Diversity Woman Magazine

FALL 2015

Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds

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38 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N Fa l l 2 0 1 5 d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m Tis is just one initiative at Wyndham that supports women, who make up half of the company's workforce and occupy nearly 40 percent of positions at the director level and above. Lee says those demographics give the company a competitive advantage, as about 80 percent of travel decisions are made by the female head of household. Te global hotelier also supports women and diverse employ- ees through mentoring programs, from one-on-one pairings to mentoring circles for groups such as women in IT or African American employees. Meanwhile, Wyndham's employee survey has also ofered valuable insights. "People told us that it's not natural for Hispanic women to raise their hand and say, 'I want more money,' or 'I want a promotion,'" Lee says. "So we put to- gether a Hispanic mentoring circle to learn more and to help them manage their careers in a corporate environment." "Tis is a way for us to strengthen our pipeline," says Luci- da Plummer, vice president, Diversity and Inclusion. "Trends across industry demonstrate that, as folks start climbing up the ladder, there's a leak in the pipeline of talent, especially diverse talent. So we target these mentor circles at specifc levels where we feel there's a risk, and an opportunity to strengthen the like- lihood of success." Kaiser Permanente Multicultural Women at Every Level H ealth-care provider K aiser Permanente's work- force is so diverse that there is no racial majority. Te company is also three-quarters female, with many women in top positions. One-third of Kaiser's physicians are women, as are nearly half of its executives and more than 35 percent of its board of directors, including its newest board member, former US Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD. Women have long benefted from the organization's supportive culture. Ije-Enu Udeze, chief of staf in the ofce of the president for Kaiser Permanente, has childhood memories of her mother working at Kaiser, with company support in balancing work and home life. So when Udeze began her own career, she joined Kai- ser. "I had mentors who helped me grow in my career," she says. "While I was working, I got my MBA, and the organization sup- ported me. Ten a stretch assignment came available in Washing- ton, DC, and that created other opportunities." Kaiser's National Diversity Agenda, in addition to advancing women, has helped the company build a racially diverse work- force. Diverse employees get mentorship, as well as access to af- fnity groups and special focus groups. "We provide care for about 10 million members, who probably represent every ethnic and racial group in our society," says Udeze. "Our senior leaders, from our CEO Bernard Tyson on down, focus on having a leadership and internal team that refect what our communities look like." Tat's crucial to providing culturally competent medical care. "I'm Nigerian," Udeze says. "In Nigerian culture, it's important for a husband and wife to come into an ob-gyn appointment together. We serve a large Nigerian population, and we need to have that sensitivity." Kaiser employs Nigerian and other diverse health providers, assesses various communities' needs, and even studies health-care systems around the world. Te company also teaches students of various backgrounds about health-care careers, to inspire the next generation. As Udeze says, "Diversity is important to our leaders, so it will be relevant to the future of the organization." Texas Instruments Diversity in the Boardroom C orporate boards wield significant power—ap- proving annual budgets, reviewing executive perfor- mance, and green-lighting strategic decisions. Although women constitute half the workforce in the United States, fewer than 17 percent of corporate board members are female. Ten there are companies like Texas Instruments, which uses an independent search frm to fnd candidates with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Te global semiconductor manu- facturer's 11-person board currently includes four female, one Hispanic, and two African American board members. "Diversity improves thought processes, encourages collabora- tion, and ignites creativity—all of which beneft TI as a busi- ness," says Samantha Dwinell, vice president of Talent Manage- ment. "We look at work and life experience in order to maintain a board that efectively oversees the company, from its strategy and operations to ethics and compliance." Having diversity on the ground is equally important, because TI solves real-world problems with project teams in more than 35 countries. So the company's leadership is actively involved in programs like the TI Diversity Network, whose employee-led diversity initiatives include educational programs, career devel- opment, and volunteer projects in local communities. As Dwi- nell says, "We want the best and brightest minds working on the most difcult technological challenges, and believe fnding creative solutions to problems requires diferent perspectives, life experiences, and worldviews." Principal Financial Group Women Moving Up I n 2014, about half of promotions to leadership roles at Principal Financial Group went to women. Tat's especially notable in fnancial services, an industry that has been tra- ditionally male. And women at the frm are climbing to posi- tions of infuence: one-third of the frm's top executives are now women, as are 36 percent of its board members (compared to 18 percent industry-wide). "Early on, we recognized that there's value in diversity of think- ing around a table when you're making decisions or driving initia- tives forward," says Deanna Strable-Soethout, president of US

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