Diversity and Inclusion
Help Cardinal Health
Realize Its Vision
Diversity and inclusion programs are help-
ing Cardinal Health realize its vision to
become the premier global healthcare
company. “Our mission is to help improve the safety and productivity of
healthcare—here in the United States
and internationally,” says Kerry Clark,
CEO. “A diverse work force makes us a
stronger and better competitor. Diversity
and inclusion drive innovation and the great
ideas that lead to the industry-leading solu-
tions our customers need.”
Diversity and inclusion are woven
into Cardinal Health’s five core values:
ethical, people-driven, performance-driven, innovative and collaborative.
“This responsibility includes treating
others with dignity and respect, practicing inclusion and recognizing individual perspectives and contributions,” Clark says.
Steering councils and employee network councils have
helped expand the diversity effort. “We’re fortunate to
have a seasoned Diversity and Inclusion team that guides
and directs our initiatives and provides senior leadership visibility into important employee issues,” says Chief
Human Resource Officer Carole Watkins. More than
99 percent of the company’s leadership at the director-level and above has attended inclusion-awareness training, and diversity training opportunities are offered to
all employees.
To help ensure that future leaders from diverse
backgrounds are aware of career opportunities, Dublin,
Ohio-based Cardinal Health partners with the National
Black MBA Association, the National Society of Hispanic
MBAs and the Urban League. A strong nationwide supplier-diversity effort generates economic-development
opportunities in the communities where the company
does business. In 2006, the company spent $2 billion
with diverse suppliers.
“Support for diversity and inclusion needs to start
with executive leadership,” says Watkins. “Our CEO is
very clear about his support, and our steering councils
are chaired by senior leaders who report into the highest levels of our organization.” Diversity and inclusion
are a regular agenda item at senior leadership and board
of directors meetings. “These efforts go a long way in
ensuring that clear diversity and inclusion goals are set
and reached,” she adds.
owned business enterprises
(M/WBEs) is Mayor Coleman. When he first took
office in 1999, a mere 3
percent of city contracts
were awarded to M/WBEs;
today, nearly one in five
are won by M/WBEs. For
example, more than $100
million has been paid to
black firms under Mayor
Coleman’s administration. “In every thing we
do,” he says, “we focus
on giving minority- and
female-owned businesses a
significant part of the work
to build their capacity and
employment bases.”
What’s more, the
increased competition
for public contracts helps
taxpayers know that they’re
“getting the best value,”
says Wanda J. Corner, a
supplier-diversity expert
based in Columbus. To
help M/WBEs succeed in
the bidding process and
build their brands, a series
of business-development
seminars are being offered
by the Columbus Urban
League and U.S. Small Business Administration. Plus,
the city has partnered with
Columbus State Community College and the
chamber earlier this year to
kick off Diversity Bridge, a
program that includes creating a Web site on M/WBE
certification, partnerships
and funding resources. The
chamber will also track
M/WBEs to see where additional assistance is needed.
“For this to be a
community of the future,
we must address the needs
of our changing business
population,” explains
Michael Gordon, the
chamber of commerce’s
senior vice president for
business development
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