible working
arrangements, an Employee Assistance Program, and Prime
Time, which offers full-time benefits to part-time employees with
at least 10 years of service. Club Wellness was launched earlier
this year to provide education, motivation and inspiration to
help National City employees improve their physical and mental
quality of life at home, work and play.
A native of St. Louis, Seifert earned a bachelor’s degree from the
University of Missouri and a Master of Business Administration
from the University of Louisville. She began her banking career in
Kentucky in 1979 and served in various human resources positions
for National City before transferring to Cleveland in 1993.
With her business and personal philosophy of “treating everyone
with respect and compassion,” Seifert leads by example through
her hands-on community involvement. She serves as vice chair of
the Visiting Nurse Association of Greater Cleveland and of
Business Volunteers Unlimited, board member of the Arthritis
Foundation and member of the Cleveland Commission on
Economic Partnership and Inclusion. She is past board chair of
the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, a graduate of
Leadership Cleveland and a member of the Society for Human
Resources Management.
“we can help people MAXIMIZE the contributions
they’re making AT WORK …”
Shelley J. SeifertExecutive Vice President, Corporate Human ResourcesNational City Corporation
Catherine Land-Waters
sums up her career at
AGL Resources
(AGLR), an energy
holding company
serving approximately
1.8 million customers
in the Southeast, as
“taking the hard jobs
and making them
look easy.”
As interim president of AGLR’s largest subsidiary Atlanta
Gas Light Company (AGLC) in 1998, she led the company
through the biggest challenge in its history—the
deregulation of Georgia’s natural gas industry, which
impacted 1.5 million commercial and residential customers.
page 48 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
“ ... AS MUCH AS I could take in and as much as
I COULD LEARN …”
PDJ
“There was no rule book, no map out there on how to
deregulate,” she says. “We had to define the process, then build
the systems to support it.”
Now, as senior vice president, business technology at AGLR,
Land-Waters is a 22-year veteran in fields that have traditionally
been male-dominated: natural gas, industrial engineering and,
now, technology. She has blazed the trail within her community,
as well, as the first female member of the Buckhead (Atlanta)
Rotary Club and the first woman to serve as the prestigious
service club’s president.
Like many outstanding women, Land-Waters didn’t start out as a
trailblazer. A French major at Auburn University, she had
originally planned to be a translator in New York. But life—and
her husband, Robert—took her to Atlanta where she took a
teaching position. The outdoors enthusiast found the classroom
too confining and enrolled in night school where she discovered
industrial engineering and found true academic love. She earned
a Bachelor of Industrial Engineering Technology from Southern
Polytechnic State University and a Master of Business
Administration from Brenau University.
In 1981, Land-Waters was hired as one of the first two female
field engineers at AGLC. Her initial “dress for success” look of
jeans and hard hat was quickly replaced by more corporate attire:
“The gas company offered me positions that constantly
challenged me. As much as I could take in and as much as I
could learn—they allowed me to do it.”
When not at work, Land-Waters enjoys watching her daughter
play volleyball and working on the family’s Alabama farm. She
makes time to serve on the board of the Atlanta Urban League,
the Better Business Bureau of Atlanta and the Buckhead Rotary
Foundation. She is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Leadership
Buckhead and Leadership Atlanta.
Land-Waters credits her “core values” with guiding her through
the many changes in her industry: “You’ve got to be honest with
yourself and everyone else. You have to do what’s right for the
company and its stakeholders, even when it means making
tough decisions.”
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 49
When Christine MacKenzie left her native New Zealand in 1976,
her intention was to travel the world. At DaimlerChrysler, she
found the place she could be on top of it. In 1981, she accepted a
Financial Analyst position—the first step in her rise to Vice
President of Dealer Operations
for DaimlerChrysler Corporation.
MacKenzie’s responsibilities
include franchise planning and
administration, dealer placement,
franchise legislation, minority dealer development, and factory-
to-dealer communications. She also serves as President of
Chrysler Realty Corporation, was named one of the Automotive
News 100 Leading Women for the year 2000, and will be
President of the Adcraft Club of Detroit—the largest advertising
club in the world—in 2004.
“The number of women in the automotive industry is growing,
and the pipeline continues to be filled with talented women who
are seeing that the auto industry is an exciting place to work,”
MacKenzie states. “Although holding an executive position in
this industry is still quite unusual for a woman, it provides a
wonderful opportunity to offer one’s unique and diverse
perspective. And it is this perspective that has helped me in
understanding and
working with Chrysler’s
minority dealers.”
Being a dealer requires an
entrepreneurial spirit,
MacKenzie states, but it
also takes education and
experience. Dealers must
understand every facet of
their franchise, from sales
and financing to servicing
both their customers and
their employees. Her department is working on a program to
attract minority students in high school and college, and match
them with established minority dealers willing to mentor and
train them to become future dealers.
Chrysler holds the distinction of awarding the first minority
dealer automotive franchise, in April 1965. The company
established a formal Dealer Development Program in 1978, and
has continued to maintain the highest quality standards and
training processes for minority dealers, including the nine
franchises held by minority females.
Christine A. MacKenzieVice President, Dealer Operations, DaimlerChrysler Corporation
“the pipeline isFILLED with talented
women …”
PDJ
Catherine Land-WatersSenior Vice President, Business Technology, AGL Resources
PDJ
Dr. Z. Clara Brennan is the third president
of the only bilingual institution of higher
education in the Midwest, Chicago’s St.
Augustine College. A native of Peru,
Dr. Brennan received her baccalaureate
degree in Economics from the
Universidad Nacional de Trujillo. She
attended the University of Missouri,
Columbia, on Fulbright and Central Bank
scholarships, earning her master’s and
doctorate degrees in Economics. She
completed post-doctoral studies at
Harvard University’s Institute of
Education Management and received a
Certificate of Fund Raising Management
from the Center on Philanthropy at
Indiana University. She was one of a select
few invited for the New Presidents
Seminar at Harvard.
This diverse academic experience provides
an important backdrop for her relatively
new position. St. Augustine College is a
private, Hispanic-serving institution of
higher education located on the north side
of Chicago, with two other satellites in
predominantly Hispanic communities in
the west and south sides of the city.
Founded in 1980 under the auspices of
the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, the
College provides access to higher
education for minority students with an
emphasis on those of Hispanic descent.
The College is accredited and offers twelve
associate degrees and one baccalaureate
degree. St. Augustine boasts of a student
enrollment that is approximately
1,700, with an average age of 30.
Hispanic students account for nearly 88
percent of the student population. The
majority of the student body, 78 percent,
are women; a reflection of this reality is
the childcare offered at each of the
College’s three locations.
“In the early eighties, our founders
initiated an experiment that is today
enshrined in the mission and values of
St. Augustine College,” says Brennan: “to
provide access to a college-level education
by removing barriers related to English
language proficiency, family needs,
financial assistance and others. Our
challenge is to continue this mission
within an environment that is increasingly
competitive and to do so in a manner
that provides the highest level of quality
education and services. As a relatively
new college, St. Augustine faces many
challenges: competition, limited financial
resources, youthfulness, and many others,
including attempting to educate the most
vulnerable, at-risk student population.”
To keep St. Augustine College moving
forward, Dr. Brennan’s vision includes the
continual integration of technology into
the College’s classrooms, libraries, and
administrative support systems. She seeks
to expand programs and degrees and to
increase the number of baccalaureate
degrees offered. “For St. Augustine to
remain an important asset to the Hispanic
community, the College must increase its
offerings and provide our students with
more learning opportunities. Our struggle
is to manage this growth within the
framework of the College’s mission.
I believe that we can and will do so.”
Dr. Z. Clara BrennanPresidentSt. Augustine College, Chicago
“… removing barriers …”
page 50 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Dr. Z. Clara BrennanPresidentSt. Augustine College, Chicago
“… removing barriers …”
PDJ
A 14-year veteran of Eastman Kodak
Company, Celeste Amaral is the company’s
highest ranking Hispanic female, with
responsibilities that include establishing
Kodak’s financial management policy;
reporting on the company’s financial
landscape to senior executives; developing
the standardized global corporate finance
policy for Kodak’s business units; preparing
financial forecasts; and serving as secretary
for Kodak’s executive Operations Council.
It’s easy to understand how the rigors of
Amaral’s daily schedule could prevent her
from taking an active role in “extracurricular”
activities. However, since working her way
through the executive ranks, Amaral has
established a mentoring program to coach
up-and-coming Hispanic employees as they
climb the corporate ladder. She’s also an
active participant in Kodak’s HOLA network,
an employee group designed to provide a
forum for the exchange of ideas and to
promote the interests of Hispanic employees.
In addition to HOLA, Amaral participates in
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 51
three other employee networks, a move
she says better equips her to manage and
communicate with Kodak’s diverse
global team.
Amaral’s dedication stems from her
belief that, as a Hispanic woman with
such a high-profile position, she has a
responsibility to promote the
professional development of other
Hispanics in the company. “I strongly
believe that the key to anyone’s success is
focus and results, which takes hard work
and a high level of commitment,” says
Amaral. “But I also recognize that hard
work, even with results, can sometimes go
unnoticed. I not only want to mentor and
set an example for other Hispanic
employees, but I want to be a champion
for them … to use my presence at the
executive level to further the interests of
Kodak’s Hispanic population.”
Outside of the office, Amaral shows the
same passion for helping others get ahead.
She is an active member of the Latinas
Unidas Network of Greater Rochester, a
group dedicated to fostering opportunities
that promote unity, cultural identity and
the presence of Latina women in the
community. Amaral spearheads the
organization’s fundraising arm, which
provides academic scholarships to
Hispanic women, age 25 and older, who
want to further their education.
“I wanted to give back to the community
in a meaningful way,” Amaral says.
“Latinas Unidas is a wonderful
organization that’s making a very powerful
impact on the lives of many women.”
A native of the Azores, Amaral and her
family moved to the United States in 1973.
She received her MBA from Penn State.
Amaral resides in Rochester, NY and
enjoys hiking and traveling with
her husband. PDJ
“ I wanted to give in ameaningful way …”
Celeste Amaral Director, Global Contact Center and Vice President,
Chief Administrative Office, Eastman Kodak Company
For more than 25 years, Geri Thomas has
been a steadfast advocate for diversity
through her various human resources roles
at Bank of America, where she is currently
the Senior Retail Banking Staffing
executive. In fact, she remembers back
30 years when she was crafting the first
written affirmative action policy for
the bank.
“I don’t think I would have in my wildest
imagination dreamed that diversity would
become a critical business initiative for
corporate America the way it has today,”
said Thomas. “It’s refreshing to me in my
human resources role to see the diversity
we are bringing to Bank of America.”
“I hold a firm belief that if our employees
spend all their on-the-job energy and focus
on delivering results, knowing that they are
valued as an individual instead of having to
hide who they are, we will reap huge bene-
fits both in productivity and in associate
satisfaction,” said Thomas.”I’m personally
involved because I believe diversity is the
critical component to our becoming the
world’s most admired company,” she said.
A lifelong resident of Atlanta and graduate
of Georgia State University, Thomas is
deeply involved with her community as
well. She is currently the Vice Chair of the
State of Georgia Personnel Board and also
serves on the faculty of the Georgia
Bankers Association Graduate School at
the University of Georgia. She is also a
member of the board of the Atlanta
Committee for Public Education.
Recognized for her commitment to
diversity and the community, she was the
recipient of the Don Alexander Trailblazer
Award from the National Bankers
Association for support of minority
banking. She was featured in Ebony
Magazine’s “100 of the Most Promising
Black Women in Corporate America” and
was also listed among the Atlanta Business
League’s 2002 “100 Women of Influence.”
She is a member of the Atlanta Urban
Financial Services Coalition, the Atlanta
Urban League, and several other civic and
community organizations.
Geri P. ThomasSenior Vice President, Corporate Diversity ExecutiveBank of America
“… personally involvedbecause I BELIEVE …”
PDJ
page 52 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Patricia Bomba grew up knowing she
wanted to be a doctor, she says; but in the
small Pennsylvania coal mining town
where she was raised, few went on to
college. “My mother said to me, ‘I can’t
give you tuition, but I can give you
encouragement.’ And it was her support—
and my drive—that got me there,” she says.
Bomba not only achieved her goal, she
became a nationally renowned expert in
geriatrics and end-of-life care. Now
Corporate Medical Director, Geriatrics for
Excellus BlueCross BlueShield, her position
is one that she refers to as her “community
practice.” In this practice, she directs the
Education for Physicians on End-of-life
Care (EPEC) program, a curriculum that
advises doctors on how best to ease the
pain and symptoms of patients with
terminal illnesses. She also serves as
Medical Director of MedAmerica
Insurance Company in Rochester, NY, a
subsidiary of Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
that offers long-term care insurance.
“Pain at the end of life is often
under-treated, especially in the elderly,”
said Bomba. “Helping physicians learn to
effectively and respectfully manage end-of-
life care and pain is a vital part of our
EPEC program.”
Bomba’s early resolve to become a doctor
didn’t include a commitment to serve the
elderly. But at the suggestion of her medical
school professor, she spent four years at
Rochester General Hospital, where she
often served the elderly and the uninsured.
She also worked treating migrant workers
in New York’s rural farm community
of Sodus.
“That experience set the tone for my med-
ical career,” said Bomba. “It left me with a
passionate drive to humanize the care I
deliver, to serve diverse groups of people
and develop systems and programs to meet
their needs.” In 1983, she co-founded a
landmark private medical practice—the
first of its kind in Rochester—that began to
focus on treating elderly people.
“For so long there were cultural and
religious taboos that prevented us from
effectively engaging elderly patients in their
end-of-life care,” said Bomba. “But we have
worked hard to bring aging and end-of-life
care issues out into the open. Patients want
to talk about them—address them on their
own terms and with as much support as
they can get from the medical communi-
“… a passionate drive tohumanize
the care I deliver …”
Patricia Bomba, M.D., F.A.C.P.Corporate Medical Director, Geriatrics Excellus BlueCross BlueShield
With a wide smile and unassuming grace,
Arleas Upton Kea advises women to “be
good to your word, share the challenges
and—just as importantly, the glory—and
take time to celebrate.” No matter how
busy she is, she takes time to celebrate the
hard work and contributions of her staff
and colleagues.
In the same breath, however, she confides
that one of her greatest challenges is
finding balance between her career and
personal life. There is no question that her
candor has a positive impact, as do her
actions, in so many ways. But what her
actions also show is that leadership takes
energy and resilience—and Kea seems to
have an incredible reserve of both.
When Kea was named Director of the
FDIC’s Division of Administration in 1999,
she took over functions ranging from
corporate recruitment, pay, benefits, and
performance review to facilities,
procurement, contract management,
workplace safety, security, training and
career development.
When the FDIC brought the nation
through the banking crisis of the late ‘80s
and early ‘90s, Kea was at the frontlines.
As the crisis subsided, change was the one
constant, as thousands of employees
separated, divisions cut costs, and the
Corporation adjusted to a new reality.
Kea was in the vanguard of those who
transformed the FDIC into a nimble
instrument of bank stability and
transitioned thousands of employees to
new careers. She served as Assistant and
Deputy General Counsel, handling
complex litigation during the banking
crisis. She also served as Ombudsman,
establishing effective liaisons with bankers,
industry representatives, community
groups, and members of the public, and
winning a prestigious Hammer Award for
improving Federal Ombudsman programs.
Understanding that public service shines
more if public servants look like the public
they serve, Kea has been a tireless leader for
diversity at FDIC. She introduced a new,
flexible, cafeteria benefits program, a first
Arleas Upton KeaDirector of the Division of Administration, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
“… take time to celebrate …”
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 53
Over her 15-year career in human
resources, Deb Elam has made a few
observations about people and work.
“People want to work,” she says. “They like
to work. But more than ever, they see their
lives in dimensions beyond what they do
for a living.”
She has also had the chance to observe
employers. “There is a greater awareness
that good people will produce. It’s not the
structure of the workday or a dress code
that drives results. It’s putting the best
producers in the right places with the
right support, and then giving them
latitude in getting the job done. And in
that latitude—assuming goals are achieved
and the customer is happy—there is room
for leaving a couple hours early to coach a
child’s soccer game.”
Managing and promoting this evolving
change in the balance between work and
life is one of the ways she spends a good
part of her day as Manager,
Global Employer of Choice
Initiatives for General Electric
Company. As a wife and mother
of two young daughters, Elam’s
experience with the importance of balance
is first hand. “GE is a high-demand, high
standards place,” she says. It’s not always
easy. And in some situations—such as
single parenting—it’s especially tough.
Part of managing people today is being
able to understand that struggle, and then
taking real steps to help.”
A native of New Orleans, Elam earned her
BA in Sociology from Louisiana State
University and was on her way to a Master
of Public Administration from Southern
University of Louisiana when she started
her career with GE as a Human Resources
intern. She was picked for the Company’s
prestigious Human Resources Leadership
Program, which started a career climb that
took her through increasingly broad HR
responsibilities. She moved to GE’s
Fairfield, CT headquarters in her current
assignment, running the Employer of
Choice Initiatives, in 2002.
Part of that responsibility means going out
to the communities, working with schools
and other organizations in a position to
provide the kinds of people GE wants. But
she also works from the inside, consulting
with GE’s top management to make sure
the Company has the right awareness,
focus and programs to ensure it is an
employer of choice.
Is that realistic in a time of nomadic
employees who tend to job hop their way
to a career? “Sure it is,” she says. “Some
say employee loyalty is an oxymoron.
It’s not. Not if an employer holds up their
part of the deal—which is to treat
employees fairly, give them opportunities
to grow, recognize their contribution and
show an awareness that they have
responsibilities outside the company. It’s
just like any other economic transaction.
Good people are consumers of
employment. To get outstanding
performance, loyalty, commitment and
the other things you want, you have
to satisfy the consumer. That’s really
what being an employer of choice
is all about.”
“ … BEYOND what we do for a living …”
Deborah ElamManager, Global
Employer of Choice InitiativesGeneral Electric
PDJ
ty.”Bomba joined Excellus BlueCross
BlueShield in 2000. She had been involved
with the corporation since joining its board
of directors in 1987. When she was named
Chair of the Board in 1996, she was the first
physician and the second woman in the
organization’s history to hold that title.
“It would have been very hard to come into
this position without my experience on the
board of directors,” said Bomba. “Having
solid knowledge of the strategic goals of
this corporation and first-hand experience
building the systems to reach those goals
has demonstrated to me that we can
make a difference—not alone, but as part
of a community.”
in the federal government, to give FDIC
employees greater choice in benefits;
enhanced recruiting and workplace
programs; and created new developmental
opportunities to meet agency diversity goals.
Kea received her degree from the University
of Texas Law School, and completed the
Program of Instruction for Lawyers at
Harvard School of Law. A native of a
small German community in south central
Texas, she now resides in Silver Spring,
Maryland with her husband and their
two children. PDJ
PDJ
Beverly Ramsey, division leader for the
Risk Reduction and Environmental
Stewardship Division at the U.S.
Department of Energy’s Los Alamos
National Laboratory in Northern New
Mexico, walks in two worlds. As a member
of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee
Nation, her traditional upbringing
included a focus on interrelationships and
a sense of community. As a senior manager
at the nation’s premier nuclear weapons
institution, Ramsey also relies on the highly
technical training she received on her way
to earning a PhD in systems ecology, and
on her extensive background working in
nuclear facilities, both private and public.
Ramsey balances the values from both
worlds and has found in Los Alamos a
compelling focus for their integration.
Most important to her is the ability of
the Laboratory to make a positive
difference in a community as diverse as
its 12,000 workers.
Located 90 miles north of Albuquerque,
Los Alamos is a beacon of technology in
the middle of an area largely devoted to
agriculture and ranching. The Laboratory
sits high above the Rio Grande valley in an
area that is home to three cultures—Native
American, Hispanic and Anglo. The
Laboratory’s operations also require a
unique balance between technological
progress and the need to minimize current
environmental impacts on natural and
cultural resources; between the need to
assure the nation’s nuclear capability and
the need to repair the damage caused by
more than 50 years of nuclear research on
the site.
According to colleagues, everything in
Ramsey’s life happens within the context of
Ginger ParysekSenior Vice President, Corporate Human Resources
The Lifetime Healthcare Companies
“I like to think that I’m just determined,”
says Ginger Parysek, senior vice president
of corporate human resources for The
Lifetime Healthcare Companies. “I know I
have a strong work ethic and integrity. I
know I’m not afraid of stretching to try
more, pursue more and achieve more.”
Parysek describes this determination as a
product of her upbringing. She grew up in
a rural community in Western New York—
one of four children of blue-collar parents.
Small-town traditional values gave her the
determination to be successful, she says,
and inspired the ethics and integrity
this true leader possesses. Yet Parysek’s
traditional roots yielded to a less
conventional path; she went straight into
the workforce after high school and, eight
years later, began college and a learning
process that has since spanned her career.
In 1980, Parysek was working for a
retailing company and completing college
when a leadership position in human
resources became vacant.
“I went to the president and told him I
wanted the job—and really thought I
could do the job—even though I had
limited human resources experience,”
said Parysek. “He said ‘I’ll try you out,
but to keep the job, you’ll have to earn it.’
And I did. I became a part of senior
management so early in my career simply
because I had the confidence to ask for the
job. I kept it because I proved to my boss
that I had the drive, ability and skills
needed to learn and to lead.”
And lead she has. Parysek now leads the
81-member Human Resources
Department of The Lifetime Healthcare
Companies, and has been instrumental in
ensuring that human resources has a seat
—and a role—at the leadership table.
Her human resources strategy is focused
at meeting the needs of the business.
She’s also made a personal and
professional commitment, shared by the
organization, to recruit and retain a
workforce that reflects the customers and
communities it serves.
“We have a mosaic workforce and we
appreciate the tremendous value diversity
adds to our organization,” says Parysek.
“This diversity enables us to better serve
our communities.
“In human resources, you’re in a unique
position to open doors for people.
Throughout my career, I’ve been able to
cultivate diversity in the workplace, recruit
women and people of a multitude of
cultures and experiences, and create
opportunities for many employees.
How many people can impact a
corporation in that way?
“My role is to plan effectively, listen
carefully and remove barriers so
employees can deliver leading edge
healthcare service,” said Parysek. “The
human resources function has little value
if it’s just transactional. My role is that
of a strategic partner positioning my
company, our staff—and ultimately our
customers—for success.”
““…… aa uunniiqquuee ppoossiittiioonn ttooooppeenn ddoooorrss ffoorr ppeeooppllee ……””
PDJ
page 54 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
“… see things as though
the larger community. It is within
this larger context of Los Alamos
that Ramsey seeks to integrate the
activities of her organization to
ensure the protection of the
environment in the midst of the
laboratory’s operations; to use the area’s
need for environmental services to
promote economic development; and to
leverage the laboratory’s scientific and
technical base to strengthen nearby
educational systems. She is committed to
making a positive impact because she feels
a responsibility to share what she has
learned from both her worlds. The author
of numerous published peer-reviewed
papers, Ramsey received her master’s and
doctoral degrees in ecosystems analysis
from the University of Tennessee in
Knoxville in 1971 and 1973, respectively.
Ramsey is a dynamic leader who feels at
ease in the middle of often conflicting
requirements and expectations from the
Laboratory, the numerous agencies that
regulate the institution, a frequently
disconnected customer base, and
members of the local and regional cities
and pueblos. She describes her vision as
though it has already been accomplished,
thus allowing her colleagues to step into
the openings she has created. According
to those who know her, Ramsey is all
about possibility—for the individual, for
the organization she leads and for the
wider community she embraces.
For over 25 years, Sylvia Horne Plunkett’s
commitment to excellence and willingness
to help others has made an impact on the
workforce at the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corporation (FDIC). She began her career
as a Bank Examiner Trainee; now, as
Deputy Regional Director, she is often
called on by others in the workplace
for executive interviews, shadowing
opportunities, and meetings to discuss
career development. She teaches banking
courses within the FDIC as well as within
the community, and is a frequent speaker
at conferences, banking schools and other
professional venues.
One of her proudest accomplishments is
the FDIC Mentoring Program, which she
helped to develop and implement in 1999.
Plunkett makes a unique mentor, a role she
has taken on each year, as each of her
mentorees has worked in different
departments located in geographic
locations throughout the FDIC. While
it is widely believed that meaningful long-
distance mentoring partnerships—where
meetings are primarily by phone—can’t
succeed, all of her
partnerships have
flourished and even
provided some best
practices for making long distance
partnerships work.
“I believe that, as executives, we have
a responsibility to help younger
professionals maximize their potential
which will result in enhanced contributions
to corporation,” says Plunkett. “Most
people know what they want to do and
how to do it, but what’s lacking is the
discipline to plan, organize and accomplish
their goals. In a mentoring partnership,
my role is to help my partner develop those
goals, and to provide the motivation and
encouragement that will keep them going
until the goal is accomplished.
“It is amazing how much my partners
have accomplished at the end of the year.
I always remind them that they
accomplished the goals, not me.”
Plunkett has always been very active in her
local church, and has served in many roles
within its organization. She is a member of
the NAACP, Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
and a very active member of her local PTA.
Plunkett is a graduate of Mississippi State
University with a Bachelor of Science
degree in business. She is also a graduate
of The School for Bank Administration at
the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
She and her husband, Eric, have one
daughter, Alice.
“… MY GOAL is to provide motivation and
encouragement …”
PDJ
Beverly RamseyDivision Leader, Risk Reduction &
Environmental Stewardship DivisionLos Alamos National Laboratory
they have already been accomplished …”
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 55
Sylvia H. PlunkettDeputy Regional Director (Compliance), Dallas Region
Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
PDJ
page 56 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
In a year that proved exceptionally difficultfor raising funds, Jackie Martin was on thefrontline sharing United Way’s story andenlisting people to give from their hearts.
President of United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast, Martin is an exceptionalbusiness leader who communicatesthe community’s greatest needs to awide variety of audiences—fromvolunteers, to corporate donors, tocommunity leaders, to agencies providingservices. As a result of her leadership,United Way raised $68.5 million for criticalsocial services in the Houston area.
A sixth generation Texan, Martin has alegacy of leadership in Houston’s socialservices community. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees inSociology from Texas Southern Universityand has more than 25 years of experiencein the human services field.
Prior to taking the helm of United Way,Martin served as executive director of theHouston-area San Jacinto Girl ScoutCouncil. She currently serves on the Boardof the American Leadership Forum, as amember of the Greater HoustonPartnership Executive Committee andBoard and chairs the Partnership’sExecutive Women Partnership Committee.
Martin also serves on the Board of Centerfor Houston’s Future, the Houston BetterBusiness Bureau, the Catholic EndowmentBoard and the Women’s Advisory Board ofVinson & Elkins.
Since coming to United Way, Martin hasbeen instrumental in streamlining theorganization. “We’re in the business of caring, but we are a business and we haveto run like a business,” she says. Under herleadership, United Way has driven down itsadministrative costs to under 12 percent.
Externally, Martin is the face of UnitedWay. Last year, she granted approximately150 media interviews and spoke to morethan 150 different groups. With no prepared text, Martin shares with potentialdonors the human services needs of thenation’s fourth-largest city. She tells herown personal story as a newly-divorced,unemployed mother who utilized UnitedWay-supported services to help get back onher feet. She also talks about visiting thehomes of Tropical Storm Allison victims ora local daycare center that is providingquality childcare.
Last year, when it was obvious a falteringeconomy and corporate cutbacks were negatively impacting the campaign, Martinworked with the campaign chairman, publisher of the Houston Chronicle, todevelop a series of newsletters thatappeared in the Sunday edition. When theColumbia tragedy struck in February,United Way quickly marshaled resources in the Clear Lake area to help people get critical counseling services to deal with the loss.
Martin says, “I don’t write speeches. I tellpeople what I see, and I connect themthrough that. I’m not articulate enough tolie. Especially when running a nonprofit,you have to operate in the truth modebecause somebody’s going to come in andlook (at the books).”
Jackie MartinPresident, United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast
““II TTEELLLL PPEEOOPPLLEE WWHHAATT II SSEEEE ……””
One of only two female senior vice
presidents of Eastman Kodak Company,
Karen Smith-Pilkington is passionate about
helping other women at all levels find
success at her organization. “Karen
provides an environment among her
leadership team that, while demanding
from a performance point of view, is very
inclusive,” says one senior executive of her
work. “She creates an environment in
which employees can thrive.”
Smith-Pilkington has found Eastman
Kodak to be the ideal place to promote
women’s success. She has herself had the
opportunity to lead—and grow—in a wide
variety of managerial positions in
Marketing and Human Resources.
Prior to her current position, Smith-
Pilkington served as President, Kodak
Professional and Senior Vice President,
Eastman Kodak Company, driving growth
in one of Eastman Kodak’s most mature
businesses by leveraging marketing
capabilities, operational efficiencies and
enhanced customer care. Smith-Pilkington
currently leads the merger of Kodak’s
Consumer Imaging with the Kodak
Professional businesses, changing its core
business capabilities, business model, and
operational execution. This combined
business represents Eastman Kodak’s
largest business with revenues exceeding
$7 billion.
Outspoken and energetic, this 46-year-old
mother of two actively works to influence
academic institutions, their strategies,
curriculum and policies regarding the
development and opportunities for women
and girls. She serves on the University
Karen A. Smith-PilkingtonSenior Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company
PDJ
Council, State University of New York, the
Cornell University Presidents’ Council on
Women, and on the Advisory Council,
William E. Simon School of Graduate
Business Administration, University of
Rochester. She has also served as
Chairperson of Teenage Parent Support
Systems, and as Chairperson of the
Women’s Foundation of the Genesee
Valley, an organization committed to
“funding social change through enabling
the economic self-sufficiency of women
and girls.”
“I strongly believe that two keys for a solid
future are a woman’s control over her
economic independence
and her reproductive
choices,” says Smith-
Pilkington. “If a woman
has control over these things, then she can
have control over where her life is going.”
Smith-Pilkington holds a BA in Political
Science (Summa Cum Laude) from State
University of New York at Geneseo; a
Master of Industrial and Labor Relations
from Cornell University; and a Master
of Business Administration from the
William E. Simon School of Graduate
Business Administration at the University
of Rochester. She was recently awarded the
United Nations International Photographic
Council Award, the Professional
Achievement Award from State University
of New York at Geneseo, and was named by
the Rochester Business Journal as one of its
Twenty Most Influential Women for 2003.
Today, you might find Maria Degois-Sainz at Guidant’s
Indianapolis world headquarters, fulfilling her role on the Guidant
Management Committee as one of 15 senior level company
leaders. Next Monday, she’ll be back in her Santa Clara office,
presiding over the company’s Cardiac Surgery unit.
Degois-Sainz’s responsibilities are diverse and varied, but she’s
always on course. She is an exceptionally inspiring leader,
speaking impeccable English through her rich and engaging native
Spanish accent. She joined Guidant in 1989 and, over the
following decade, earned a succession of promotions across
Guidant European operations. She and her family relocated to
Northern California with Guidant almost three years ago. Last
August, she accepted the role of president, Guidant Cardiac
Surgery, a fast-paced, 300 individual, $100+M unit.
Degois-Sainz positively impacts tens of thousands of women—and
men—by chairing Guidant’s GROW initiative. GROW focuses on
three areas: professional development, patient education and
partnership with clinicians. GROW strengthens Guidant
employee-owners by developing professional relationships and
providing career development resources. It creates awareness in
women around the globe of their own cardiovascular risk factors
and treatment options through education. And it fortifies efforts
in women’s cardiovascular health advocacy by partnering with
physicians and health organizations to dispel the myth that heart
disease is mostly a man’s health risk. To that end, she regularly
speaks to various community and professional groups about the
risk factors and symp-
toms of heart disease.
Degois-Sainz was born
in Madrid, Spain; her
father died when she
was 12, leaving her a
legacy of independence
and a powerful drive for
self-reliance.
“I worked earlier than
my peers,” Degois-Sainz
said. “Since I was good with languages, I could earn money after
school by going to neighborhood households to teach English to
the children.” Her penchant for English enabled her to put herself
through college by running a language school. She decided to
pursue graduate school in the United States, a radical departure
from her Spanish role models at the time, when women were
expected to marry young, become mothers and mostly work at
home. She took a different road, but adheres to the beliefs her
mother taught her—integrity, tolerance and balance.
“I believe that women are our Number One minority and, for us,
no one size fits all,” she said. “Through GROW, Guidant women
are fighting for understanding and acceptance that there are
different models and paths to success. We are working together
toward a more adaptable, tolerant, flexible and inclusive company.”
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 57
“… for women, no one size fits all …”
Maria Degois-SainzPresident, Cardiac Surgery, Guidant Corporation
PDJ
“… A WOMAN CAN HAVECONTROL OVER WHERE HER
LIFE IS GOING …” PDJ
page 58 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
“... encouragingothers to leverage
opportunities ...”
“... encouragingothers to leverage
opportunities ...”
Dell’s Yolanda Conyersand her son, Cameron.
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 59
By the time Yolanda Conyers finishes an
average day as director of the Global
Diversity team at Dell Inc., she may have
put the finishing touches on a new multi-
cultural program, counseled a colleague,
helped refine a program that teaches
computer skills to at-risk youth and
lunched with a prominent minority leader.
All in a day’s work for someone who
started at 6:30 a.m. and headed home just
before 4:00 p.m. for quality time with her
4-year-old son, Cameron.
“I’m an early riser,” says Conyers, “and so
I’ve created my own flexible work schedule
to meet the demands of being both a
mother and career woman. I encourage
others to leverage opportunities within
their own companies for flexible schedules
or compressed work weeks.”
In her 12 years at Dell, that’s been the drill
for Conyers, whose work, counsel and
example are a portrait of a quickly rising
executive who’s determined to make her
organization—and her world—a better
place. Her impact is evident from her
service with national organizations, such as
Technology Workforce Partners and the
Conference Board, but it shows up in less
obvious ways, too. She’s been known to
urge others to base career decisions on
what’s best for themselves and their family,
instead of money or promotions. She is a
role model for successful women trying to
balance work and family commitments,
mentoring them with the kind of positive
attitude, patience and insight that help
them realize their potential.
Conyers joined Dell in 1991 as an entry-
level software test engineer, the company’s
first African-American female engineer.
She went on to earn her MBA in
international business while on the job.
Today, as director of global diversity,
Conyers develops Dell’s workforce and
marketplace diversity initiatives with
outreach, education, communications, and
retention and recruiting programs. She has
been the driving force behind Dell’s online
diversity training program; promoted a
formal VP Mentor/Mentee program; and
launched a groundbreaking work/life
effectiveness program, enabling flexibility
to help employees achieve professional
goals and optimize their lives outside work.
Conyers has received the Special
Achievement Award from the Women of
Color Technology Awards, the Outstanding
Texan Award from the Legislative Black
Caucus and the YWCA Women in
Technology and Science Award.
Yolanda ConyersDirector of Global Diversity, Dell Inc.
PDJ
Named as one of the 50 Key Women in Energy in 2002,
Brenda Fraser Castonguay, senior vice president of administrative
services at Progress Energy, continues to break barriers in a
male-dominated industry. She has excelled at blending her
understanding of the intricacies of the technical side of a utility
with a skillful ability to manage the human resources needed to
build a strong business.
Described as teacher, mentor and leader, especially among the
women in her field, Castonguay is masterful at teaching others to
“swim against the tide,” she says.
“I have always felt the need to exceed expectations and to
perform at a high level in everything I do just to be considered
an equal among my peers,” said Castonguay. “I am proud that I
have been given the responsibility to help change the culture of
the companies with which I have worked and pave the way for
other women.”
And pave she has.
Castonguay was the first
female manager at the
Maine Yankee Nuclear
Plant and is one of the
two highest-ranking
women on Progress
Energy’s executive team. More than 1,300 employees in Human
Resources, IT/Telecom, Real Estate, Corporate Services, and
Corporate Security report to Castonguay, but her leadership has
a direct impact on each of the more than 15,000 employees of
Progress Energy.
Castonguay has been a catalyst in the company’s diversity
initiative and led the cultural integration during its recent
merger. Yet she finds the time to focus much of her energy on
helping employees develop and succeed in their own “swim
against the tide.”
Brenda Fraser CastonguaySenior Vice President of Administrative Services, Progress Energy
“… just to be considered anequal among my peers …”
PDJ
SONNENSCHEIN NATH & ROSENTHAL® LLP 700 LAWYERS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS IN: WASHINGTON, DC • CHICAGO • KANSAS CITY • LOS ANGELES • NEW YORK • ST LOUIS
SAN FRANCISCO • SHORT HILLS, NJ • WEST PALM BEACH MEMBER LEX MUNDI: THE WORLDWIDE ASSOCIATION OF LEADING LAW FIRMS
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 61
Diversity goes beyond compliance and a
commitment to social responsibility.
The 2000 Census confirms what was
reported in 1990. Soon, more than
51 percent of America's work force will
consist of women, African Americans,
Asian-Pacific Americans, Hispanic
Americans and individuals of other
non-traditional origins. The successful
company will adjust to this more global
marketplace with significant changes to its
corporate culture, business-to-business
relationships, and how it markets its prod-
ucts and services to consumers. To put it
simply, diversity is about good business.
Sonnenschein's Corporate Diversity
lawyers collaborate with their clients to
develop comprehensive diversity action
plans that address issues of concern to
senior management. We also advise CEOs,
general counsels, and other senior
executives when they are confronted with
a diversity crisis, such as an employment
discrimination class action lawsuit, or
when attempting to avoid such actions.
Our lawyers assess the legal and business
risks of an actual or potential conflict by
conducting confidential analyses of legal
vulnerabilities, as well as diversity
performance and image.
When our clients partner with
Sonnenschein, they have assurance we
bring a unique perspective to problem-
solving at every level. We are proud of the
fact that we can provide our clients with a
distinct advantage from the very outset of
any case. Together with our clients, we take
a targeted approach to legal issues, based
upon our extensive background and
experience. Always striving to be part of
the solution, the end result often is the
most expeditious and economic resolution
possible. And when litigation arises, our
clients have the comfort of knowing their
lawyers are skilled courtroom practitioners
with a superior track record in trial.
To meet corporate demands in response
to the changing global marketplace, the
Sonnenschein team utilizes a variety of
in-house resources from several of our
practice groups, including: Public Law &
Policy Strategies, Labor and Employment,
Government Contracts, and Corporate.
Shaping Public PerceptionThe Public Law & Policy Strategies Group
helps companies, associations, nonprofits,
and coalitions craft and execute long-term
strategies that sustain and enhance their
reputations with key stakeholders and
the general public. We are attuned to
diversity issues and assist our clients in
representation before governmental entities
at the federal, state, and local levels.
Working with our clients' senior executives,
and in collaboration with clients'
consultants and professional advisors, we
design public affairs strategies to ensure key
messages are understood.
Our team manages corporate controversies
and crises and responds to litigation and
enforcement actions to shape public
perception of policy solutions. We assist
staff and volunteer leaders at nonprofits
and associations. Sonnenschein promptly
takes control of sensitive situations and
implements critical action plans to preserve
corporate image, industry position,
constituent and donor bases.
Although many companies create powerful
business alliances, our Public Law & Policy
Strategies Group can further these
strengths by identifying political allies,
public affairs partnerships, advisory board
members, and "strategic philanthropy"
alignments that enhance corporate image
Women of Initiative
Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal LLP
SONNENSCHEIN MAKES DIVERSITY AMAJOR INITIATIVE
iinnssiiddeeaanndd oouutt
“We help our clientstackle the toughestdiversity problems andfind solutions that arecritical to theirbusiness success.”
Amanda EnayatiOf Counsel, Corporate
Diversity Counseling Group, PublicLaw & Policy Strategies
“Promoting a diverseworkplace is not
only the right thing—it is a business imperative.”
Singleton McAllisterChair,
Corporate DiversityCounseling Group; Partner, Public Law& Policy Strategies
“Women atSonnenschein have
critical roles in leadership at all
levels of the firm.”
Elizabeth Ferrell, PartnerCorporate Diversity CounselingGroup, Government Contracts,Public Law & Policy Strategies
and success. We understand how to craft
diversity initiatives, maximize corporate
donation strategies, and build industry
campaigns that achieve these results.
We combine policy, political, financial, and
strategic due diligence to create unique
prospects for multinational entities and
start-ups alike. Whether at the federal level
or in the community, our lawyers and
professionals have the contacts, judgment,
and experience necessary to identify
winning public-private partnerships for
our clients.
Labor, Employment and AdvancementOur lawyers have successfully handled
a variety of diversity-related litigation
matters, including some that have achieved
landmark status. Our clients turn to us for
sound, practical counsel in dealing with all
matters concerning the employment
relationship, including successful litigation
and state and federal court cases. We
appear before administrative agencies,
and provide daily business-focused
advice in handling problems arising in
the workplace.
Our capabilities and experience include:
• Defending clients at all stages, including
trial, before state and federal courts and
administrative agencies in individual,
multi-plaintiff and class action
discrimination cases, focusing on 1991
workplace harassment and other claims
arising under Title VII, the Age
Discrimination in Employment Act,
the Americans With Disabilities Act, and
corresponding state fair employment
practice laws and regulations.
• Litigation and trial of employment-
related claims, ranging from wrongful
discharge matters and related
"employment torts" such as defamation
and tortious interference claims, to suits
alleging breaches of express or implied
employment contracts and actions
involving the enforceability of, and
challenges to, restrictive covenants,
such as non-competition and
confidentiality agreements.
• Counseling clients regarding the practical
impact of governmental requirements
relating to diversity, and assisting in the
development and implementation of
programs that will avoid liability.
• Conducting audits of employment
policies and practices to ensure
compliance and to provide suggestions
for minimizing liability.
• Assisting government contractor clients
with regard to their affirmative action
obligations enforced by the Office of
Federal Contracting Compliance
Programs (OFCCP)
• Training—corporate diversity,
discrimination management skills,
workplace harassment and
discrimination issues.
Government ContractsOur national practice encompasses
counseling and litigation related to all
aspects of government contracting,
including government preferences for
small, disadvantaged, and women-owned
businesses, workforce diversity
requirements, subcontractor and supplier
diversity plans, contractor certifications and
reporting requirements, False Claims Act
investigations, performance disputes,
disputes between prime and subcontractors,
and contract award controversies and bid
protests. We represent clients in all forums
relevant to government contractors,
including federal courts, agency boards of
contract appeals, the GAO and state courts
and administrative boards.
Business TransactionsSonnenschein's Corporate lawyers act as
general counsel to major clients in the
broadcasting, manufacturing, technology,
e-commerce, food processing, health care,
and trade association industries. As such,
our clients’ top-level executives consult our
lawyers regularly on a full range of issues
arising from their business operations.
From strategic board-level decisions to
day-to-day operational issues, these lawyers
are the primary legal advisors assisting
management in evaluating issues and
formulating response strategies. Our
attorneys play a significant role in the
corporate structuring, financing,
day-to-day business activities, and major
transactional needs of these entities.
page 62 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
“We collaborate withour clients to developcomprehensive diversity actionplans—thus maximizing theirbusiness potential.”
Lisa Pandohie-Johnson, AssociateCorporate Diversity Counseling Group,
Intellectual Property & Technology, Litigation & Business Regulation
“Diversity isSonnenschein’s mostimportant strategicgoal—it is the cornerstone of ourfirm’s mission.”
Amy Bess, PartnerCorporate DiversityCounseling Group, Labor &Employment
PDJ
“Sonnenschein is anenvironment in whichwomen and people of color can flourishand succeed withoutgender and race barriers.”
Amy Liu, AssociateCorporate Diversity Counseling Group; Antitrust,Franchising & Distribution
Sonnenschein’s Women of Distinction
page 64 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Trained as a certified public accountant,
Barbara (“Bobby”) Kipp had worked at a
second tier accounting firm for 10 years
before joining PricewaterhouseCoopers in
1991. She became a partner in 1994, and
took on the role of PwC’s Director of
Ethics & Business Conduct in 1996. Her
appointment soon transitioned into a full-
time ethics role: now Global Leader of
Ethics & Business Conduct, PwC has
expanded Kipp’s U.S. responsibility
beyond the ethics program to include
the firm’s compliance oversight and
privacy programs.
“Currently, PricewaterhouseCoopers is the
only Big Four firm with a comprehensive
ethics program,” says Kipp. Kipp has made
a name for PwC—and herself—in the
world of ethics. PricewaterhouseCoopers
was the recipient of the 1998 American
Business Ethics Award. “In a short period
of time, PwC has garnered a lot of respect
for what we do and how we do it,” she says.
Kipp serves on the Board of Directors of
the Ethics Officer Association and the
Ethics Resource Center, is a member of the
New England Ethics Forum, and is a
Kallman Executive Fellow of Bentley
College Center for Business Ethics.
She is a graduate of the FBI Citizens’
Academy, member of the board of the
Boston Center for the Arts and the
Accounting Advisory Council of University
of Massachusetts, and actively involved in
community arts, educational and athletic
program activities.
Kipp admits her high energy and sense of
humor equip her to address the challenges
of her role. Ethics officers must deal with
conflicting goals and values, and often
must mediate difficult situations. Hers is a
travel-intensive job, as well, that often takes
her overseas for long periods of time. But it
also affords her some flexibility. She has a
supportive husband and family, which
makes the balancing act work.
Kipp also achieves life balance through
playing chamber music. “Music has always
been an important part of my life balance.
Playing the oboe and English horn in
musical groups has allowed me—or forced
me—not to let work take over my life.
Whether you’re in a quintet or a family, the
other players count on you. It’s not just a
commitment to yourself. If you don’t show
up, you’ve let the others down, too,” she
says. Kipp is currently playing in an
orchestra where she keeps a regular
commitment to rehearsals and concerts to
the extent possible.
Before earning her Bachelor of Business
Administration from the University of
Massachusetts at Amherst in 1981, Kipp
considered playing music for a living. She’s
never lost her love of music even as her life
took other turns. Today she finds a “level of
playing music in chamber groups that
doesn’t equal anything in other parts of
life.” Playing music, she adds, is “a gift
you always have.”
Barbara KippPartner, Global Leader of Ethics & Business Conduct,and U.S. Chief Privacy Officer, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Alison Anthony is the newly named
Manager of Diversity at Williams. A
strong human resources professional,
Alison brings to the role experience in
Staffing, Marketing, Organizational
Development, Leadership Development,
and Learning Design and Facilitation.
Most recently, she served as a Strategic
Human Resources Business Partner.
“I have accepted this role with a deep
sense of responsibility,” says Anthony.
“Promoting respect for everyone in
the workplace is a priority for Williams
and is a cornerstone for a high-
performing workforce.”
One of Anthony’s most recognized
contributions to diversity and business is
her work as founder and chair of the
Williams Women’s Networking Circle, the
most successful business resource group at
Williams to date. Through her leadership
and ability to encourage collaboration, the
group has sponsored learning initiatives
on topics such as Mentoring, Career
Planning, Increasing Business Acumen,
and Work/Life Balance.
Alison AnthonyManager of Diversity, Williams
“ … Whether you’re ina quintet or a family,
the other players counton you . . .”
PDJ
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 65
Fostering and growing diversity is not a
special project to Jane Wildman, but a
business driver. In fact, it’s probably no
small coincidence that results for
Wildman’s Global Baby Care Wipes
business have set all-time records during
the past year, achieving global record
high shares.
“When you get the people
right, you’re already ahead of the game,”
says Wildman. “Tapping the unique
strengths of each individual is
fundamental, whether it is a team of two,
or 200,” says Wildman, whose business
team today includes more than 175 people
from every region of the world.
Wildman’s lead team includes the most
diverse representation of any team in her
business unit, and she believes her diverse
team and strong business results go hand-
in-hand. “When you leverage the strengths
of a diverse group of people, you simply get
better results,” explains Wildman.
Wildman’s greatest source of pride in her
work is the promotion and recognition of
her diverse team. This involves creating
and supporting an environment where her
people are recognized and rewarded based
on their contributions. Within her
organization you’ll find a steady stream
of promotions and internal, as well as
external, recognition. She is a leader of
Baby Care’s Inclusion of Women Task
Force, Virtual Global Women’s Network,
North America Baby Care Women’s
Network, and a sponsor for the Inclusion
Leadership Team and Global Mentor
Up Program.
Beyond P&G,Wildman also chairs the
board of the Deloitte & Touche Women’s
Initiative External Advisory Board, created
to help develop women in careers at
Deloitte & Touche and connecting women
leaders at Procter & Gamble and Deloitte &
Touche in the Cincinnati area. Wildman is
also a member of the United Way Alexis de
Tocqueville Society, supporting the
Cincinnati community.
She has served on the Advisory Board for
the National Council of Child Abuse
Conference, and for more than six years
has been a Board Member for ProKids, a
Cincinnati-based court appointed special
advocate group for neglected and abused
children. Wildman’s involvement with
children—her own and those that she
serves as advocate for—has increased her
ability to understand and meet the needs of
her customers and consumers in a way that
has driven outstanding Baby Care
business results.
No matter what project she tackles, she
does so with unmatched enthusiasm and
energy.Wildman is driven to improve the
world she lives and works in, and her
“action” list makes it clear she’s not waiting
for tomorrow, or for someone else, to
make it happen.
Jane WildmanVice President
Global Baby Care Pampers Franchise/Wipes/NewBusiness Development/Developing Markets
Procter & Gamble Baby Care
“We’ve provided various approaches—
small affinity groups, brown bag lunches,
online meetings, and programs led by both
expert speakers and volunteers from across
the organization—to attract a diverse
audience across the organization with a
recognized focus on women,” says Anthony.
“A group of Williams’ executives and I have
worked with Catalyst, attended its events,
and attended the Linkage Women’s
Summit as well. We’ve used resources from
these events, as well as ongoing research, to
growWilliams’ efforts.”
Anthony is the mother of five and
balances an exceptionally active work life
with an equally active family life
punctuated with soccer, baseball, and
football games. She is also involved with
the Native American Community and
frequently attends powwows where her
husband serves in the role of emcee or
traditional drum singer.
“I believe in the priorities management
approach,” she says of her life and the
work/life management philosophy that
she teaches in many workshops.
Anthony serves on National Board of
Directors for the Alumni Association of
Oklahoma State University. She works
extensively in the Tulsa community,
serving on several local boards, including
the Margaret Hudson Program School for
Pregnant and Parenting Teens, PFLAG,
and the Education Committee for the
Tulsa Chamber. At the state level,
Anthony is a member of the Oklahoma
Business and Education Coalition. Her
contribution to these organizations has
an overwhelming impact on Tulsa—
and Williams.
PDJ
“When you get the peopleright, you’re already ahead of the game.”
“... I believe in the priorities management approach ...”
PDJ
page 66 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Jean ThomasSenior Vice President, Brand StrategyCendant Corporation Hotel Group
During working hours, Jean Thomas serves as Senior Vice
President of Brand Strategy for Cendant Corporation’s nine-
brand Hotel Group. After hours, she is one of her community’s
advocates for victims of domestic violence and their families.
“Helping victims of domestic violence get back on their feet
begins with providing a safe place away from an abuser,” says
Thomas. “To make a really tangible difference, however, they
need counseling and training programs to help them begin a
new life.”
Thomas feels strongly about being connected to the community
and, while a member (and later President) of the Junior League’s
Morristown Chapter, helped families through programs with the
Child Advocacy Center, a bone marrow donation program and
Christmas in April. Most recently, she took on the presidency of
the Jersey Battered Women’s Service Board, an organization that
provides victims of domestic violence with a 24-hour crisis
hotline, a transitional living facility, legal advocacy and
educational programs.
Thomas earned her MBA from UCLA’s Graduate School of
Management and worked with PepsiCo, Nabisco and Kraft
Foods, where she
developed her love
for brand building
and new product
launches. In the
fifteen months that
Thomas has been
with Cendant, she
has made significant
changes and has
adopted a strategic
focus on how
the company approaches its business and uses in-depth
competitive analysis to achieve a vision of where each hotel
brand should be. She also has augmented the use of research
data to better understand consumers and develop a unique
positioning for each chain; has brought aboard new agencies and
brand marketing directors; and has instituted training for every
member of the marketing department.
“To elevate the level of a marketing organization, one must
elevate the skill level of every individual team member. This can
be achieved through a combination of hiring extremely bright,
motivated professionals and by delivering skill-based training
that allows employees to gain a broad range of experiences.”
“… one mustELEVATE the SKILL level of every
individual TEAM member …”
PDJ
Kimpa MossExecutive Vice President, Tax Services
RSM McGladrey, Inc.Since Kimpa Moss joined RSM
McGladrey, Inc. in 1986, she has enjoyed
one professional success after another.
Executive Vice President of the Tax
Services division, she started as a Tax
Specialist, working largely with financial
service clients. She quickly became well
known within the Firm—and sought after
by clients—by helping business clients
understand how to make complicated tax
laws work to their benefit. Moss attained
partnership in 1998 and, three years later,
was named Vice President.
One of the Firm’s most highly regarded
experts, Moss guest lectures at bankers’
association meetings and authors articles
for national financial publications. She has
also been a favorite speaker of the Firm’s
conferences, speaking on topics ranging
from the application of highly technical
tax rules to the best practices to provide
career development for employees.
Throughout her career, Moss has nudged
and encouraged many emerging female
leaders. In fact, many of RSM McGladrey’s
female tax partners have her to thank for
helping them achieve that pinnacle of
success. She has been a member of the
Firm’s Women’s Initiative Steering
Committee for the past three years, and
“... integrity, high energy,a positive attitude, anda commitment tocontinuous improvement ...”
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 67
fully participates in programs to enhance
the career development paths of women
in the organization.
“I realized early in my career how
difficult it is for women to advance in
the accounting and financial services
profession,” says Moss. “That’s because
just as many women start to achieve
professional success, many find it difficult
to balance the demands of work and
home life and leave the profession.” Moss
has actively promoted flexible work
arrangements, which have kept many
top performers in the Firm. She, herself,
used a flexible work arrangement 14 years
ago when she was pregnant with her
second child.
“The foundation for success is integrity,
high energy, a positive attitude, and a
commitment to continuous
improvement—in ourselves, our people
and the Firm,” says Moss. She believes
in valuing the unique strengths that
individuals bring to the Firm. Since taking
responsibility for the tax practice, she has
added professionals from throughout the
industry and brought back some of the
Firm’s alumni to keep it on the leading
edge of client services.
Apart from her duties at the Firm, this
wife and mother of three freely gives of
her time and talents in the community.
Once a week, Moss serves as a Junior
Achievement business consultant at a local
elementary school, helping students better
understand how business works. She is a
charter member of the Women’s
Leadership League in Minneapolis, a
group that provides mentoring and
networking relationships for women in
business, and leads a thriving church
ministry program. PDJ
Lili ZhengInternational Tax Partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP
When Lili Zheng, an international tax
partner in Deloitte’s San Jose office, and
her family of five arrived from China in
1982, they only knew their native tongue
and had only $1,500 in their pockets.
“My family was well-to-do in China. Life in
the states was very difficult for my
siblings, my parents, and me,” says Zheng.
“We moved from a home with many
rooms in China to a one bedroom
apartment and worked many jobs
to survive.”
Born in Guangzhou, Zheng’s new
environment presented many challenges to
her, but it did not stop her from pushing
forward. “I think these challenges helped
focus me, so that I can overcome obstacles
that may be in my path,” says Zheng.
Within her first year in the states, Zheng
had learned English and had been accepted
into the University of California’s Berkeley
School of Business; she held down three
jobs to support herself through school.
“While many Chinese choose to study in
the area of engineering to avoid language
difficulties, I chose to study accounting and
finance—breaking the stereotype—because
of the challenge I felt it would provide to
me,” remembers Zheng. She holds a BS in
Accounting and Finance from the
University of California, Berkeley, and also
holds an MS in Taxation from Golden Gate
University in San Francisco.
She uses this same focus and drive in
working with her clients at Deloitte.
“I have a passion for client service and
providing value to the client,” states Zheng.
Zheng also serves as a leader in the
Chinese Services Group and has extensive
experience in working with US MNCs
investing in China as well as with Chinese
clients. She serves as a liaison for business
transactions with Greater China and had
previously worked in Deloitte’s Tokyo and
Beijing offices.
“When I graduated from the University of
California, Berkeley, I received offers from a
number of the Big 8 firms. I chose Deloitte
because it not only had a great tax practice
and was a smaller firm, it also was more
diverse than the others. I felt it had an
environment where I could fit in,” says
Zheng, who joined the firm in 1989.
“I believe the assignments that I have been
given allowed me to use all of my talents,”
added Zheng, who also speaks Mandarin
and Cantonese. “And I do believe being
able to utilize my knowledge of my culture
and language has in some way contributed
to the success of our firm.”
In 2000, Zheng was inducted into the firm’s
partnership, one of the youngest women
partners to have such a distinction and one
of the first two Chinese-American women
to be accepted into the partnership.
“Becoming a partner and being a leader of
the Chinese Services Group showed me
that the firm truly believed in me and the
work that I am doing here.” PDJ
“… they believe in meand the work that I am
doing here …”
page 68 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
As a Managing Director in Credit Suisse First Boston’s (CSFB)
Product Control area, Angie Casciato works across a broad range
of businesses, including Equities, Investment Banking, Lending
and Treasury, and manages various teams of professionals
throughout the world’s leading financial centers, from Europe to
Asia Pacific to the Americas. Her broad experience made
Casciato a natural choice to take on CSFB’s newly created
position of Global Head of Diversity.
As a key contributor in building the firm’s Product Control
Department, Angie has acquired the industry knowledge and
keen business insights that CEO John J. Mack was looking for in
the person he appointed to lead CSFB’s diversity efforts.
“Diversity is an integral part of our overall strategy,” says
Casciato. “CSFB is truly a global firm and we advise various
groups of clients in very different markets.”
Even before assuming her new responsibilities, Casciato was a
driving force behind CSFB’s diversity efforts. She served as Chair
of the Global Finance, Administration and Operations (FA&O)
Diversity Advisory Committee and the Global FA&O Networking
Team. Last year, Angie received the firm’s “One-CSFB” award for
her outstanding achievements. In 2002, she was also inducted
into the YWCA Academy of High Women Achievers in
recognition of her strong leadership.
“There is a broad range of opportunities for women in the
financial services industry,” says Casciato. “The world is
changing and the
need for women
in this industry
is growing
exponentially. But
opportunities
won’t simply
present themselves.
Women must be
willing to work
hard and to
continually
enhance their knowledge and skills. Sometimes that means
taking risks and stepping outside their comfort zones. If they do,
they will find that working in this industry is highly rewarding.”
Casciato is an active member of the Securities Industries
Association, the National Association of Female Executives and
the Financial Women’s Association. She received her MBA in
International Economics and Finance from St. John’s University,
and is a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon.
Angie CasciatoGlobal Head of Diversity, Credit Suisse First Boston
“... opportunities won’t simplypresent themselves ...”
Stephanie Wernet, Goodyear’s chief
information officer, wastes no words
about her importance to the company’s
Information Technology capabilities.
“The front-line associates have clout,
not I.”
No sense of self-importance here, but
Stephanie is earning high marks for her
ability to keep Goodyear on top of rapidly
changing technology. Her ability to see
ability in others is her strength.
“They are the thought experts with the
experience to make the right decisions for
Goodyear. All I can do is ensure that their
best ideas are heard, circulated and acted
upon. It requires that I be a very good
listener, a skill which I need to keep
developing, because you can never be a
good enough listener in a large
corporation,”Wernet insists.
Stephanie is on a fast track since joining
Goodyear in 2001 as director of e-business
for the company’s North American Tire
unit. She was named director of customer
service in January 2003 and CIO in August.
Stephanie is listening, but when she speaks,
people listen. Just don’t expect a long
dissertation. “I prefer the direct approach;
open, honest, blunt conversation. It helps
ensure clear communication, and it’s
definitely quicker.”
Stephanie K. WernetVice President, Information Technology & Chief Information Officer
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
PDJ
“… it’s a lesson in listening …”
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 69
One-time budding psychologist and
gourmet chef Anna Mok is a partner in
Deloitte’s Strategic Relationship
Management Group. “I chose the
professional services industry over my
other areas of interest because I felt it
would offer broader opportunities in
terms of personal and professional
development,” says Mok. “My past
interests have given me a unique way to
listen and to look at all the components
of a situation in order to achieve the
best outcome.”
As a client service executive, Mok leads
some of Deloitte’s largest and most
prestigious client relationships and
integrates the various services and
resources provided to global strategic
clients. There is no typical workday for
Mok, who is a wife and the mother of a
three-year old. Today she might find
herself working with the CIO and the next
day she might find herself working with
the client’s board. “I like the diversity that
my position offers, not only in terms of
the bright people with whom I have an
opportunity to work, but also in terms of
the different types of business issues for
which we help clients find solutions.”
“Seeing the challenges that my parents
faced in adapting to a new environment
taught me to adjust to change quickly and
to accept a lot of responsibility at an early
age,” says Mok, who immigrated from
Hong Kong to San Francisco as a young
child. “I was young when my mother died;
it deepened my appreciation of life and of
those who are a part of it. Although I
might have many activities going on
simultaneously, as much as possible, I try
to get my work done between Monday and
Friday so that I can spend quality time with
Jordan and John on the weekend.”
Mok, who has worked with the firm for 15
years, began her career with Deloitte as a
staff accountant. She was inducted into the
firm’s partnership in 2000, becoming the
first Chinese-American woman partner in
the Advisory & Assurance practice and
one of the first to be accepted into the
partnership. In addition to leading
significant client relationships, Mok serves
as the deputy managing partner of
Deloitte’s U.S. Southeast Asia Desk
Program and is on the executive committee
of the National Chinese Services Group,
working closely with global companies that
have cross-border operations and
transactions. Mok also leads her region’s
Pacific Rim Group; is the Asian-American
leader on her region’s Diversity Committee;
and is a co-chair of the regional
community affairs committee.
Mok is also very involved in Deloitte’s
Global Development Program, which
is focused upon bringing Deloitte
professionals from the global firm to
work in the U.S. She mainly mentors
professionals who come from Asia, and
helps them with their career development
when they come to the states.
“Many of the people that I have worked
with have returned to their countries and
have become partners,” says Mok. “It’s
great to know that this experience helped
colleagues to realize their goals with
Deloitte, and I feel good knowing that I
was a part of that process.”
Anna MokPartner, Strategic Relationship Management Group
Deloitte & Touche LLP
“… I like the diversity thatmy position offers …”
PDJ
Enough said. It’s back to Stephanie, the
listener. And that’s where she focuses
on diversity. She calls it the diversity
of thought.
“Diversity of thought in an organization
ensures creativity, innovation, growth and
successful adaptation to the changing
business environment. Without thought
diversity, an organization will die.
It is the quality of business thinking.
The most successful business solutions are
generated and implemented by broadly
diverse teams.”
Wernet’s own diversity of thought resulted
from a diverse career and educational
background. The Romeo, MI, native
received a bachelor’s degree in Electrical
Engineering from the University of
Michigan and a Master of Business
Administration from Stanford University.
Wernet was involved in e-commerce at
Reynolds & Reynolds in Dayton, OH; more
recently, she was vice president of
EyeVelocity Inc. in Portland, OR, which
developed visual personalization
technology for point-of-purchase and
Internet applications.
Wernet uses this diversity of thought
outside of Goodyear as well. She’s a
member of the University of Michigan’s
Engineering Class of 1931 scholarship
committee. “The story of the Class of ‘31 is
an amazing one. The class graduated into
the unemployment of the Depression and
still became a class of successful engineers,
business people and community leaders.
“I enjoy this role, because I get to meet
some of the best and brightest engineering
students each year as they interview for the
scholarship.” It’s a lesson in listening.PDJ
AMEC’s Dickie Sykes meets with peoplefrom minority- and women-ownedbusinesses at one of their “ProfessionalWorkshop Series” events.
page 72 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
How does a single construction firm offer
more than $900 million in contracts to
minority- and women-owned businesses in
a 10-year period? They put Dickie Sykes in
the job.
Sykes is assistant vice president of
diversity and community affairs at AMEC,
a leading international engineering
services and construction management
firm. Named this year’s “Minority
Enterprise Development Advocate of the
Year” by the U.S. Department of
Commerce, her work has not only enabled
minority- and women-owned construction
a “larger piece of the pie in New York,” but
also enabled AMEC Construction
Management Inc. to be designated the
“Center of Expertise in Minority Business
Development/Equal Employment
Opportunity” for AMEC North America.
“My first job with the company was the
construction of the USAir terminal at
LaGuardia Airport in 1990,” says Sykes.
“The involvement of WMBEs in that
project was so successful that it received the
Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey’s highest honor, the Unit Citation
Award. We were the only private company
who had ever received the honor.
“Early on, I saw a pattern: minority- and
women-owned businesses go out of
business disproportionately to white
construction contractors. Issues of
working capital and acquiring bonding are
based upon how much work you receive,
and many minority- and women-owned
contractors might receive a contract and
then not see another for a year—there was
such a lack of consistency in steady work.
So, we came up with our “round robin”
methodology, where we rotate minority
and women businesses on all of AMEC’s
projects, either as a first tier contractor or
as a second tier contractor or supplier.
That way they have consistent work for
three, four, maybe five years.
“This program develops more complex
technical ability among our contractors
because they’re working on different
projects with different scopes of work.
Their financial picture improves, which
ultimately increases their bonding abilities.
We develop a good, strong core of
minority- and women-owned businesses.
It is a win-win.”
AMEC currently hosts a “Professional
Workshop Series,” designed to nurture the
growth of minority, women-owned and
small businesses. The firm helps these
companies get involved with bidding on its
projects as either first or second tier
contractors, or as suppliers. Second tier
contractors are also matched with specific
prime trade contractors.
As AMEC’s national compliance officer,
Sykes develops and coordinates internal
affirmative action, harassment prevention
and diversity awareness training seminars;
she also develops community economic
development programs for neighborhoods
where AMEC conducts business, and
develops marketing and public relation
initiatives and strategies.
Sykes earned a bachelor’s degree from
Queens College in New York and holds a
certificate from Cornell University’s School
of Industrial and Labor Relations. She is an
active member of numerous professional
organizations and has served on the board
of Professional Women in Construction
for six years.
“I think that, innately, everyone has a gift,”
says Sykes. “When you’re challenged and
made accountable, most people use their
gift. But if you’re never given that chance,
then life just passes you by. That’s why this
job is so important. I see so much talent
out there that shouldn’t be wasted.”
Dickie SykesAssistant Vice President, Diversity and Community Affairs, AMEC
“… innately, everyone .. has a gift …”
PDJ
When UBS’Mary Farrell made the
decision to move from being an
institutional analyst to a Private Client
Group strategist twenty years ago, she
thought she was making a career tradeoff
to accommodate motherhood.
“What appeared to be a compromise—
taking a job that had more time flexibility
—has ended up being the right step in a
wonderful career path,” said the Managing
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 73
Director and recently appointed Chief
Investment Strategist for UBSWealth
Management USA.
Farrell has more than 30 years of
experience as an investment analyst and
strategist. She joined PaineWebber in 1982
as an investment strategist specializing in
small- and mid-capitalization issues.
PaineWebber merged with UBS in 2000.
Farrell is regularly featured in leading
business publications and is a regular
panelist on Louis Rukeyser’s Wall Street on
CNBC. A writer and lecturer on the topics
of retirement and women and investing,
she is the author of Mary Farrell’s Beyond
the Basics: How to Invest Your Money, Now
That You Know a Thing or Two (Simon &
Schuster, April 2000).
By carving out a unique path to the top,
Farrell has served as an excellent role
model to women throughout UBS.
“There is no greater satisfaction than seeing
women who have worked for me move on
to successful careers in great places all over
the firm,” she remarked. “It is incumbent
upon senior leaders at UBS to create an
environment where all employees can
succeed. This is done partly via diversity
councils, but it’s also essential that senior
people work one on one with employees to
help them realize their potential. It is
simply good business: good for the
employee and good for UBS.”
Farrell earned her degree in economics
from Manhattanville College and her MBA
in finance from New York University’s
Stern School of Business.
In 1997, she was awarded the Alumni
Meritorious Service Award from the New
York University Alumni Association and
the 1999 Woman of the Year Award from
Manhattanville College. In 2001, she was
honored with the Laura A. Johnson
Woman of the Year Award from the
Hartford College for Women at the
University of Hartford in her hometown of
Hartford, Connecticut. Recently, she was
named the Financial Women’s Association’s
Private Sector Woman of the Year for 2002.
“Take control of your career,” Farrell
counsels women, both inside and outside
UBS. “It is important to plan strategically
and to let your boss know what you
want—it significantly increases your
chances of getting it. But most important,
do something you love.”
Mary C. FarrellChief Investment Strategist, UBS Wealth Management USA
PDJ
““…… lleett yyoouurr bboossss kknnoowwwwhhaatt yyoouu wwaanntt——
it significantly increases yourchances of getting it …”
page 74 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
For Women,
Networking Pays OffTo be successful in today’s
marketplace, networking is
as important as having a
solid business plan and
free-flowing capital. For
women business owners, knowing
how, when and where to network is not
only necessary, but can yield results when
you least expect it.
For Maria T. Bailey, Chief Executive
Officer of BSM Media, her results took
the form of an opportunity—eight
months after she attended Office Depot’s
annual Success Strategies for
Businesswomen Conference.
It was the day her phone rang and M.J.
Calnan, Managing Director/Women’s
Leadership Initiative for Meeting
Professionals International (MPI) was on
the line. MPI is a professional association
for meeting planners and suppliers with
18,000 members, 15,000 of whom are
women. Calnan needed a guest speaker
for her annual Professional Education
Conference in San Antonio, Texas, and she
wanted Bailey.
Bailey and Calnan had met at Office
Depot’s 3rd annual women’s conference.
They were seated next to each other
during one of the opening business ses-
sions. Appropriately enough, the session
was Networlding—Creating Your “Net
Worth” with Relationships hosted by Office
Depot’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jocelyn
Carter-Miller. Based on Miller’s book
“Networlding:” Building Relationships and
Opportunities for Success, the session
focused on how to build mutually
beneficial business partnerships through
networking. During the session, Miller
asked attendees to introduce themselves to
those around them—not to discuss
business, but just to find out about each
other personally. That’s how Bailey and
Calnan connected.
Now, not only will Bailey have the chance
to address a large group of businessmen
and women, but each one of them could
be a potential client for Bailey. It’s clearly
a business opportunity she would not
have secured had she not attended the
women’s conference and connected
with Calnan.
“There is much to learn about being an
entrepreneur,” says Bailey. “Developing
valuable contacts at conferences composed
of other businesswomen who can teach
and share valuable lessons can be well
worth the time and investment.”
Bailey’s company, BSM
Media, is a full service marketing and
multimedia firm nationally recognized for
providing knowledge and valuable insight
into the “Mom market,” and owns and
operates three media properties—Mom
Talk Radio, BlueSuitMom.com and Mom
Talk TV. According to Bailey, Office
Depot’s conference is a great example of a
corporate conference that provides an
environment where entrepreneurial
women in business can truly learn by
sharing and listening to fellow leaders—
and develop long-lasting relationships.
Recognizing that women business owners
are a unique group of people with a
passion to network, build relationships
and find ways to grow and manage their
businesses, Office Depot created its
Success Strategies for Businesswomen
Conference in 2001. The annual
conference provides women in business
with networking opportunities, while
offering programs and workshops that
provide women with the knowledge they
need to manage their business more
successfully.
Networking Pays Off
DEVELOPING VALUABLE CONTACTS AT CONFERENCES COMPOSED OF OTHER BUSINESSWOMEN CAN BE WELL WORTH THE
TIME AND INVESTMENT
Women of Initiative
Office Depot, Inc.
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 75
At the Success Strategies conference,
Bailey learned that effective networking
evolves over time and patience and
discretion should always be exercised.
A common mistake made is “working the
room.” Networking is about building
relationships, so spending 20 minutes
with three people is likely to get you
further rather than trying to connect with
20 different people—or even having lunch
with just one.
Nancy Michaels, President of Impression
Impact, a marketing consulting firm in
Lexington, Massachusetts, also
understands the value of networking. In
her case, it happened over lunch with
Office Depot’s Chairman and CEO,
Bruce Nelson.
Michaels also attended Office Depot’s
women’s conference, where one of the
many events is a Silent Auction. Proceeds
from the auction benefit Count Me In, a
non-profit organization. Count Me In
champions the cause of women’s
economic independence by providing
access to business loans, consultation
and education.
Among the more than 200-plus items at
the auction was the opportunity to bid on
lunch with Office Depot’s top executive.
Michaels not only had the winning bid,
but over lunch, pitched Nelson her ideas.
As a result, she now assists with Office
Depot’s marketing efforts targeted to
small businesses, such as their popular
Web Cafe online seminar series, which
offers small business owners and their
employees the opportunity to log on and
hear from leading visionaries on what
they need to know to successfully grow
their businesses.
“Consistently giving to individuals or
causes that align with your values and
vision will reap enormous rewards,” says
Michaels. “I satisfied my need to give to
Count Me In, a worthy cause and
organization, made a valuable and lasting
connection, while gaining an incredible
business opportunity in the process.
That’s successful networking at its best.”
According to Nell Merlino, co-founder
and CEO of Count Me In, “Today, women
entrepreneurs need a variety of financial
services, too. These include training,
support systems and technical assistance
as well as the small loans that are crucial
to getting their businesses up and running
—and are often extremely difficult to
obtain from standard sources.”
Count Me In recognizes that many
women do not have the business histories
required to obtain loans and usually do
not have traditional forms of collateral.
Additionally, they generally need smaller
amounts of money than a financial
institution might consider. Since its
inception in 1999, this non-profit
organization offered loans to help over
500 women get their
own businesses off the
ground. Each month,
the organization
reaches over 150,000
women via its
website, providing
education, support
and networking
information in both
English and Spanish.
In future years, Count
Me In expects to
change the playing field for women
entrepreneurs by helping to change the
way that loan requests are evaluated across
the country.
Office Depot has supported Count Me In
since 2001 and contributed more than
$70,000 resulting from proceeds of silent
auctions at previous conferences.
Thanks to Office Depot, Count Me In
continues to grow and impact women as
they seek to gain financial independence
for themselves, their families and
their communities.
Clearly, women small business owners and
entrepreneurs represent a significant force
in America’s marketplace and Office
Depot is
helping to
pave the
way for
women to
achieve
success
and
growth.
The
conference
offers a
forum
that
encourages women to network
and connect with others who can
help them not only grow their
business, but achieve greater success.
The Office Depot Success
Strategies for Businesswomen
Conference will again take place
at the Boca Raton Resort & Club
in Boca Raton, Florida on
February 22-24, 2004.
Registration is open to the
public, but limited to the
first 750 participants. Those
interested in registering may
do so online at
www.officedepotsuccess.com.
Nell Merlino, co-founder and
CEO of Count Me In
Nancy Michaels, President
Impression Impact
Maria T. Bailey, Chief Executive
Officer of BSM Media
PDJ
page 76 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
As the former U.S. Secretary of Labor,
Alexis M. Herman is often described as
the “nation’s ultimate job counselor.”
So when the Board of Directors of
gaming giant MGM MIRAGE sought to
demonstrate diversity leadership at the
highest level with the creation of a
Diversity Committee, it named Herman
as its chair.
The committee’s purpose is to assist the
Board in guiding the diversity initiative as
a strategic business imperative, engaging
all aspects of the company’s operations.
“She brings great strength, commitment
and her proven experience to our
company,” said Chairman and Chief
Executive Officer Terry Lanni. “Our
commitment to diversity is centered on
creating a culture that reflects diversity as
a core value: diversity is who MGM
MIRAGE is and not just what we do.”
Herman began her career as a social
worker, helping young men find work in
the shipyards of Pascagoula, MS. Later, she
ran an organization that placed women in
nontraditional jobs. At 29, she was the
youngest person ever to serve as director
of the Labor Department’s Women’s
Bureau. In the 1980s, Herman ran her
own company, A.M. Herman & Associates,
advising corporations on how to recruit,
train and retain workers. In 1992, she
served as CEO of the Democratic National
Convention. The following year, Clinton
appointed her director of the White
House Public Liaison Office.
Herman served as the 23rd United States
Secretary of Labor in the Clinton
Administration beginning in 1997.
Prior to that, she had served for four years
as Assistant to the President and Director
of the White House Public Liaison Office.
Other positions included serving as
Deputy Director of the Presidential
Transition Office in 1992 and Chief
Executive Officer of the 1992 Democratic
National Convention Committee.
Herman serves on the Board of Directors
of Columbia, IN-based Cummins Inc. and
the Nyack, NY-based Presidential Life
Insurance Corporation. She is also a
member of the Advisory Committee for
Public Issues for the Advertising Council.
Herman received a Bachelor of Arts
degree in Sociology in 1969 from Xavier
University in New Orleans, LA and is a
recipient of more than a dozen honorary
degrees from major colleges and
universities around the country.
““…… ssttrreennggtthh,, ccoommmmiittmmeenntt aanndd pprroovveenn eexxppeerriieennccee ……””
Alexis M. HermanFormer U.S. Secretary of Labor
Member, MGM MIRAGE Board of Directors
PDJ
Lorraine Brock Vice President, Diverse Markets, Nationwide Insurance
Since joining Nationwide in 1996,
Lorraine Brock has worked tirelessly to
make insurance services more accessible to
urban consumers across the country.
Vice president of Diverse Markets, Brock is
responsible for Nationwide’s multi-
functional diverse markets strategy and its
implementation. Under her leadership,
Nationwide has opened sales and service
centers in major metropolitan cities and
facilitated grants for various housing
groups totaling more than $350 million—
investments targeted to revitalize and
develop safe, affordable housing for urban
consumers—strategic investments that
have made homeownership a reality for
residents of diverse backgrounds.
Brock knows the inside of the insurance
industry well. She has 25-plus years’
experience including management
positions in sales operations, marketing,
finance, corporate relations and urban
affairs. What Brock has uniquely brought
to her corporation, however, is her ability
to bring the outside in: with her help,
Nationwide has established strategic
national partnerships with the NAACP,
Habitat for Humanity, the National Urban
League and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
“These organizations are very connected to
the work that I do here for the company,”
says Brock. “They enable me to stay in
close contact with market realities and they
provide good information for what’s
happening in the marketplace.”
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 77
Joyce MosleyManager of U.S. Compensation and Benefits, IKEA
A 15-year volunteer for the National
Adoption Center and a tireless mentor to
both minority professionals and urban
students, it’s no surprise that Joyce Mosley
found a great career fit with IKEA. The
furniture retailer’s commitment to diversity
and social responsibility struck a chord
with Mosley immediately.
She recalls her initial contact with an
IKEA recruiter: “I was asked how I felt
about working with people of diverse
backgrounds,” says Mosley. “As a minority
candidate, I was glad to be asked. Over the
phone they did not know who I was, so I
assumed that was a question asked to all
candidates. From the start, it told me that
IKEA is a company that walks the talk.”
As IKEA’s Manager of U.S. Compensation
and Benefits, Mosley is responsible for the
strategic planning, compliance and
administration of IKEA’s benefit plans for
8,000 co-workers (employees). She joined
the company just six months ago at a very
exciting time, with IKEA in the first stages
of its 10-year expansion plan to build 50
new stores in North America.
“One of the things that sets us apart from
other retailers is that our culture is so
focused on co-workers’ needs and work-life
balance,” she says. “This is evidenced by the
fact that part-time people receive health
coverage and other benefits. This is unusual
in today’s economic climate when a lot
of retailers are pulling benefits from
employees.” IKEA also offers flextime,
telecommuting, a mentoring program
and flexible holidays—a policy that allows
co-workers to select which days they would
like to take as holidays. “This helps us
embrace each co-worker’s traditions
and value one another’s differences,”
adds Mosley.
Also important to Mosley are IKEA’s strict
requirements for all suppliers and sub-
suppliers regarding social and working
conditions, environmental awareness and
zero tolerance for child labor. “It’s one
thing to say that you are committed and it’s
another thing when the proof is there and
people’s lives are improved,” says Mosley.
And she should know; her personal track
record for making a difference in people’s
lives is extensive.
As a board member of the National
Adoption Center, Mosley speaks to
minority communities in her home of
Philadelphia about the need for loving
homes for children who are considered
hard to place due to their age, or physical,
mental or developmental disabilities. She’s
also an adoptive mother. Her son, Kevin,
whom she adopted when he was 2, is now
30 and the father of three. They both have
made tremendous contributions to the
Center and were named “2000 Family of
the Year.”
Mosley is also a long-time mentor to urban
youth through Philadelphia’s Franklin
Institute PACTS (Partnership for Achieving
Careers in Technology and Science)
Program and offers HR professionals
advice on navigating through corporate
culture and developing strategies for career
advancement through the National
Association of African-American
Human Resources. PDJ
“... we embrace each co-worker’s
traditions and VALUEone another’s differences ...”
Brock’s passionate dedication to
improving urban housing and insurance
opportunities is evident through her
community involvement, as well. She
currently serves on two national boards
focusing on urban insurance—the
National Insurance Task Force and Urban
Insurance Partners Institute—and serves
on the National Hispanic Corporate
Council. She is an active member of
Corporate Sisters, a local organization that
strives to promote diversity, mentor
younger women and further the
professional development of African-
American females in the workplace.
Recently, Brock was awarded the 2003
Donald H. McGannon Award from the
National Urban League. The award is given
each year to a select group of individuals
who epitomize McGannon’s commitment,
ideas and belief in equal opportunity. At
the presentation, Marc Morial, National
Urban League president, praised Brock
calling her “a tenacious advocate of the
National Urban League and its work.”
“Our partnership with the National Urban
League is important to our objectives of
building strategic relationships that are
connected to our efforts to reach diverse
populations,” says Brock. PDJ
“... a TENACIOUSadvocate of the
National Urban Leagueand its work ...”
page 78 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Kathy GeierSenior Vice President, Human ResourcesThe Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Degrees in biology and psychology seem to
be the perfect background for Goodyear’s
leader in human resources. Consider the
acceptance of diversity—of species and
human behavior—embraced by each
science. Kathy Geier’s immediate
understanding and acceptance that each
associate is different in their own way
allow her to create an inclusive workplace
that goes far beyond looking at race and
gender issues.
“Diversity means thinking in terms of
varied backgrounds and experiences that
can be educational, socioeconomic and
geographic. That leaves diversity fairly
open-ended—to maximize the
contribution of every person,” Geier says.
Geier’s career is rich in opportunity,
because of “the willingness of Goodyear to
embrace and promote a truly diverse
working environment.” She joined
Goodyear in 1978 as a trainee after
graduating from Heidelberg College in
Tiffin, OH, with Bachelor of Science
degrees in Biology and Psychology. She
transferred to the company’s Gadsden, AL,
manufacturing plant as an industrial
engineer, followed by a number of
assignments where she took on a variety of
roles such as plant manager and business
center manager, before taking on a human
resources position.
“Sometimes opportunity knocks in
unexpected ways. We need to be open-
minded enough to take advantage of it,”
says Geier. “Early in my career, I had decid-
ed that I would follow a human resource
track. A superior suggested that I take an
operational position to broaden my
perspective. I ultimately became a plant
manager, and although I returned to
human resources, the operational position
is invaluable in the contribution I can
make to the company today.”
Prior to her present position, Geier was
also director of human resources for
Goodyear’s Eastern Europe, Africa, Middle
East region, based in Brussels. It was
another step in her diversity training—
from both socioeconomic and
geographic aspects.
Now as senior vice president, human
resources she is responsible for developing
and executing a global human resources
strategy to drive the company’s
competitiveness in the marketplace. Often
that requires challenging the status quo.
“I know that I have to champion
initiatives that change existing policies and
practices that lower morale. I want an
environment that encourages
cooperation among associates,” says Geier.
“We need to create an environment at
Goodyear that values and respects
people through best-in-class selection,
development and motivation of
associates throughout their career.”
Cherie Rice, a veteran of 18 years with
Waste Management, Inc. and Vice
President of Investor Relations, is known as
a sharp, experienced authority on the ups
and downs of the industry, making her a
valuable asset to company leadership as
well as industry analysts. Rice’s career
started when she accepted an offer to work
at a local Waste Management operation
shortly after graduating from the
University of Oregon.
“Most people don’t say ‘I want to go work
for a garbage company’ right after they get
out of college,” said Rice. “While at first it
didn’t sound like an attractive industry for
me to work in, it was an opportunity that
I’m glad I took.”
During her first 10 years in the business,
Rice worked at field operations around the
country, learning different facets of the
industry—customer service, waste
collection, recycling and disposal—from
her coworkers on the frontlines.
“I learned that this is really a local business
—people feel as passionate about their
garbage collection as they do about police
or fire protection for their neighborhoods,”
said Rice. “We have to do it right by
providing the best customer service.”
As she worked her way up through the
finance ranks, from local accounting
manager to regional controller in charge of
several states, strong relationships with
supportive supervisors became important
to her advancement in the company.
“I had a few big champions who spotted
my potential, abilities and dedication to
doing things right,” said Rice. “These early
champions helped shape my opinions
about the importance mentors and coaches
play in an individual’s career.
“While it is easy to focus on our own
individual progress, I think that it is
“… Sometimes OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS
in unexpected ways …”
PDJ
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 79
Cherie RiceVice President of Investor RelationsWaste Management, Inc.
critically important for managers to realize
the impact and difference they play in
somebody else’s career, both positively and
negatively,” added Rice.
Her experience in the industry has given
her a unique perspective of the company’s
history and field operations. And after six
years as the head of Investor Relations,
research analysts from firms such as Smith
Barney, Goldman Sachs and Lehman
Brothers—as well as investors and potential
investors—rely on her expertise.
Recently, Rice traveled to Europe with
Waste Management Chairman, CEO and
President A. Maurice Myers and CFO
David Steiner to meet with professionals
from more than 50 investment companies.
During this whirlwind tour, the team met
with both institutional and potential
investors to the company, explaining why
they should hold Waste Management stock
in their portfolios.
“There was a high level of interest in
Waste Management,” said Rice. “We believe
that we have already attracted the purchase
of over one million shares as a result of
these meetings.”
Rice feels that management in companies
across the country are learning to recognize
and appreciate gender differences as
positive qualities, which can serve as assets
for organizations.
“Waste Management is working to create
an environment of diversity and inclusion,
where everyone has an opportunity to
succeed. Our CEO, Board of Directors and
senior leadership team are working
together to create significant opportunities
for qualified women and minorities to
advance into leadership positions
throughout this company.” PDJ
““…… tthhiiss iiss rreeaallllyy aa llooccaall bbuussiinneessss ……””
Jean Crowder Drummond President and CEO, HCD InternationalDynamic, energetic and inspired are
words that have been used to describe
entrepreneur Jean Crowder Drummond.
This wife and mother of two is founder
and president of a small but fast-growing
management consulting firm, HCD
International. Like many new firms, HCDI
got its start in a side room of Drummond’s
home; it has since grown to extend its
professional services to both national and
international clients.
Driven by purpose and her passion for
excellence and service, Drummond inspires
HCDI’s staff to seek opportunities beyond
one’s “zone of comfort”creating a platform
for personal and professional growth.
Drummond offers solutions to clients in
the area of organizational development and
training, marketing, conference planning,
technical writing and healthcare
management. Her client list includes the
U.S. Executive Office of the President,
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services, U.S. General Service
Administration, U.S. Department of
Commerce, the Environmental Protection
Agency, Verizon, Johns Hopkins Medicine
and numerous other federal and private
organizations. It has already been noted for
its outstanding performance, and was
awarded the U.S. Small Business
Administration’s Administrator Award of
Excellence, as well as recognized by the
U.S. Department of Transportation and a
Maryland State Senate Resolution.
Recently named 2003 Businesswoman of
the Year by the Congressional Business
Advisory Council, Drummond continually
shares her enthusiasm with numerous
other female entrepreneurs by providing
business counsel on how to start and grow
a successful business.
“We can succeed if we remain purpose-
driven, focused and tenacious,” says
Drummond, “never letting a challenge
change your quest for success.” Drummond
will share her success vision for women in
her upcoming book, ‘Mission Impossible,
Made Possible’: An Experience In Spiritual
Enterpreneuralism.
“… We can SUCCEED if weremain purpose-driven,
focused and TENACIOUS …”
PDJ
Cherie Rice with Maurice Myers, Chairman, CEO & President
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 81
When Ann Weiser joined Giant Food Inc.
(Giant) as Executive Vice President for
Human Resources, Labor Relations and
Public Affairs, she made a commitment to
make Giant a great place to work. For the
women of Giant, this meant providing
the tools to encourage professional
development and the resources to address
life’s challenges.
“I worked at several Fortune 500
companies, and saw and experienced first
hand the juggling acts that many women
must perform, not only professionally, but
also personally,” said Weiser.
As a result, Weiser spearheaded the
creation of Giant’s Women’s Initiative, a
comprehensive program that speaks to the
many challenges and demands faced by
Giant’s women at work and at home.
With the objective to “Enrich, Enhance,
and Advance,” the Women’s Initiative
targets four strategic areas: Making a
connection with the company, providing
opportunities for growth, giving back to
the community, and making life easier.
These areas were identified from feedback
received from the women of Giant
through numerous focus groups
conducted by Weiser.
“It was a great exchange of information
and I learned a great deal. I also learned
that we had a lot of work ahead of us,”
commented Weiser about the
focus groups.
With a plan in place, Weiser
had the enormous task of
executing these strategies.
To accomplish this, she looked
to Giant’s Women’s Forum.
For many years, the Forum
had functioned as a vehicle to
informally connect the
women of Giant. Today, it has
taken on a new role with its
Steering Committee members
accepting the charge of
driving the Women’s
Initiative. The members of
the Steering Committee are
excited and energized about
the new program and the
positive impact that it will
have on the women of Giant.
The Committee is divided
into four work teams tasked with
implementing specific areas of the plan.
Making a Connection to the CompanyOne of the characteristics of a great place
to work is feeling a connection with the
company, i.e., feeling good about starting
a career with Giant and staying motivated
eennrriicchh,, eennhhaannccee,,aaddvvaannccee
GIANT FOOD INC. ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF WOMEN EMPLOYEES WITH A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL, FOUR-TIERED INITIATIVE.
“... I learned a great deal. I also learned that we had a lot of work ahead of us.”Ann Weiser Executive Vice President for Human Resources, Labor Relations and Public AffairsGiant Food Inc.
Women of Initiative
Giant Food Inc.
page 82 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
to keep growing here. That is why one
initiative looks at enhancements to new
associate orientation and the “on-
boarding process.” This will ensure that
women experience a warm welcome and
feel supported as they become acclimated
with their new job and work setting.
Providing Opportunities for GrowthThis strategy focuses on professional
development, including networking,
training, mentoring, and informal
learning. Its keystone is the quarterly
Women’s Forum meetings. In addition to
these meetings, there will be
a new book club, Intranet site, taking the
Forum “on the road” to women associates
in Giant’s retail stores, and much more.
Giving Back to the CommunityBuilding on Giant’s rich history of
community involvement, the company
supports the Suited for Change
organization in the District of Columbia.
This organization provides career
clothing, career counseling, and other
support to disadvantaged women entering
the workforce. Work with Suited for
Change includes annual clothing drives,
career planning seminars, and volunteer
activities. This is our effort to make the
work world a better place for all women.
Making Life EasierWomen often have many roles—parent,
professional, caregiver, wife, and more—
which can make life particularly complex.
As a support strategy, Giant collects and
communicates information, policies, and
services that can simplify daily life, reduce
stress, and increase overall job satisfaction.
The RewardsWeiser and her team are seeing the fruits
of their labor. The word is out about the
new Women’s Initiative and attendance at
the quarterly Women’s Forum meetings
has tripled. Additionally, the Women’s
Forum on Tour is a series of quarterly
meeting that bring the same information
to women leaders in Giant’s retail stores’
in-store operations.
As the largest retail grocer in their area,
Giant has a strong history of community
involvement. Therefore, the partnership
with the Suited for Change organization
complements the company’s ongoing
commitment in this area. To date, Giant
has sponsored “Career Days” for clients
of Suited for Change. These events help
to sharpen interviewing, resume
writing, and job hunting skills.
Moreover, participants have the
opportunity to interview and be hired for
open positions within Giant Food’s stores.
“We are extremely excited about our
partnership with Suited for Change. We
hope to elicit additional support for the
group by involving our vendors,” says
Weiser. In fact, this has already taken
place. Last year, one of Giant’s vendors
donated a year’s supply of pantyhose to
the organization.
Weiser is passionate and committed to
making Giant Food a great place to work.
From her vision, Giant will lead the way
and be an example to other companies
looking to Enrich, Enhance, and Advance
the women in their organizations.
For more information about Giant Food Inc.,
visit www.giantfood.com, or contact C.J. Terry,
Director/Corporate Diversity & Community
Relations at [email protected].
GETTING THE ENTIRECOMPANY INVOLVED. Giant collects and communicates
information, policies, and services
that can simplify daily life, reduce
stress, and increase overall job
satisfaction.
Giant’s support of
Suited for Change includes
annual clothing drives,
career planning seminars,
and volunteer activities.
PDJ
page 84 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
“I never would have believed that the
women’s network would be such a
success,” said Ellen Schubert, one of the
founders of UBS’ All Bar None network.
Managing Director of Foreign Exchange
and Precious Metal Sales in North
America, Schubert—who also serves as
co-Chairperson of the UBS Diversity
Committee—learned that women in the
firm wanted increased access to senior
management and more opportunities to
get together. So she brought together a
handful of women from across levels
and businesses.
“This small group of women generated a
number of ideas. They were determined to
make things happen, but needed a forum,”
stated Schubert. “I was able to provide
that forum since I already had the ear of
senior management.”
Since its inception, All Bar None has hosted
many well-received initiatives including
mentoring programs, career development
forums, investing seminars, networking
receptions, and regular lunches with
managing directors. In 2002, Schubert,
along with several other women Managing
Directors (MDs) at the firm, organized the
network’s “Challenge Yourself to Succeed”
career development program.
“I take a lot of pride in the Challenge
Yourself to Succeed conference,” Schubert
said. “In a tough year, when budgets were
being cut, the senior management of the
firm—both men and women—
demonstrated their commitment to this
issue. We had our women MDs up on a
panel talking about how they juggle their
jobs with their families and their
community commitments.”
Attendees from the 2002 event “followed
in Schubert’s footsteps” by creating a
similar program for junior women within
the firm the following year.
In her current role, Schubert is responsible
for marketing foreign exchange and
precious metal advisory services and
products to a global client base of
corporations, hedge funds, and investment
companies. She also acts as Chairperson
of the North American Distribution
Committee, which oversees the
coordination and distribution of all
investment bank products in North
America, and as Chairperson of the
Global Hedge Fund Committee and
Member of the UBS Warburg Board.
Schubert received a Bachelor of Arts in
Economics and History from Miami
University, Oxford, OH. A busy wife
and mother of five—all boys—she also
makes time to give back to her
community, serving on the Executive
Committee of Junior Achievement of
Southwestern Connecticut.
Ellen SchubertGlobal Head of Leverage Fund Business, Foreign Exchangeand Precious MetalsCo-Head of Hedge Fund Business, Cross-ProductUBS Investment Bank
PDJ
“... determined to make things happen ...”
This fall, Joyce A. Bender, CEO and
founder of Bender Consulting Services,
Inc.(BCS), was awarded the New Freedom
Initiative Award. Presented by Secretary of
Labor Elaine Chao, this award is given to
those who have demonstrated exemplary
and innovative efforts in furthering the
employment objectives of President
George W. Bush’s New Freedom Initiative.
Bender’s firm provides technology
consulting services to its customers and
competitive employment opportunities
for people with disabilities, who are
trained in the information technology,
engineering, finance/accounting, human
resources, and general business areas.
“Hiring people with disabilities should
not be thought of as a charitable act; it is a
business solution,” says Bender. “It is a
good business decision that will pay off in
dividends, and will also be the right thing
to do.”
Over the past seven years, through the
dynamic leadership of Mary George
Opperman, New York’s Cornell University
has made significant progress toward
becoming a “model employer”—or, as
Opperman would say, the “kind of university
and workplace where people choose to come
and choose to stay.”
“... more to
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 85
Bender also heads Bender Consulting
Services of Canada, Inc. (BCSC), focused on
competitive employment opportunities for
Canadians with disabilities, and Bender and
Associates International, Inc., an
executive search firm.
In 1985, Joyce had a
life-threatening
accident that caused
an intra-cranial brain
hemorrhage,
requiring brain surgery. Against all odds,
Joyce recovered, but the accident left her
with a 60 percent hearing loss in one ear
and the realization that she had epilepsy,
which had—she discovered—caused the
accident. Through this personal
experience, she developed a passion for
helping people with disabilities and her
corporation was born.
“I have worked in employment for over
24 years,” says Bender. “People with
disabilities have many inherent traits that
are valuable to an employer such as
thinking outside the box, tolerance, being a
team player, problem solving and patience.
People with disabilities have to be patient;
we have no choice.”
In 1999, Joyce was
presented with the
President’s Award by
President Clinton, the
highest honor awarded by
the President of the
United States to an American who furthers
the employment and empowerment of
people with disabilities. In September 2002,
BCS received the Employer of the Year
Award from the National Epilepsy
Foundation. BCS also received the 1999
Employer of the Year Award from
hireAbility in Philadelphia, PA and the
1997 Power of Work Award from Goodwill
Industries. In 2002, BCSC received the
Diversity in the Workplace Award from
the Canadian Paraplegic Association
of Ontario.
Bender serves on the boards of the Central
Blood Bank, Highmark, Inc., and the
Epilepsy Foundation of Western and
Central Pennsylvania, among others. She
was one of the first regional coordinators
for Disability Mentoring Day and coordi-
nates activities in Pennsylvania, Delaware
and Toronto. She is the host of “Disability
Matters with Joyce Bender,” a radio show
on voiceamerica.com, and a frequent
speaker throughout the United States
and Canada.
Joyce A. BenderCEO and Founder, Bender Consulting Services, Inc.
“ People with disabilities have to
be PATIENT; wehave no choice ”
PDJ
Mary George OppermanVice President for Human Resources, Cornell University
As the vice president for human resources,
Opperman is a key organizational strategist
and policy-maker for the university. Since
her arrival at Cornell in 1996, Opperman
has persevered in improving the working
lives of Cornell’s staff and faculty, as well as
serving as a role model for the “balance”
between work and personal responsibilities.
Under her guidance, Cornell implemented
a child-care financial assistance program to
help more than 300 families cover the
rising costs of childcare. She also pushed
for improving staff salaries, and helped put
in place a multi-year pay program in which
even Cornell’s lowest paid non-bargaining
unit employee is now paid nearly 20% over
the Ithaca area’s “living wage.”
Opperman has set a personal example for
fulfilling both her work and her family
responsibilities. As a mother of two
children, she takes time to attend dance
recitals and football games and participate
in fundraisers for her children’s school, as
well as serving as an active volunteer for
several community organizations. More
importantly, she makes clear to employees
that it is important to be successful both at
work and at home.
“There is a big difference between ‘have to’
and ‘choose to,’” says Opperman. “You
begin to realize that there are things in
your life that are not waiting for you—
they’re happening anyway. For me to be a
successful employee, I need an employer
that understands that. For anyone to be
their best at work, there must be more to
life than work. It’s just a practical reality.”
Before coming to Cornell, Opperman
served for 13 years in the Office of Human
Resources at Harvard University. A native
of Clinton, NY, she received her BA in
political science at the State University
College of New York (SUNY). She received
national certification as a senior profes-
sional in human resources, and has also
taken post-graduate coursework through
Harvard and the University of Michigan.
She currently serves as Chair of the Board
of Challenge Industries, an organization for
individuals with disabilities; she also serves
as a member of the Tompkins County
Workforce Development Board, the
Tompkins County Youth Employment
Council, and as treasurer for Foodnet. life than work ...” PDJ
page 86 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
It takes more than a recognizable name in
a community to make a difference. At
Bank of America, they know that genuine
community involvement and a charitable
culture distinguish a company and inspire
loyalty and admiration.
In Houston, they have a true champion of
that philosophy in Deborah Cannon.
Cannon is the small business banking
executive for Bank of America’s Central
Region, responsible for the small business
line in 10 states in the Southwest, Midwest
and Texas. She is also the President of Bank
of America in Houston.
You cannot mention a Houston growth
organization without hearing her name
attached to it. Cannon is Chairman of the
Greater Houston Partnership, and a
director of United Way of the Texas Gulf
Coast, the Center for Houston’s Future, and
The Women’s Museum. She is a
member of the M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center Board of Visitors, Houston Super
Bowl 2004 Executive Steering Committee,
Dallas Forum/International Women’s
Forum and Executive Women’s Partnership
of Houston. To say she is “Houston Proud”
would be an understatement.
“I believe
we must
focus our
considerable community resources on
identifying the issues that will be most
important to Houston during the next
decade,” says Cannon. “Then we will find
the solutions that will enable Houston to
remain one of the best places in this
country to live, work, learn and play.”
With more than 25 years at Bank of
America and its predecessors, Cannon has
wide-ranging consumer, commercial,
corporate and international financial
services experience. She directed
operations in Brazil for nearly four years,
served as district manager for the Midwest
division of corporate banking and was
president of a former subsidiary. She is a
graduate of Southern Methodist University
and completed studies at the University of
Virginia and the National Commercial
Graduate School of Lending at the
University of Oklahoma.
One of her areas of community focus is
The Women’s Initiative of United Way
of the Texas Gulf Coast, increasing
participation from women professionals,
business owners and volunteers.
“I believe in the United Way and the
critical role it plays in our community”
says Cannon. Not only is the Women’s
Initiative important for the growth and
stability of the area, she says, but it offers
the women of Houston a place to network
and to grow as community partners. On
a personal level, says Cannon, “It has
afforded me the opportunity to get to
know some incredibly interesting and
successful women whose company
I enjoy.”
“… we must focus ourconsiderable
community resources …”
Deborah CannonPresident, Bank of America, HoustonSmall Business Banking Executive, Central Region
As the new President of Catalyst, the
leading research and advisory organization
working to advance women in business,
Ilene H. Lang isn’t exactly stepping into
uncharted territory. She has broken many
barriers in her own career.
Widely recognized as a pioneering female
high-tech/internet executive, she has
advised CEOs and entrepreneurs as a
Board member, coach, and angel investor.
She was a venture partner of First Light
Capital and a member of the 8Wings
Ventures angel network, a seed stage
investment group that backs women-led
companies. Founding CEO of AltaVista
Internet Software Inc., she led the
commercialization of the highly popular
AltaVista Internet search service and
marketed a line of award-winning Internet-
based business software products.
As a successful businesswoman, Lang
brought high energy and corporate savvy
to the advancement of women in every
sector of the global marketplace. Now, as
President of Catalyst, Lang regularly
addresses national and international
groups of senior leaders in a variety of
business, academic, and public policy
PDJ
Ilene H. LangPresident, Catalyst
As Senior Vice President and General
Counsel for Hyatt Hotels Corporation,
Sara L. Hays is responsible for managing
Hyatt’s hotel and timeshare operations and
transactions—acquisitions, negotiation of
hotel and timeshare management, venture
and financing documentation. She also
serves on Hyatt’s managing committee. Her
major focus, however, has been to revamp
the legal function of the company to better
support ongoing business objectives.
“We are a service group within a service
business,” says Hays of her revamping
efforts. “As the legal end of the business
doesn’t generate revenue, the question
presented itself: ‘how can we be perceived
as adding value, not a bottleneck to the
efforts of our team members?’”
The answer was to build relationships
within the corporation itself. “Each of the
attorneys in our group have direct client
assignments (i.e., sales and marketing).
This changes our focus to be one of
problem solving,” says Hays, “and enables
us to be viewed as partners.We’re all in
the hotel business; we all want us to be
successful.”
Hays joined Hyatt as general counsel in
1994. She brought with her, she says, a pair
of “fresh eyes.”
“From a purely operational standpoint, I
didn’t have any ownership of the
bureaucracy and, from being in private
practice, brought with me the conviction
that you live and die by making your
clients happy. That was my vision for how
we could change the way we think about
delivering service,” says Hays. Some service
delivery changes were small, but had a huge
impact. Hyatt’s new sales contract, for
example, was re-written so that meeting
planners would spend less time poring over
contract language and more time planning
details that would contribute to the success
of the meeting. Not only was the meeting
contract made easier to read and
understand, the legal language was made
standard from property to property.
“People in our office get to interact with
every part of this company,” says Hays.
“We have the obligation to learn about
every part of our business. It’s a fascinating
place to sit!”
Outside of Hyatt, Hays is President of the
Alumni Council of Carleton College, her
alma mater, and a member of the Board of
Directors of Glessner House Museum.
Hays frequently speaks and participates in
panels at legal and hospitality seminars and
conferences throughout the United States.
Hays received her Juris Doctor from
Northwestern University School of Law
and is a member of the American
Corporate Counsel Association and
American Bar Association. She also holds
an MBA from the Kellogg Graduate School
of Business.
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 87
venues. She is an expert on the
advancement of women in corporations
and professional firms, workforce
demographic trends, the business case for
women’s career development, innovative
strategies for retaining and advancing
women, and work/life balance issues.
“I want to focus on strengthening and
deepening the Catalyst mission,” says Lang.
“If you look at every initiative underway
and flesh out the segments focusing on
women and the segments focusing on
business, there are significant opportunities
to build on Catalyst’s strong foundation.”
Lang also serves on the Board of Directors
of Adaptec Corporation (computer storage
solutions), ART Technology Group
(e-commerce software), and the Tufts
Health Plan. She served on the Board of
Directors of PlanetAll prior to its
acquisition by Amazon.com, the Advisory
Board of Direct Hit Technologies prior to
its acquisition by Ask Jeeves, and the Board
of Trustees of Radcliffe College prior to its
merger with Harvard University.
Prior to AltaVista, Lang served as Senior
Vice President of the Desktop Business
Group at Lotus Development Corporation,
responsible for the worldwide development
and marketing of Lotus’s SmartSuite
product line, a $500+ million business.
She also served as President and CEO of
Individual.com and CEO of Essential.com.
Lang earned an AB in History and
Literature from Radcliffe College and an
MBA from Harvard Business School. She is
the mother of three grown children—
Sarah, Penelope, and Edmund.
PDJ
Sara L. HaysSenior Vice President and General Counsel, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
“… we have the obligation tolearn about every part of
our business …”
“… I want to focus on strengthening and deepening theCatalyst mission …”
PDJ
Connie Glaser is one of the country’s
leading experts on women and leadership.
Her best-selling books, including Swim
with the Dolphins, have been translated
into over a dozen languages and are among
the most widely-read and influential books
for working women today. Connie was
recently honored for her achievements by
being named Businesswoman of the Year
by Office Depot.
Glaser also serves as national spokesperson
for the Business Women’s Network, where
she has been able to reach out beyond our
country’s borders and impact the global
community of businesswomen and
entrepreneurs. It is this same passion
to motivate women toward
self-empowerment that led to the
publication of her most recent book,
What Queen Esther Knew: Business
Strategies from a Biblical Sage.
A timely and relevant re-telling of the
biblical story, Glaser and her co-author
Barbara Smalley have authored a piece that
has inspired many women leaders,
including Senator Elizabeth Dole. She
praised the book by saying: “When I’m
faced with tasks demanding wisdom and
courage far beyond my own, Esther’s story
reminds me to focus on what’s most
important in life. You have captured that
essence in this book.”
You may remember Esther’s story—or at
least the gist of it. A young orphan girl
being raised by her uncle Mordecai, Esther
becomes Queen of Persia. When an evil
plot that threatens her people is hatched,
Esther courageously blows the whistle on
abuse of power in the palace and confronts
the villainous mastermind—not without
great personal risk. She ultimately saves her
people from annihilation and irrevocably
alters the course of history.
“Recent headlines have been filled with
stories of brave, modern-day Queen
Esthers,” says Glaser.
“Three women, in
particular, stand out as
profiles in courage.
Sherron Watkins was
a VP at Enron who
blew the whistle on
CEO Ken Lay and
corporate
wrongdoing at
the energy giant.
Colleen Rowley, chief
lawyer in the FBI’s Minneapolis
bureau, confronted the Director of the FBI
for thwarting her efforts to investigate one
of the key figures behind the September 11
terrorism. And Cynthia Cooper, Vice
President of Finance at WorldCom,
investigated and reported $3.8 billion in
accounting irregularities to the company’s
Board of Directors.
“These courageous women blew the
whistle on huge, powerful corporate
machines—and none did it to advance her
career. Instead, their missions were similar:
to right the wrongs in their organizations.
To them, sticking their necks out was a
matter of principle, a question of ethics.
And like Esther, they weren’t motivated by
self-aggrandizement or recognition, but
because they knew in their heart, soul and
gut, it was the right thing to do.”
As her story unfolds, Esther’s
transformation from an orphan girl to a
true queen and leader is remarkable.
Slowly she blossoms from someone who
looks to others for all the answers to
someone who designs and executes her
own ideas and plans. And throughout this
evolution, says Glaser, we see her become
more comfortable with power—a challenge
for most women.
Esther’s self-defining moment comes when
she takes on the mantle of leadership by
standing up for what she
believes in. Considering
recent examples of
corruption in corporate
ethics, many modern-day
Esthers struggle with the
same issues of integrity and
remaining true to their
principles. Indeed there are many
valuable lessons to be learned
from Esther’s story: Taking
calculated risks … mapping out
your plan of attack … standing up
for what you believe … summoning
courage under fire.
Above all, Esther’s story is an inspiration.
“Throughout her life, she faced grave
dangers and formidable challenges,” says
Glaser. “However, despite these obstacles,
she managed to keep the faith and
persevere. The story of Esther is not about
miracles, but about a courageous woman
who used her intellectual and spiritual
resources to overcome adversity and,
ultimately, to triumph. What better role
model for women leaders today?”
page 88 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Connie GlaserAuthor of Swim with the Dolphins and What Queen Esther KnewNational Spokesperson, Business Women’s Network
PDJ
“… the story is not about miracles,but about courage …”
Like many members of
McDonald’s top
management,
Lynn Crump-Caine began
her McDonald’s career as a
crew employee in her
hometown of Portsmouth,
VA. Now, as Executive Vice
President,Worldwide
Operations & Systems, she
oversees global operations,
equipment systems, training, learning and development and
restaurant innovation. She is McDonald’s highest-ranking
African-American female executive.
A 29-year veteran of the McDonald’s system, Crump-Caine
believes her professional advancement at McDonald’s is equally
attainable for other young African Americans looking towards
McDonald’s for crew and management opportunities.
“My long-term association with McDonald’s, having risen from
the ranks of crew to the executive office, has been a gratifying
journey,” says Crump-Caine. “I’m delighted to be a part of the
McDonald’s team, and am pleased that McDonald’s has and
continues to provide such a breadth of opportunity to
America’s youth.”
Previously, Crump-Caine headed the Worldwide Restaurant
Systems and U.S. Restaurant Systems teams, which included the
restaurant development, supply chain, menu management and
business research departments, in addition to the departments
currently within Worldwide Operations & Systems. Before taking
over U.S. Restaurant Systems, she served as the Group Vice
President, Operations, responsible for supporting the existing
restaurant operation and management systems.
As Regional Vice
President of the
Atlanta region, she
was responsible for 500 million dollars in sales from more
than 460 restaurants covering Georgia and portions of Alabama
and South Carolina. She has also served as Assistant Vice President
and Director of Training for McDonald’s global restaurants,
directing the activities of training development, mid-management
development and Hamburger University.
A proponent of active participation in the community,
Crump-Caine serves on a number of business and civic
organization boards herself, including the Goodman Theatre in
Chicago andWomen Looking Ahead News Magazine. She is also a
member of the National Association of Female Executives and a
contributor to McDonald’s Black Employee Network.
This year, Crump-Caine was named one of the 2003 “Influential
Women in Business” by The Business Ledger of Chicago, in
association with the National Association of Women Business
Owners (NAWBO). She received the McDonald’s President’s
Award, the highest honor given by senior management for an
employee’s performance, in 1995. She also received the Dollars and
Sense Outstanding Business and Professional Award in 1991.
Lynn Crump-CaineExecutive Vice President, Worldwide Operations & SystemsMcDonald’s Corporation
“… such a breadthof opportunity …”
The point is not to blend in, but to stand
out, says Ursula Burns of diversity in the
workplace. “Blending in may get you
by, but standing out propels you forward.”
It’s a sentiment that’s understood by
Xerox Corporation, where Burns is a
senior executive.
Burns, who started her career at Xerox as
a summer intern in 1980, has been a
standout at Xerox, rising steadily through
the ranks of the company. Now, as
president of Xerox Business Group
Operations, she reports directly to Xerox
chairman and CEO Anne Mulcahy and is
responsible for about 80 percent of
Xerox’s revenue, including product
engineering, product marketing,
manufacturing and other functions.
From 1992 through 2000, Burns led
several business teams, including the office
color and fax business, office network
copying business and the departmental
Ursula M. BurnsSenior Vice President; President, Business Group Operations
Xerox Corporation
PDJ
page 90 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 91
Orien Reid first came to the Alzheimer’s
Association seeking information. The year
was 1988, and her mother had just been
diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Contact
with the organization, she said, became
her lifeline.
“It devastated me to watch the disease
destroy the beauty and mind of my
mother,” said Reid. “My mother’s
Alzheimer’s disease forced major changes
in my personal and professional life.”
During the six years Reid cared for her
mother, she learned more about the disease
and her knowledge of the issues facing the
families of Alzheimer’s increased. She
began organizing community activities and
counseling others as a way of paying back
some of the help she had received.
In 1992, the year her mother died, Reid
became a member of the association’s
national board. In 1998, she gave up her
26-year career as a Philadelphia TV
consumer reporter to become a full-time
volunteer for the organization. Several
years ago she became the chair of the
national board.
“My own personal experience with this
horrible disease reflects those of 19 million
Americans who have a family member with
Alzheimer’s disease. Our experiences,
combined with the knowledge that the
Alzheimer’s disease process begins in the
brain as many as 20 years before a person is
seriously impaired, have created our sense
of urgency.”
Whether or not you have a family member
with Alzheimer’s, you will be affected by
the disease’ epidemic-like growth. For
example, research suggests that 14 million
baby boomers in the United States will get
Alzheimer’s disease. This means that
Alzheimer’s poses a threat to Medicare even
before the baby boomers have all retired.
The cost to Medicare of treating people
with Alzheimer’s disease is
estimated to soar from $31.9 billion in
2000 to $49.3 billion in 2010, even though
Medicare does not pay for most of the
long-term care Alzheimer’s patients need.
“For the Alzheimer’s Association, research
is a key ingredient that will not only
support and enhance the care of people
affected by Alzheimer’s but, just as
importantly, spare future generations from
being ravaged by this disease.”
Thanks to champions like Orien Reid, the
fight against Alzheimer’s continues, and
public awareness is spreading. Researchers
are making major breakthroughs in
molecular, genetic, and epidemiological
research, and more effective treatments
and ways to prevent the disease are
within reach.
“Alzheimer’s disease is an epidemic, and we
simply cannot wait to do something about
it,” says Reid. “Getting families the help and
information they need, promoting early
diagnosis and advancing Alzheimer’s
research have become my
life’s passion.”
Orien ReidChair, National Board of Directors, Alzheimer’s Association
““…… wwee ssiimmppllyy ccaannnnoott wwaaiitt ……””
business unit. In May 2000, she was
named senior vice president, Corporate
Strategic Services, and most recently,
president of the Document Systems and
Solutions Group.
Burns received a Bachelor of Science
degree from Polytechnic Institute of
New York in 1980 and a Master of Science
degree in Mechanical Engineering from
Columbia University in 1981. She serves
on professional and community boards,
including PQ Corp., Banta Corp.,
Boston Scientific Corp., FIRST, National
Association of Manufacturers,
University of Rochester and The Rochester
Business Alliance.
When asked to cite the greatest challenge
facing women in the business over the
next five years, Burns suggests that it’s
not the fact that they’re a woman that
is an obstacle, but the tendency to shy
away from it.
“The female approach to success,
controversy, and problem-solving is
invaluable to the success of corporations.
As we become more pervasive, we must
maintain our identities as women, rather
than pursue the misapprehension that we
‘need to be more like men.’
“My mother told me long ago that where
you are is not who you are,” said Burns,
“Where you are is a circumstance that you
can change; who you are goes with you,
wherever you go.”
PDJ
“… we must maintain our
IDENTITIESas women …”
PDJ
page 92 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Since joining Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, Inc. less than two years ago,
Ana Mollinedo, Vice President of
Diversity, Communications &
Community Affairs, has been the catalyst
for real change. Under her guidance,
Starwood moved from 11th to 4th on the
NAACP Lodging Industry Report Card—
a measuring tool that helps guide
consumers on making decisions on where
to spend their dollars. Also within this
time, Starwood has instituted a minority
supplier program, and has been
recognized among the “Best Employer”
listings by periodicals like Hispanic
Magazine and DiversityInc.
Starwood has also launched its first-ever
Ethnic Marketing program, aimed at the
African-American market segment, and
introduced a Corporate Diversity Council
to accelerate changes in representation,
and a Cultural Community Council
to create stronger communication
between associates.
Mollinedo would be the first to tell you
that these changes are the result of having
support from the top down—a must
when you’re communicating with 110,000
employees worldwide.
“If you don’t have support from the top,
you’re somewhere in the middle trying to
push up,” says Mollinedo, “and spinning
your wheels.”
Originally born in Havana, Cuba,
Mollinedo is a seasoned veteran with over
16 years of experience in communication.
Prior to joining Starwood, Mollinedo
resided in Monterrey, Mexico where she
was responsible for Communications and
Investor Relations PR for Mexican-based
CEMEX Corporation. Her background
also includes experience with several non-
profit and minority-based organizations
including The Martin Luther King Center
in Atlanta, Georgia, where she was the
Managing Director responsible for the
day-to-day operations of the Center.
Mollinedo has degrees in Political Science
and History from Barry University, and an
MBA in Finance from Nova Southeastern
University. She serves on the advisory
councils of SAVOY Professional and The
New York Times, the American Hotel &
Lodging Association’s Diversity Council,
MultiCultural Foodservice & Hospitality
Alliance Board of Directors, and African
American Chamber of Commerce, among
others. She is a national spokesperson for
the Catalyst study, Latinas in the
Workplace: What Companies and Managers
Need to Know, and is an alumnus and
member of Leadership Atlanta.
Ana MollinedoVice President, Diversity, Communications & Community AffairsStarwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
“… you must have support from the top …”
PDJ
Jeannie Diefenderfer’s passion for her
volunteer work at The International
Center in Manhattan is deep seated in
her childhood. This mother of two and
Vice President, Process Assurance for
Verizon not only serves as president
of the board for the non-profit
organization, but she devotes
considerable hours there every month
helping immigrants master the English
language—the kind of help that would
have smoothed her transition when she
arrived in America 29 years ago.
Back then, Diefenderfer was 13 years old,
and had just completed the 6th grade in
her native Seoul, South Korea when she
and her family immigrated to the U.S.
If she had any hang-ups about not
understanding the language in her new
land, they were further compounded by
being pushed three grades back—assigned
to a 3rd grade teacher—to learn English.
By the time she reached high school,
however, Diefenderfer had not only
mastered English but was thriving
academically and culturally. She
Jeannie H. DiefenderferVice President, Process Assurance, Verizon
Gloria Pace King is in the business of
improving the lives of others, and
inspiring others to do the same. It’s a
business in which she excels. As President
of United Way of Central Carolinas, Inc., a
$38 million health and human service
organization, King has worked diligently to
enhance her community’s quality of life
through a broad spectrum of civic and
community activities. Since assuming this
position in 1994, her focus has been to
increase money available to address critical
community needs—and she has succeeded,
increasing funds from $18 million to
$38.6 million in only eight years.
Magnifying the power of these dollars to
further help the community, she has not
only expanded the services United Way
funds, but extended its geographical reach
and revived local interest in giving. She has
implemented new initiatives that allow
United Way and its agencies to show more
donors the real difference their investments
make in our community.
“To be a professional in this field—and I
know this sounds corny because I know a
lot of people use this comment, but—you
only get your rewards one at a time,” said
King. “It’s the only way you can put them
in compartments small enough so that they
will make you get up the next morning and
go back and keep ‘plugging at it’.”
One midweek morning, the entire United
Way board of directors hopped aboard a
bus and rode into parts of Charlotte most
of the city’s residents never get to see.
They saw new libraries where abandoned
buildings once stood, safe havens where
adults were recovering from chemical
dependency, centers where children from
low-income families received quality
education, and agencies that helped feed
the hungry—improved neighborhoods
where, until only recently, one could not
get a pizza delivered. Gloria demonstrated
to community leaders how United Way and
its programs have truly improved the
quality of life.
“To see one individual whose life is
changed, or one family’s, one
neighborhood’s, or one community’s
that changes because of the kind of
work I do ... it is my ‘bottom line’—my
work, my children, my friendships, my
relationships—and, above all, who I am as
a person: whether or not I’m accountable,
whether or not I’m credible, and whether
or not my reputation will stand on its
own merit.”
Before beginning her career in nonprofit
management, King worked in the
healthcare field as a nurse and an
administrator, and served as President and
CEO of the Visiting Nurse Association in
Cleveland. She earned her MBA from
Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, OH, her
BA from Cleveland State University and
RN designation at the St. Alexis Hospital
School of Nursing in Cleveland. She
received a certificate from the Center for
Creative Leadership in Charlotte.
She serves on many local boards, including
the Carolinas HealthCare System,
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Health Services
Foundation, CharlotteSaves, and the UNC
Charlotte Foundation, and is a member of
the Civic Lab Steering Committee for the
Collaborative Community Project’s
Community Building Initiative. King was
honored with the National Conference of
Community and Justice Humanitarian
Award in 2003, the PRSA Pegasus Award in
2002, the Frank C. Carr Memorial Award
from INROADS Charlotte in 1997, and was
named Woman of the Year in 1997 and
1999 by the Charlotte Post.
“... you get up the nextmorning and keep‘plugging at it’ ...”
PDJ
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 93
graduated fourth in a high school class of
900 and received full financial aid and
scholarship to Tufts University, where she
earned a degree in chemical engineering.
As a result, she has always determined to
help other immigrants assimilate into
American life, a determination
that led her to involvement with
The International Center. As she
puts it, “I cannot forget where
I came from, and I must
appreciate where I am.
“The Center helps immigrants make a
smoother transition to America,”
Diefenderfer says. “It certainly would
have expedited my assimilation into the
American culture if I had been aware
of its existence.”
Gloria Pace KingPresident, United Way of Central Carolinas, Inc.
“I cannot forget where I came from,
and I must appreciatewhere I am.”
PDJ
page 94 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Dr. Michelle Crosby is described as the spark that lights the fire at
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. Senior Vice President,
Organizational Capability for Starwood Hotels and Resorts
Worldwide, Crosby is responsible for development and
implementation of global people processes, organizational culture,
and change management.
Change is inevitable in corporations, and leading people through
change is what Crosby does best. In late 1999, she was brought
aboard after Starwood’s merger with the Sheraton and Westin
Hotel chains. At the time, Starwood was a $4 billion global
company with 120,000
employees and three
very different
corporate cultures.
“After the mergers with Sheraton and Westin Hotels, Starwood had
no basic organizational capability policies and procedures in place,
so the path before us was virtually unpaved,” says Crosby. She and
her small team have brought energy, focus and commitment into
developing “our strongest resource: People.”
The programs she has initiated have been cutting edge, in
particular her Leading Starwood executive development program,
which is proving to have a significant impact on the organization.
“While there are
many factors driving
this success, we
believe the
cornerstone of the
program’s evolution
is the buy-in of our
associates and
management team,”
says Crosby. In 2002,
a poll reported that
87 percent of all
Starwood employees
felt Starwood was a great place to work.
“Treat people as if they were what they ought to be,” quotes Crosby
of poet and philosopher Goethe, “and you help them to become
what they are capable of being.”
Crosby received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Brown
University and both an MA and PhD in Industrial and
Organizational Psychology from the University of Connecticut.
Before joining Starwood, she served as Senior Vice President and
Director of the Northeast Region for Aon Consulting’s Human
Resources Consulting Group.
Michelle M. Crosby, Ph.D.Senior Vice President, Organizational Capability
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
“… help them to become what they are CAPABLE of being …”
PDJ
Nancy Lonsinger began her career at
Roche Diagnostics in 1995 as a Consumer
Segment Manager. From the very
beginning, she realized she had a lot to
learn, and yet within a year, Lonsinger was
well on her way to becoming one of the
experts. She combined her knowledge of
the consumer and the overall business to
produce results that would take the sales
and marketing teams to a new level.
When Lonsinger became a part of the
Diabetes Care Group, public awareness
for consumers and patients was still in its
infancy. Today, she actively leads a team of
talented people whose creative skills help
consumers make key health decisions in
the management of diabetes.
One of the most exciting things, she says, is
how the business quickly changes. “Since I
started my career with Roche, the diagnosis
criteria for diabetes has been modified,
reimbursement for testing supplies has
changed, and the number of people with
diabetes has doubled,” says Lonsinger.
“Additionally, the role that the patients
themselves play in diabetes management
decision-making continues to increase.
Such changes continue to present
new challenges.”
Nancy remains proactive in identifying
ways to meet the diverse needs of the
customers. She led the team responsible
for launching the first ever Accu-Chek®
television commercial last May featuring
Roche’s new Accu-Chek Compact® blood
glucose meter with a test drum that
eliminates the need for patients to ever
handle a test strip again.
As the rate of diabetes continues to grow
disproportionately within certain ethnic
groups, there is a heightened need to reach
Latino and African-American markets.
Nancy is currently leading a team that is
testing a church-based diabetes education
and management program in Indianapolis.
“The concept is easy. In a community
where the church plays an integral role in
someone’s life, we believe the church can
also help improve patient management
compliance and, therefore, health
outcomes,” says Nancy.
“… I feel good about what I do ...” Nancy LonsingerVice President of Marketing, Diabetes Care, Roche Diagnostics
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 95
When people in the
Washington, DC area
need help addressing
civic issues—whether
it’s energizing a
flagging economy,
inaugurating a
non-profit, or building
skills training
programs for city
students—it’s no
surprise they turn to
Marie Johns.
Marie Johns is President, Verizon Washington, DC and is
responsible for Verizon’s nearly $700 million operations in the
District of Columbia. For over 10 years, she has been one of the
most visible and engaged business leaders in the Washington
metropolitan region, lending her energies to a number of
government-sponsored, civic and cultural organizations.
Johns has worked to improve the District’s education system on
several fronts. As co-chair of the District’s Youth Investment
Council with the Superintendent of the DC Public Schools, Johns
was instrumental in securing a $10 million grant for DC Public
Schools to implement a School to Careers reform initiative. She
spearheaded formation of a spin-off program known as SEEDS
(Students Educated for Economic Development Success), securing
sponsorship within Verizon to train out-of-school youth for jobs
in the information technology industry. In addition, Johns served
as a director of a non-profit organization that provided funding
for every public school and library in the District of Columbia to
install high-speed Internet connections and local computer
networks as well as train teachers and library personnel.
Johns brought together committed members of business
organizations, educational institutions, non-profit entities and the
government to form the Washington DC Technology Council and
currently serves as its Founding Chair. In 2001, U.S. Department
of Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham appointed her to the
agency’s Electricity Advisory Board (EAB). She is also a mayoral
appointee to the National Capital Revitalization Corporation,
a $25 million public/private enterprise that facilitates revitalization
in underserved neighborhoods throughout the DC area.
Johns has focused much of her efforts on education and youth
because they represent an important investment in the future, she
said this spring at Indiana University’s School of Public and
Environmental Affairs while being awarded Alumna of the Year.
“Government
really cannot do it
all. The most
important role for
government is to
set a framework and then, wherever possible, allow private entities
to get the job done. When you look around for models of
communities that really work, one fundamental aspect is a thriving
partnership between public and private sectors.”
The recipient of numerous awards for her business and civic
leadership, Johns received an honorary Doctorate of Humane
Letters from Trinity College in May 1999. She was honored as one
of the Twenty-five Most Influential Black Women in Business by
Network Journal in April 2003, and in September, received the
Corporate Responsibility Award from Black Women’s Agenda for
her outstanding leadership. Johns earned her Bachelor of Science
and Master of Public Administration degrees at Indiana University
and completed her graduate management studies at Harvard
University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and the
Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the
University of Virginia. She is married to Wendell L. Johns, Vice
President of Multifamily Affordable Housing for Fannie Mae.
Marie C. JohnsPresident, Verizon Washington, DC
“… a thriving partnership between
public and private sectors ...”
PDJ
“I am very committed
to my career at Roche
Diagnostics because I
feel good about what I
do. Whenever I get
discouraged or tired, I
can always count on a
letter or email from one
of our customers telling
me how much our
products or customer
support have made a
difference in their life.
As a mother of a 3- and
5-year old, the letters
from parents of small children especially move me. When a
child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, it is a life-changing
event for the entire family. I am very happy and proud to say
in some little way, the work I do makes that change a little
easier to handle.” PDJ
Y ou’ve watched people do it—and maybe you’ve even doneit yourself. Set a goal, take
action, and make it happen. You’vealso seen people set a goal but take noaction. Nothing happens. What makesthe difference between these two kindsof people? Often, it seems that atsome point, in both personal andprofessional arenas, most people feelthe conflict between their goals andoutside influences. It’s as though theywant to go for it (whatever it may be)but there are things that are getting inthe way.
I have seen this situation affect—evencontrol—many people I have observedover the last twenty years, especiallywomen. Despite the progress womenhave made in the workplace today,there is still difficulty navigatingcorporate America with any sort ofcertainty or stability. And while thereare no “one-size-fits-all” answers, Ibelieve that there are strategies thatcan be used to help take control ofyour situation.
In order to truly drive your personalor professional agenda, you must be
able to deliberately and consciouslyidentify your intentions, narrow yourfocus, and commit to a plan of action.You’ve got to be able to stop at somepoint and just sit in the confidencethat you can make it happen.Furthermore, there is a dilemma thatexists, particularly for women, inmanaging the overwhelmingresponsibilities that can halt progresson achieving goals. It’s easy to getcaught in a cycle of day-to-dayresponsibilities, meandering throughlife without really making thingshappen for yourself to the extent thatyou could, and more women than I’dcare to admit experience this as theirreality. So how do you break thecycle? How do you maintain a balancebetween obligation and responsibilityand still accomplish things that havesignificance to you? Based on whatI’ve seen, I think there is an approachthat individuals can take that putsthem in control of their destiny, whilestill being able to factor themselvesinto the equation. Intent, Focus, andPlan: three steps that will help youmove towards the outcome you wantwith purpose.
page 96 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
By Audra BohannonSenior Vice President
Novations/J. Howard & Associates
“How do you
maintain a balance
between obligation
and responsibility
and still
accomplish
things that have
significance
to you?
Intent, Focus, and
Plan: three steps
that will help you
move towards the
outcome you want
with purpose.”
For women, often the difference between success and failure ishow they deal with day-to-day distractions. The simple strategy
that can help us see past the outside influences that keep usfrom getting ahead.
Winning theConflict
withYourself
© 2002 Georgia-Pacific Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
www.gp.com/careers
Different shoes Different skills Same goalsLeadership, Excellence and Success
That’s Georgia-Pacific
page 98 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
You’ve got to establish your intent—deliberately stating what it is that youmust do. There’s a clarity that comeswith consciously identifying the realgoal. And your real intent is ofteninextricably linked to your values andbeliefs. If you can see the intent tied tothe things that you value, you’re morelikely to take the necessary steps to getthere. Once you’ve established what
the intention is, it becomes easier tobring things into focus.
The next step is to focus. The focusneeds to be directed towards the time,energy, resources and attention thatyou are investing to shape your plan.It’s a selective focus—you’ve got toprioritize the things that are directlyrelated to achieving your goal.
Focusing reallyhelps to minimizedistractions.Those distractionscan be relation-ships, internalnoise, orexternal pressures.Distractions donot necessarily
Audra Bohannon is a prominent speaker andauthor on topics facing women and people ofcolor whose work has been featured inAtlanta Woman, Oprah and Essence magazines.For more information, contact Pat FitzGerald,Marketing Communications Manager,Novations/J. Howard & Associates, [email protected].
Audra Bohannon: Winning Conflict With Yourself
have to be negative. Often, they arethings that have been incorporatedinto your daily lifestyle that, onceyou’ve committed to your intendedoutcome, serve only to get in the way.The probability that you will makeyour intent a reality increases with thelevel and specificity of the focus youdevote to it.
Once you’ve explicitly articulated yourintent, and have focused your efforton making it a reality … the next stepis the real nuts and bolts. Plan—planthe actions that you will have to takein order to actually live it out. Ifyou’ve identified the intent and trulyshaped your focus, the plan becomes astep-by-step blueprint for makingyour dream a reality.
So whether it’s to get that promotion,step out and open your own business,or simply to learn something new,women and men alike have astrategy—a road map to follow inorder to make things happen.Deliberately state your intent,selectively focus your time and energy,and create a plan to achieve that thingthat is important to you.
PDJ
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Exceptional performance is driven by exceptional people—workingat a place where they can leverage their experiences, strengths andperspectives. At JPMorgan Chase, we’ve created an environmentwhere everyone can reach their fullest potential. Our people buildstrong networks, meet new challenges head-on, grow their careersand take themselves—and our firm—to new heights.
©2001 J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. All rights reserved. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. An Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer M/F/D/V.JPMorgan Chase is a marketing name for J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. and its subsidiaries worldwide.
takes you places
page 102 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
Coaching can improve personal effectiveness for
those individuals who see value in having a
confidential partner to prompt them to stay
focused, make more savvy decisions, balance
work/life choices and achieve their highest
potential. This phenomenon, once utilized primarily by white
male executives, is now reaching into more diverse populations.
It provides strategic guidance to help strong performers better
navigate their careers.
Since its inception in the 1980s, coaching has offered top
performers in the corporate world a powerful career
enhancement tool. For years, the best performers in the sports
arena have used coaches. Built on the concepts of forward
motion and accountability, coaching helps individuals think and
act more strategically while improving their leadership, problem-
solving, decision-making and communication skills.
However, even though African-American, Latino and Asian faces
have been appearing in high-ranking positions, the benefits of
coaching have not been utilized by these groups as frequently
as by their white male colleagues. Because coaching is
infrequently discussed outside of personal relationships, many
diverse employees may not be aware of the advantages it can
provide. Skepticism, comfort with the status quo and already-
packed schedules often discourage busy professionals from
investigating the coaching option. Misconceptions about the
motives and purpose of coaching also claim potential candidates,
but converts are beginning to employ the service. Educating
diverse candidates about the benefits of coaching is especially
important because the fast track can sometimes appear, and
often actually is, a closed system full of subtle inequities.
Antoinette Thomas, a senior manager in the highly competitive
global telecom solutions industry, relies on her coaching
sessions to provide the constructive criticism and candid
feedback that can help her to see situations from different angles.
“You have to learn to look at the landscape and see what
possibilities exist. My coaching experience has really helped me
to see outside of myself and taught me to leverage my strengths.
I just wish that some of the young women who are going into the
corporate environment could find a way to learn some of these
lessons earlier than I did.”
HHooww CCooaacchhiinngg WWoorrkkssCoaching is best described as a collaborative professional
relationship. Almost exclusively, highly motivated top performers
have utilized it. Coaching sessions provide structure for clarifying
personal and professional goals as well as weeding out the
behaviors that can limit performance. In each meeting, the client
chooses the discussion’s focus. The coach listens and contributes
observations and questions. The coach helps the client identify
what “success” means for the specific situation the client is faced
with at that moment. This kind of interaction not only creates
clarity, it also moves the client into action. Coaching is designed
to accelerate the client’s progress toward his or her goal by
providing focus and awareness of choice. Action planning helps
the client remain accountable for closing the gap between where
they are now and where they want to be.
Coaches working with African-American, Latino and Asian
candidates focus on these issues, but they also contribute insight
into the political undercurrents and subtle differences candidates
may face in the corporate environment. Wendy Manning, a
COACHING
By Dr. Mary Stewart PellegriniPrincipal, Stewart Management Group, LCC
What a personal trainer can be to your body, a coach can be to your work performance.
So why do so few minority executives utilize this tool?
The Changing Landscape
page 104 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
director of Internet communications, discovered a unique
advantage to her situation as an African-American female
executive in a male-dominated industry.
“After my coaching sessions, I realized that the cool part about
being outside of the system is that I am already tuned in to how
other cultures do things differently than I do. One example was
that, in my organization, I noticed how some folks would always
ask questions in front of our CEO, whether it was a smart
question or not. While I was thinking, ‘Why would someone ask
something so simple?’ the reality was that the CEO remembered
the person who stood up. Without my coaching experience,
I don’t know that I would have stopped to examine and
understand that situation. Now I can see ways to use what I learn
to my advantage.”
SSeelleeccttiinngg AA CCooaacchhFor those who are interested in exploring a coaching
relationship, there are many things to consider before
committing to one person’s program. According to recent
estimates, there are 20,000 coaches currently practicing in the
United States alone (Washington Post, 6/03). The large numbers
of coaches can be partially attributed to the lack of standards or
regulatory bodies within the coaching industry, so it is important
to make sure that your coach can provide the service and support
you need. Some characteristics of an effective coach include:
• Push-back-ability—your coach has an obligation to provide
you with accurate feedback even if (and especially if) it is not
what you want or expect to hear. The only useful feedback is
honest feedback.
• Strategic thinker—given the complex political climates and
harrowing journeys many of us encounter on our way up the
corporate ladder, a coach is an additional weapon in your
arsenal, helping you to see situations from all sides and
re-frame problems as opportunities.
• Practical planner—coaching is all about action and moving
your career forward, so your coach needs to have a knack for
working with you to identify your best next step.
• Knowledgeable and experienced—a coach with broad
experience in several industries, who has worked with clients
at several organizational levels and who has benefited from
coaching him- or herself, could be a very valuable resource.
A coach is, above all, a confidant; ascertaining your comfort level
and chemistry with a potential coach is the most important
aspect of the interview process.
CCrreeaattiinngg YYoouurr OOwwnn RReeaalliittyyCoaching is most frequently sought out when people are in a
professional transition, seeking a new life balance or just needing
to create new outcomes for current situations. While some may
dismiss coaching as the latest fad or buzzword, the sheer number
of participants and reported positive results are proof enough
that there is a hunger for this type of service in today’s corporate
environment. Far from being a personal “Ask Jeeves,” or someone
who will provide directives, coaching gives its participants the
means of addressing the question, “How can I be personally
responsible for creating my reality?”
Through the process of coaching, individuals deepen their
learning, improve their performance and enhance their quality of
life. For top performers of various backgrounds, coaching offers
a way to speed the learning curve and avoid pitfalls on the road
to success—making sure that the path through the corporate
maze is a little easier to navigate.
Dr. Mary Stewart Pellegrini is principal of Stewart Management Group,LLC, and speaks at conferences, seminars, and business retreats on thesubject of executive coaching and its importance for diverse professionalsat all organizational levels. For more information, contact Sara Henry at773-394-8880.
“My coaching experience has really helped me to
leverage my strengths. I just wish that some of the
young women who are going into the
corporate environment could find a way
to learn some of these lessons earlier
than I did.”Antoinette Thomas
Dr. Mary Stewart Pellegrini: Coaching
PDJ
page 106 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
There is nothing like the
holiday season (coming
earlier each year, it seems)
to remind us that, as
Calvin Coolidge (30th
President of the United States) once said,
“Business is the business of America.”
There is always money to be made at
holiday time when it seems our cultural
icons are for retail sale in endlessly
imaginative forms. U.S. versions of
Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day,
etc., are rapidly penetrating the world
markets and either replacing local
versions, if such exist, or being inserted
whole cloth into the cultural fabric of new
regions and countries. For the Yankee
trader, if it sells, it sells, and we will flog it
until it sells. Some may see this as cultural
exchange, but there is little exchange to be
seen. In market terms, it is more akin to
dumping than to exchange.
Icons for saleAt the risk of being the Grinch who at
least seems hell-bent on stealing
Christmas, I want to focus our
attention on the blatant contradiction in
the U.S. concept and practice of diversity.
We pride ourselves on promoting diversity
while we systematically destroy it. If we
look at the domestic scene, it is true that
U.S. cultural groups do make efforts to
preserve their heritage from the flood of
media culture eroding their foundations.
But the dominant influence is so strong
that what is “ethnic” too easily becomes
quaint and cute rather than contributing
its potential influence to who we are as a
people of peoples.
When it comes to employment and
organizations, the focus of U.S. diversity
efforts has been economic opportunity.
Economic opportunity and leveling the
playing field to achieve it are essential
diversity goals. They extend America’s
values of fairness and justice to the full
Many Americans don’t understand whymuch of the world currently views their nationas the greatest threat to world peace. Howwould they understand, then, that it is seen asthe greatest threat to diversity as well?
Dr. George F. SimonsPresident
TTHHEE GGRRIINNCCHHTTHHAATT SSTTOOLLEE
OOUURR CCUULLTTUURRAALLDIIVVEERRSSIITTYY
The Changing LandscapeGeorge Simons International
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 107
population. It is interesting, however, that
for many years now those of us involved
with diversity consulting and training—
whatever our personal motivation—have
been increasingly constrained to focus our
energies on trying to convince the
business world that the ultimate reason
for supporting diversity lies in the
“bottom line benefits” to organizations
who implement its best practices. These
benefits are also real, but exploiting
diversity in this fashion ought not to be
confused with encouraging group
cultures, beliefs, and practices to flourish.
Diversity, American style, is not about
protecting and promoting group culture
any more than slash-and-burn is about
protecting the rainforest.
Diversity as commodityReligion and moral values being private
affairs in the United States, the validation
for diversity is that it makes money. If it
makes money, it resonates with the key
U.S. values of money and property. If
it can be sold, it should be sold. Yes,
diversity may be the right thing to do, and
the threat of compliance may be hidden
somewhere in the background, but
business, unless driven by other values,
would rather ignore these factors or even
let them erode—they smack too much of
cost instead of profit. With the exception
of a few outstanding and outspoken
business leaders, morality, justice, and the
ethical and cultural imperatives for
diversity initiatives tend to be carefully
hidden in order to make diversity
palatable to stockholders and
stakeholders. Diversity then becomes a
saleable commodity to U.S. organizations
and an industry has developed around it
to serve domestic consumption and, more
recently, to export it worldwide.
While diversity initiatives are sometimes
called “cultural diversity,” there is often
little about them that is cultural beyond
token ethnic cafeteria offerings and the
occasional X (you define the X) -pride
day. Making it into the mainstream for
non-mainstream folks has largely meant
adopting the values, beliefs, behaviors and
icons of the dominant culture. As many
Europeans have noted, almost from the
beginning, diversity in the USA is just
another, more subtle form of the “melting
pot.” Now, in the post 9/11 xenophobia,
the “golden door” is not completely shut,
but it takes a lot of effort and some luck
to squeeze through with a visa.
Cultural diversity and biodiversityIt is enlightening to compare what is
going on between people diversity and
environmental or biodiversity.
Environmentalists have been vociferous
about protection of the natural
patrimony of virgin terrain, rainforests,
and the like, both domestically and in
collaboration with native peoples
elsewhere for whom these habitats are
important for survival. They were quick to
point out, for example, that the power
blackouts of the past year should not be
seen as a carte blanche invitation to exploit
more natural reserves, but rather
demanded significant investment in the
infrastructure and distribution networks
of our existing power resources. Of
course, exploiting natural resources is a
more immediately profitable venture than
investing in infrastructure. It is certainly
more appealing to investors and business
interests, as the margins are simply a lot
better in the short term. If some people
want to protect their national or regional
patrimony, they face the daunting
manifest destiny of business.
The point of this comparison is that, just
as tribal peoples face an almost impossible
challenge in defending their environment
and its biodiversity from despoliation,
most of the world—whatever its stage of
economic development—faces the same
challenge of protecting itself when it
comes to its culture. In this case it is
likewise a matter of erecting defense
systems where boundaries are far
more permeable. Culture travels, via
electronic and print media, and is
constantly being marketed as a part of
products and their functions. All trade is
trade in culture as well as commodity.
Attempts have been made to stem
unwanted aspects of this flow, and getting
around them becomes a fine art. A decade
ago when I worked regularly in Indonesia,
U.S. expatriates in the oil industry used to
thwart the national ban on importing
rock music and videos by hiding cassettes
in Kotex boxes and ham tins—places where
any self-respecting Muslim customs officer
would be reluctant to put a hand. Cultural
restrictions by other governments, then as
now, are loudly decried by Americans as
censorship, restraint of trade, restrictions of
free speech, and violations of human rights.
“For the Yankee trader, if it sells, it sells, and we will flog it
until it sells. Some may see this ascultural exchange,
but there is little exchange to be seen.
In market terms, it ismore akin to dumpingthan to exchange.”
George F. Simons Stealing Cultural Diversity
continued page 110
page 108 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com
mployers committed to a diverse
workforce and a positive work
environment must not only
identify and implement diversity “Best
Practices,” but must also be vigilant in their
efforts to comply with fundamental legal
obligations, including the prohibitions
against sex discrimination and harassment.
Forty years after the enactment of Title VII
of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (“Title
VII”), and eight years after the Glass
Ceiling Commission identified barriers to
the advancement of women in the upper
echelons of corporate America, sex
harassment and discrimination remain
major impediments to achieving a diverse
and inclusive workplace. According to
Ellen Bravo, Executive Director of 9to5
(National Association of Working Women),
sexual harassment remains the most
predominant source of complaints from
working women. See “Dial Facing Sexual
Harassment Suit,” Washington Post (Kirstin
Downey Grimsley, Jan. 25, 2002). A major
corporate workplace that seeks to achieve
diversity and inclusion will fail miserably if
sex discrimination is not rooted out.
Moreover, credible sex discrimination
cases, especially class action lawsuits, can
be extremely embarrassing to major
corporations, and can severely damage the
corporate brand and company reputation,
as well as shake investor confidence and
undermine employee, community, and
consumer good will. In short, the potential
for severe damage that a well orchestrated
and highly publicized class action sex
discrimination lawsuit—with emotionally
charged factual allegations—can bring to a
major corporation cannot be overstated.
Over the past several years, major
corporate employers have faced increasing
numbers of these cases. In 2002,
employees filed approximately 84,440
discrimination charges with the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission
(“EEOC”). Of those charges, sex
discrimination claims were among the
most common types of complaints (second
only to race discrimination claims).
Indeed, in 2002, approximately 25,530
charges filed with the EEOC alleged
sex/gender discrimination. These trends
may reflect increased awareness by women
employees, greater interest in potentially
lucrative verdicts or settlements by
plaintiffs’ attorneys, and, frankly, a
continuing pattern of unacceptable, if
not unlawful, conduct by companies as
more women enter and ascend the
corporate ranks.
ANTI-DISCRIMINATION PROTECTION OF WOMEN Federal, state, and local laws all prohibit
discrimination and sex harassment of
women in their employment. Sex
discrimination is covered by Federal laws,
including Title VII, which prohibits
discrimination based on sex; the Equal Pay
Act of 1963,1 which makes it illegal to
discriminate against women concerning
salary or wages; and the Pregnancy
Discrimination Act of 1978, which
prohibits discrimination on the basis of
pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical
conditions and health benefits.
Prohibitions on sex discrimination refer
to treating any employee or employees
differently because of their gender, when
such treatment affects the “terms or
AA NN DD TT HH EE
FORTY YEARS AFTER THE ENACTMENT OF TITLE VII OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT,SEX HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION REMAIN MAJOR IMPEDIMENTS TO
ACHIEVING A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE
WOMEN
Weldon H. Latham, Senior Partner
WORKFORCE
Legal BriefingsHolland & Knight LLP
E
1Many major corporations realize the importance of assessingthe equity of their compensation practices in order to respondto challenges from employee plaintiffs or Federal agencies, suchas the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs.
1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 page 109
conditions of employment.” “Terms or
conditions of employment” has been
broadly interpreted by the courts to include
just about anything reasonably relating to
someone’s employment, position, pay, title,
hours, vacation, discipline, retirement,
leave, and most other benefits. Another
prohibited and extremely problematic form
of sex discrimination is sex harassment.
According to the EEOC, “unwelcome
sexual advances, requests for sexual favors,
and other verbal or physical conduct of a
sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment
when submission to or rejection of this
conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an
individual’s employment, unreasonably
interferes with an individual’s work
performance, or creates an intimidating,
hostile or offensive work environment.”
In 1986, the Supreme Court clearly
expanded the coverage of Title VII when it
ruled that sexual harassment was explicitly
prohibited by this statute.
Many state and local jurisdictions have
enacted even stronger sex discrimination
laws with broader coverage and greater
penalties than the expanded Federal
authority. For example, although Federal
law does not recognize discrimination
on the basis of a person’s marital status
(married, single, separated, divorced or
widowed), a number of state laws currently
do. Additionally, specific small employers
not covered by Title VII2 fall within the
jurisdiction of certain state and local laws.
DEVELOPMENTS IN CLASS ACTION LITIGATION Recent cases illustrate how the courts
are responding to persistent problems of
widespread allegations of workplace sex
discrimination, and a growing willingness
to grant class action status to plaintiffs
alleging sex discrimination and
harassment, against large corporations that
appear to fail to protect their employees.
In April 2003, Dial Corporation settled
multiple sexual harassment claims for
$10 million following an EEOC lawsuit.
The EEOC filed the suit on behalf of Dial
female employees who alleged sexual
harassment at its Montgomery, Illinois
manufacturing facility. The lawsuit
contained salacious allegations, including
threats, propositions, and physical assaults
on female employees. The EEOC alleged
that harassment occurred in the presence
of supervisors who
did nothing, and
that supervisors
themselves also
engaged in unlawful
harassment. The
EEOC also found
that discipline for
sexual harassment
was either non-
existent or totally
ineffective. When a
Federal judge ruled
in August 2002 that
the Dial suit could
proceed to trial as a
class action, the
decision opened the possibility that
numerous Dial employees would take the
stand and tell their troubling stories
alleging that the company failed to correct
a seriously hostile work environment.
In September 2003, class action status was
again granted in sex discrimination and
harassment lawsuits against both
Combined Insurance Co. of America
and the Denver Mint. The case against
Combined Insurance involved thousands
of female employees who allege they are
being discriminated against in their
opportunities to earn commissions and
promotions, and that they are the victims
of retaliation—being sexually harassed and
intimidated in an effort to prevent them
from initiating or pursuing legal action.
In the case against the Denver Mint, the
judge ruled that complaints of sexual
harassment from 32 female employees can
proceed as a class action lawsuit on behalf
of all 126 female employees. Clearly, the
ability of plaintiffs to exponentially
multiply the number of complainants
through class action certification makes
these determinations a substantially greater
risk to employers than those instances
when employees are limited to suing on
their own behalf, not to mention the
concomitant indirect negative financial,
reputational, and adverse brand
consequences that can result from the
courts by determining that class action
status is appropriate.
LESSONS FOR CORPORATE EMPLOYERSGiven the significant business and financial
consequences arising from credible and
well publicized sex discrimination
litigation, major corporations are
well-advised to make every effort to
eliminate an atmosphere where sex
discrimination even appears to be tolerated
in the workplace. Obviously, any company
faced with these types of issues should
consult legal counselors with particular
expertise in these types of matters, but the
following steps may well be appropriate to
2Employers with fewer than 15 are not covered by Title VII.
“The potential for
severe damage that a
well orchestrated and
highly publicized class action
sex discrimination lawsuit—
with emotionally charged
factual allegations—
can bring to a major
corporation cannot
be overstated.”
Weldon Latham
“The potential for
severe damage that a
well orchestrated and
highly publicized class action
sex discrimination lawsuit—
with emotionally charged
factual allegations—
can bring to a major
corporation cannot
be overstated.”
Weldon Latham
continued page 110
Holland & Knight LLP Women and the Workforce
minimize the risk of sex discrimination
and harassment claims:
(1) Company Policies and Procedures:
Ensure that effective, well-
communicated, up-to-date sexual
harassment and other EEO policies
and practices are in effect that comply
with Federal, state, and local require-
ments, and that the company has stan-
dard and uniform methods for docu-
menting personnel actions, including
hiring, promotions, discipline, termi-
nation, and internal investigations as
required based on allegations brought
to the company’s attention.
(2) Effective Internal Complaint
Processes: Ensure that the company
maintains effective internal complaint
processes, i.e., all employees are aware
of how to report and file a complaint;
all complaints are investigated
thoroughly in a timely manner;
retaliation against employees for filing
complaints is emphatically forbidden
and violations are strictly enforced; and
when misconduct is substantiated,
appropriate, swift and consistent
discipline is appropriately
administered.
(3) Monitor Workplace and Workforce
Practices: Gather and monitor
informal and formal complaints to
help promptly identify and remedy
any potential problems areas
or vulnerabilities.
(4) Employee Training and Education
Programs: Conduct thorough and
comprehensive training and education
programs for all employees, especially
managers, as relates to the company’s
policies, applicable laws, prohibited
conduct and the company’s practices as
relates to violations related thereto.
(5) Prompt Response to Significant
Allegations: Promptly and effectively
address any actual, perceived, or
potential gender inequities, before
they grow into significant employee
group complaints.
While there are no actions guaranteed to
insulate a company from employment
discrimination allegations, prudent major
corporations will seek to enhance diversity
and inclusion, and minimize legal and
business exposure, by implementing the
types of actions set forth above. Each
of these practices are intended to work
together and complement each other in the
development of a comprehensive program
to encourage a positive work environment.
Weldon Latham is a Senior Partner and PracticeGroup Leader of the Holland & Knight LLPCorporate Diversity Counseling Group. He servesas Counsel to the Coca-Cola ProcurementAdvisory Council; Chair, Deloitte & Touche LLPDiversity Advisory Board; and General Counsel,National Coalition of Minority Businesses.www.hklaw.com.
Special thanks to Paul Thomas and Sylvia Jamesfor their assistance in this article.
Beneath the self-righteous rhetoric, the
real problem is that they keep us from
making another buck abroad.
Cultural policyA universal declaration of UNESCO
(United Nations Educational, Scientific
and Cultural Organization) in 2001
asserted that, “Cultural diversity is as
necessary for the human race as
biodiversity is for the survival of living
things.” Smaller cultures generally have
no way of resisting the onslaught. They
shrivel and disappear into natural history
museums. Resistance on the part of
religious groups to cultural invasion as in
numerous Muslim areas today is too easily
dismissed by the U.S as fundamentalism
or despotism. More and more cultures,
like natural environments, are rendered
increasingly fragile and eventually
destroyed by the American media and
marketing feeding frenzy. What little is left
after this flood is often a caricature or an
Epcot version of the original culture,
which can then be marketed as a cultural
commodity as if it were the real thing.
In a few places such as Quebec, France,
and Croatia, policymakers are attempting
to put teeth into defending indigenous
culture by promoting laws and providing
subsidies that protect the cultural
patrimony from the juggernaut industrie
hollywoodienne and encourage
development of local culture and the arts.
UNESCO-sponsored legislation is coming
into force shortly to stiffen this resistance,
though one suspects “too little, too late.”
Americans find it incomprehensible that
much of the world currently sees the U.S.
as the greatest threat to world peace. It
will be even more shocking to hear that
the U.S. is the world’s greatest threat to
diversity. This is a paradox in which
America would do well to understand
rather than resist or dismiss, because it
speaks to what is happening domestically
as well as around the world. Globalism
promises much. But the challenge is to
avoid the brutal marginalization of
cultural variety and instead encourage
rich and diverse forms of cultural
expression that are still vital. It calls us to
integrity around the concept and practice
of diversity that we have so well
enunciated in the past two decades.
Dr. George F. Simons is President of GeorgeSimons International (GSI) and an interculturaland diversity specialist. His most recent work isPutting Diversity to Work (2003, CrispPublications, Inc.) with Simma Lieberman andKate Berardo. He writes from Europe, where heis involved in the development of interculturalmedia and online initiatives. For more information, visit www.diversophy.com or by email at [email protected].
women and the workforce Continued from page 109 Holland & Knight LLP
grinch Continued from page 107 George F. Simons
PDJ
PDJ
page 110 Profiles in Diversity Journal • November/December 2003 1-800-573-2867 www.diversityjournal.com