Diversity matters. In order for American industry to "out-innovate†the rest of the world–to paraphrase our nation's chief executive–companies will have to demonstrate bold, deliberate policies of inclusion. Take McDonald's. The fast-food giant has positioned such initiatives high on its menu in all areas of the company by following three guideposts: diversity education, management commitment, and employee business networks. "Diversity is everybody's business at McDonald's and it's important that we recognize and respect everyone on both sides of the counter,†says Patricia S. Harris, global chief diversity officer of the restaurant company that serves more than 60 million in 117 countries daily. "Diversity is not a destination that we will ever reach. It is a journey that we have decided to take. We are fortunate to have a management team that gets it and supports it.†This philosophy is reflected in numbers and actions. McDonald's, one of black enterprise's Best Companies for Diversity, has long valued diversity in its workforce (women and minorities make up more than 80% of its workforce and nearly 50% of its officers are minorities; 22% are African American) and supplier inclusion (55% of the procurement spend, or $5 billion annually, is with minority- and female-owned businesses). Twice a year Harris presents programs and performance metrics to the board of directors. The company offers its employees workshops at the corporate and regional level. Its Leadership At McDonald's Program (LAMP) identifies high-potential directors of diverse backgrounds to move them through the pipeline into future leadership positions. Moreover, ongoing dialogue takes place among leaders of regional and corporate employee business networks. Harris asserts: "These employee networks began more than 30 years ago, and at that time were more social in nature. Today, our employee business networks have business plans that support our company's vision.†(Continued on next page) Part of the reason McDonald's has been the model of business diversity has been executives such as Harris driving the process. Such leadership has placed her on the inaugural roster of black enterprise's Top Executives in Diversity. This group represents C-suiters and other senior managers at the nation's 1,000 largest publicly traded corporations and 100 leading global corporations with strong U.S. operations who oversee and develop programs to include and advance African Americans and other ethnic minorities, women, the disabled, and the LGBT (lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender) community among the employee, senior management, corporate board, and supplier ranks. Most important, these professionals view such efforts not as initiatives to communicate good corporate citizenship but as vital to expanding market share, building revenues, and increasing the bottom line. This stewardship becomes more important as diversity has been increasingly placed on the back burner in a post-recession environment. Just review the results of a two-year global study, Developing the 21st Century Leader, conducted last year by the consulting group AchieveGlobal. In ranking six areas critical to leadership success, business initiatives to boost profits earned a No. 1 ranking while diversity fell to the bottom of the list of priorities. Additionally, the top executives on this roster can be found in less than 150 companies from a universe of 1,100. But in the face of the study and statistics, diversity is needed as corporations must become more globally competitive and our nation becomes more ethnically diverse. In fact, the National Journal recently reported that the 2010 Census revealed that America is increasingly becoming a "majority-minority†nation. It found that the non-Latino white population declined from 69.2% in 2000 to 63.7% in 2010 while the minority population expanded from 30.9% in 2000 to 36.3% in 2010. True diversity happens at the top–that's why Black Enterprise focused on this select group. "We are guided by our Performance with Purpose goals, which include our commitment to invest in our associates to help them succeed and to contribute to better living standards in the communities we serve,†says Pamela Culpepper, PepsiCo's senior vice president, global diversity and inclusion officer who works closely with Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi on the Global Diversity and Inclusion Governance Council, which is comprised of internal and external leaders from all four continents of the beverage and snack manufacturer's international business. Another leading diversity champion, Tara Amaral, vice president of talent acquisition and chief diversity officer for payroll and tax filing processor Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) seeks to expand the employee and management pipeline, in part, through the CEO-led Executive Diversity Council, a body of the most senior executives who set overall diversity management direction at every level. Moreover, diversity and inclusion are a component of ADP's executive performance and compensation. (Continued on next page) Emilio Egea, Prudential Financial's vice president of human resources and chief diversity officer, says his company approaches diversity through, in part, integrating diversity into business processes and relationship-building with diverse organizations. For example, when the company executed its IPO, Egea asked about minority participation of underwriters and worked with the top brass on a game plan to ensure that roughly 27% of the underwriters were minority-owned firms. In another instance, when there was a perception that Prudential couldn't find black talent from HBCUs, the company sponsored a business case competition in collaboration with Hampton University's School of Business in which students were asked to develop and recommend long-term strategies for real-life business cases within the company. "The idea is to plant the seed. Once people see the success you have, they start to run with it,†he says. "The real breakthrough comes from getting people to build authentic relationships across differences. We take people out of their comfort zones and put them in situations where they are the ones who are in the minority. That's where the real learning comes from. My job is to expand people's frame of reference.†Turn the page to find other leading executives who mean business when it comes to diversity. –Additional reporting by Carolyn M. Brown & Sonja D. Mack METHODOLOGY To select our top executives in diversity, BE's editors sought to identify the highest-ranking and most influential corporate executives in the field. We set out to identify those senior managers responsible for leading the corporate diversity initiatives in the top 1,000 largest publicly traded companies and 100 major global companies with significant American-based operations. As part of our comprehensive search, we consulted major corporations, diversity professionals, trade associations, and resources such as the Executive Leadership Council, Diversity Best Practices Reports, National Diversity Council Inc., and The Johnnetta B. Cole Global Diversity and Inclusion Institute at Bennett College for Women, among others. (Continued on next page) Our selections met the following criteria: - We selected chief diversity officers, global diversity executives, executive and senior vice presidents, and vice presidents who lead diversity initiatives vital to the business objectives of their company. - We excluded all executives who have been identified as directors, managers, or assistant and associate directors and managers in this area. - We excluded those who serve as general counsels, human resource officers, or corporate foundation executives without a diversity management designation for the entire company or major operational and/or revenue-producing unit. - We excluded senior managers who oversee media relations, public affairs, investor relations, community development, and government affairs. - We excluded all executives associated with nonprofit organizations and trade associations. - All diversity appointments on this listing held their positions as of March 31, 2011. CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICERS Tara Amaral Chief Diversity Officer & VP of Talent Acquisition Automatic Data Processing Inc. (ADP) Rohini Anand Ph.D. SVP, Global Chief Diversity Officer Sodexo Inc. Raymond J. Arroyo VP & Chief Diversity Officer Aetna Inc. Terrian Barnes Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Yum! Brands Inc. Candice Barnhardt VP & Chief Diversity Officer Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. Subha V. Barry SVP, Chief Diversity Officer Freddie Mac Hayward L. Bell Chief Diversity Officer Raytheon Co. Cindy Brinkley SVP, Talent Development & Chief Diversity Officer AT&T Inc. Carolynn Brooks VP & Chief Diversity Officer OfficeMax Inc. Steve Bucherati Chief Diversity Officer The Coca-Cola Co. Anthony P. Carter VP, Global Diversity and Inclusion & Chief Diversity Officer Johnson & Johnson David L. Casey VP, Workforce Strategies & Chief Diversity Officer CVS Caremark Corp. Jennifer Christie Chief Diversity Officer & VP of Global Executive Recruitment American Express Co. Linda W. Clement-Holmes Chief Diversity Officer & SVP, Global Business Services Procter & Gamble Co. Deborah Dagit VP & Chief Diversity Officer Merck & Co. Inc. (Continued on next page) Desirée Dancy Chief Diversity Officer & VP, Corporate Human Resources The New York Times Co. Ralph de Chabert Chief Diversity Officer Brown-Forman Corp. Lynne DiStasio VP & Chief Diversity Officer MetLife Ana Duarte McCarthy Chief Diversity Officer Citigroup Emilio Egea VP, Human Resources & Chief Diversity Officer Prudential Financial Inc. Deborah Elam VP & Chief Diversity Officer General Electric Co. Michael Escobar VP & Chief Diversity Officer Allstate Insurance Co. Linda D. Forte SVP of Business Affairs & Chief Diversity Officer Comerica Inc. Edward N. Gadsden Chief Diversity Officer Pfizer Inc. Heide Gardner SVP & Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Interpublic Group of Cos. Inc. Ruth Ann M. Gillis EVP & Chief Administrative and Diversity Officer Exelon Corp. Jacqueline Glenn Chief Diversity Officer EMC Corp. Tracey Gray-Walker SVP & Chief Diversity Officer AXA Equitable Life Insurance Co. Allison Green SVP & Chief Diversity Officer Lincoln Financial Group Donna Griffin SVP & Chief Diversity Officer The Chubb Corp. Susan Hamilton Assistant VP of Diversity & Chief Diversity Officer CSX Corp. Inc. Phil Harlow Chief Diversity and Industrial Relations Officer Xerox Corp. Patricia S. Harris Global Chief Diversity Officer McDonald's Corp. Shaun Hawkins Chief Diversity Officer Lilly Effenus Henderson Chief Diversity Officer Weyerhaeuser Co. (Continued on next page) Michele Holton Chief Diversity Officer Monsanto Co. Rosalind Hudnell Chief Diversity Officer and Director, Education & External Relations Intel Corp. Phyllis James EVP, Special Counsel-Litigation & Chief Diversity Officer MGM Resorts International Linda Jimenez Chief Diversity Officer & Staff VP, Diversity and Inclusion WellPoint Inc. Donna Johnson Chief Diversity Officer MasterCard Worldwide Marsha Jones SVP & Chief Diversity Officer The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. Fred Keeton VP, Finance and External Affairs & Chief Diversity Officer Caesars Entertainment Corp. Kathryn Komsa VP, Diversity and Inclusion & Chief Diversity Officer Marsh & McLennan Cos. Inc. Denice Kronau Chief Diversity Officer Siemens Corp. Lance Lavergne VP & Chief Diversity Officer New York Life Insurance Co. Paula Madison EVP & Chief Diversity Officer NBCUniversal Victoria Martin Chief Diversity Officer Chartis International L.L.C. Augustin Melendez Chief Diversity Officer Eastman Kodak Co. Brenda Mullins Second VP of Human Resources & Chief Diversity Officer AFLAC Inc. Marilyn Nagel Chief Diversity Officer Cisco Systems Inc. Dian Ogilvie Chief Diversity Officer Toyota Motor North America Inc. Sharon Orlopp Chief Diversity Officer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Stephen J. Pemberton Divisional VP & Chief Diversity Officer Walgreen Co. Paul Richardson SVP, Human Resources at ESPN/Chief Diversity Officer The Walt Disney Co. Jennifer Rickard Chief Diversity Officer Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) (Continued on next page) Angela Roseboro SVP & Chief Diversity Officer Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. Carly Sanchez Global Head, Talent Acquisition & Chief Diversity Officer American International Group Inc. (AIG) Darlene Slaughter Chief Diversity Officer & Vice President Fannie Mae Karen D. Taylor SVP, HR & Chief Diversity Officer GenOn Energy Inc. Rosalyn Taylor O'Neale VP & Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Campbell Soup Co. Tiffany R. Warren SVP & Chief Diversity Officer Omnicom Group Inc. Mark Welch Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer & SVP Northern Trust Corp. Magda N. Yrizarry Chief Talent and Diversity Officer Verizon Communications Inc. GLOBAL DIVERSITY EXECUTIVES Johnnie B. Booker Global Director, Supplier Diversity The Coca-Cola Co. Cecilia Carter VP, Global Head of Diversity, Community & Government Affairs Starbucks Corp. Kenneth Charles VP, Global Diversity and Inclusion General Mills Inc. Pamela Culpepper SVP & Global Diversity and Inclusion Officer PepsiCo Inc. Laurie Curtis VP & Global Head of Diversity and Leadership Strategies, American Airlines Inc. AMR Corp. Patricia A. David Managing Director & Global Head of Diversity JPMorgan Chase & Co. Andrea Davitt VP, Global Diversity and Staffing Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Shinder Dhillon Global Director, Talent Management, Diversity & Inclusion Air Products and Chemicals Inc. Sue Dodsworth VP & Global Diversity Officer Kimberly-Clark Corp. Michael C. Ford VP, Global Diversity and Inclusion Hilton Worldwide Lisa J. Gutierrez Executive Director, Global Diversity Cummins Inc. Gwen Houston General Manager of Global Diversity and Inclusion Microsoft Corp. (Continued on next page) Gilli Howarth Managing Director, Global Head of Diversity UBS Aynesh Johnson Managing Director & Head of the Office of Global Leadership and Diversity Goldman Sachs & Co. T. Hudson Jordan Director, Global Diversity and Talent Strategies Pitney Bowes Inc. Eugene Kelly Worldwide Director, Global Diversity and Inclusion Colgate-Palmolive Co. Cheryl Kern Global Director, Diversity and Inclusion International Paper Co. Yolanda Mangolini Director, Global Diversity & Inclusion and Talent & Outreach Programs Google Inc. Paul Martin VP, Global Recruitment and Inclusion Sony Pictures Entertainment Donna McKenna Director, Global Staffing and Diversity Arrow Electronics Inc. Graciela Meibar VP, Global Self Training and Diversity Mattel Inc. Salvador Mendoza VP of Global Diversity and Inclusion Hyatt Hotels Corp. Lisa Mink Executive Director, Global Diversity and Inclusion Dell Inc. Rosalind Peebles Director of Global Diversityand Inclusion, John Deere Deere & Co. Jacqui Robertson Global Head of Diversity ING Group Marva Smalls EVP, Global Inclusion Strategy, MTV Networks Viacom Debbie Smith Rayford VP, Global Diversity Discovery Communications Inc. Susan A. Stith Director, Global Diversity and University Relations Peabody Energy Kelli Stokes Director of Global Diversity and Talent Acquisition Caterpillar Inc. Tyronne Stoudemire Global Leader for Community, Diversity and Inclusion, Aon Hewitt Aon Corp. Geri Thomas Global Diversity and Inclusion Executive Bank of America Corp. Brian Tippens Director, Global Supplier Diversity Development and Sustainability Hewlett-Packard Co. (HP) (Continued on next page) Joyce E. Tucker VP, Global Diversity and Employee Rights The Boeing Co. Debra Turner Bailey Global Diversity Officer, Human Resource Director, Global Staff and Business Services Corning Inc. Jimmie Walton Paschall SVP, External Affairs & Global Diversity and Inclusion Officer Marriott International Inc. Lisa Wicker Head of Global Diversity and Compliance & Director of Talent Acquisition Solutions Chrysler Group L.L.C. D.V. Williams Global Diversity Lead Whirlpool Corp. Heather Wishik Global Diversity and Inclusion Director The TJX Cos. Inc. Carole Young General Manager, Global Offices of Diversity & Ombuds Chevron Corp. EXECUTIVE/SENIOR VICE PRESIDENTS Lajuana Bradford SVP, Diversity and Public Affairs Regions Financial Corp. Walt A. Buckhanan SVP, M&I Bank/VP & Director of Corporate Diversity Marshall & Ilsley Corp. Margot J. Copeland EVP & Director, Corporate Diversity and Philanthropy KeyBank Patricia J. Crawford SVP & Head of Diversity and Inclusion Wells Fargo & Co. Sonya Dukes SVP & Director of Corporate Supplier Diversity Wells Fargo & Co. Lisa Garcia Quiroz SVP, Corporate Responsibility Time Warner Inc. William L. Hawthorne III SVP, Diversity Strategies and Legal Affairs Macy's Inc. Erika Irish Brown SVP, Diversity and Inclusion Bank of America Corp. Rhonda Mims President, ING Foundation & SVP, Office of Corporate Responsibility and Multicultural Affairs ING Financial Services Delena Sunday EVP, Human Resources and Diversity Affairs Nordstrom Inc. VICE PRESIDENTS Kim Adams VP, Diversity, Inclusion & Equal Opportunity Programs Lockheed Martin Corp. Terri D. Austin VP, Diversity & Inclusion The McGraw-Hill Cos. Edward W. Bullock VP, Diversity & Inclusion L'Oreal USA (Continued on next page) Jason Buss VP, Talent Acquisition and Diversity Ameriprise Financial Paul Campbell VP, Human Resources, Labor Community Relations & Diversity Polo Ralph Lauren Kathy Clements VP of Culture and Inclusion Ecolab Inc. Kathryn Collins VP, Associate Recruitment and Inclusion & Diversity J.C. Penney Co. Inc. Maurice Cox VP for Diversity and Inclusion Development PepsiCo Inc. Lourdes Diaz VP, Diversity Relations Sodexo Inc. Grace Figueredo VP, Diversity and Inclusion Hartford Financial Services Leny Garcia-Hill VP of Diversity and Enrichment Flowers Foods Al Gaylor VP of Industry Relations and Diversity Sysco Corp. Amy George VP, Talent, Diversity & Inclusion Terex Corp. Ron Glover VP, Diversity and Workforce International Business Machines Corp. (IBM) Belinda Grant Anderson VP of Workplace Development and Diversity AT&T Services Inc. Arlette Guthrie VP, Talent Management and Diversity Home Depot Inc. Teuila Hanson VP, Diversity and Inclusion AECOM Terri Harrell VP of HR Diversity Compliance Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Charles A. Harvey Corporate VP, Diversity and Public Affairs Johnson Controls Inc. Joelle Hayes VP, Enterprise Diversity and Inclusion Travelers Angela Jones VP, Human Resources Diversity and Inclusion ConAgra Foods Inc. Victoria Jones Ph.D. Diversity Officer VP Apollo Group Inc. Robert Keeling VP, Diversity and Communications Capital One Financial Corp. (Continued on next page) Debra Langford VP, Inclusion and Business Diversity NBCUniversal Lydia Mallett Ph.D. VP, Staffing and Diversity Tyco International Ltd. Debra Nelson VP of Corporate Diversity, Communications & Community Affairs MGM Resorts International James E. Norman VP of Diversity Kraft Foods Inc. Eric Peterson U.S. VP - Diversity General Motors Co. Evelin Potts VP, Diversity & Inclusion Wyndham Worldwide Co. Marilyn Priestley VP & Head, Diversity & Inclusion Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. Lauventria Robinson VP, Diversity Business Development The Coca-Cola Co. Linda Rutherford VP, Communication and Strategic Outreach & Sr. Sponsor of Diversity Council Southwest Airlines Co. Aida Sabo VP, Diversity and Inclusion Cardinal Health Inc. Kim Strong VP, Diversity and Inclusion Target Corp. Alfred Torres VP, Talent Management and Diversity Verizon Communications Inc. Damayanti Vasudevan Ph.D. VP, Diversity and Inclusion R.R. Donnelley Gina Warren VP of Diversity Nike Inc. Francene Young VP of Diversity, Inclusion and Talent Shell Oil Co.