and Human Resources; With the merger of AT&T and BellSouth, a company that made BE’s list in the past, it is no surprise AT&T would score high marks in diversity. At the world’s largest communications holding company, 37% of employees are minorities, and 21% are African American. African Americans also enjoy significant representation in senior management, including Group President Rayford Wilkins Jr. In 2006, AT&T spent more than $3 billion with minority suppliers, totaling 8% of its procurement dollars. ; N/A; Advertising Diversity Rating: 4; Strengths: Supplier Diversity, Senior Management, Employee Base
Aflac Inc.; Columbus, GA; Insurance; Brenda Mullins, Second VP, Human Resources and Diversity Officer; Aflac, a $14.6 billion company, views diversity as a key competitive advantage. Minorities make up 42% of the company’s workforce and hold 24% of its leadership positions. To encourage employee retention and the promotion of women-who account for nearly 70% of its workers-Aflac has incorporated many family-friendly policies, including flextime, childcare, and telecommuting. Its Mentoring Matters program, created in 2002, provides additional training and support to minority associates within the sales force. ; 2006, 2005; Advertising Diversity Rating: 1; Strengths: Senior Management, Employee Base, Board of Directors
Bank Of America ; Charlotte, NC; Financial services ; Geri Thomas, Global Diversity and Inclusion Executive; As one of the world’s largest financial institutions, Bank of America continues to make diversity a key part of its corporate mission. Of its nearly 190,000 employees, 44% are minorities; 17.4% are black. In 2006, the company spent $570 million with ethnic minority suppliers, and about 32% of that went to African American firms. Staffing firm ZeroChaos (No. 14 on the BE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE 100 list with $366.8 million in sales) is among Bank of America’s leading black vendors. ; 2006, 2005; Advertising Diversity Rating: 1; Strengths: Supplier Diversity, Employee Base
ARAMARK; Philadelphia; Food & facilities management services; Nicole Johnson-Reece, Vice President of Diversity; With a “kaleidoscope” commitment to diversity, ARAMARK makes it its business to foster inclusion as a key part of the company’s business strategy. The proof is in ARAMARK’s employee base, which counts 56% of its more than 150,000 workers as minorities. African Americans comprise 29% of the total workforce, including one executive on BE’s 75 Most Powerful African Americans in Corporate America list. As an $11.6 billion company, ARAMARK spent 1.8% of its total procurement with black suppliers in 2006. ; 2006, 2005 ; Advertising Diversity Rating: 1; Strengths: Supplier Diversity, Employee Base, Board of Directors
The Coca-Cola Co.; Atlanta; Beverage; Steve Bucherati, Director, Diversity and Workplace; As a company that values its brand and its people, The Coca-Cola Co. has made a point of promoting diversity. Of the company’s 9,512 U.S. employees, 34.7% are minorities, and 21.3% are African American. The beverage powerhouse continues to do business with diverse suppliers, with black-owned suppliers making up 1.6% of the company’s total procurement dollars. In collaboration with Clark Atlanta University, the company has established a minority- and women-owned supplier mentoring program to increase its capability and capacity. ; 2006, 2005; Advertising Diversity Rating: 4; Strengths: Supplier Diversity, Senior Management, Employee