entire customer base that we didn’t have before. Philanthropy is also a good lever-
age tool for a business when you’re in the community and you’re investing
in a very critical and focused and strategic way. The KeyBank Foundation
has a $1-million RFP out for financial-literacy training programs in our
markets. It’s a very important initiative; we want to make sure our com-
munities are whole, whether they are our customers or another bank’s
customers; we want to make sure people are learning how to be a part of
the economic mainstream.
r
The worry
among leaders
who were
uncomfortable
losing the
control of
having someone
in a permanent
space has really
gone away
because we’ve
seen actually
an increase in
productivity,
in engagement,
and some
really good idea
generation.
KERRIE PERAINO,
AMERICAN EXPRESS
CRUMPTON: An innovative product that we looked at that was long
in the pipeline is called Drought Tolerance. What we’re providing is
drought-tolerant corn and soybean to places like sub-Sahara Africa so
that in time of drought and of no water, farmers and growers will not
only be able to provide food for themselves but will be able to provide
food to other markets around the world. What we see is a major effort
called WEMA (Water Efficient Maze Association), a collaboration between
Monsanto, the Bill Gates Fund, and other key organizations and NGOs in
Africa to really look at how we can help double crop yield by 2030, whether it be
less water, less fuel, less pesticides. That’s an innovative product that not only has
a major impact in the U.S. but around the world. We want to bring this technology to
sub-Sahara Africa at the same time we’re bringing the technology to the U.S. because
if we delay, then Africa will always be behind in the world, not only in produc-
tion of food but also growth from an economic perspective.
M
a
VISCONTI: Africa is a growth market. So if you’re bringing the innovative product
to the growth market first, or at least at the same time, you’re going to increase that
growth. You’re going to be an element in increasing your own future success because
as you grow that market, they’ll be able to consume more of your products.
DIVERSITY 401
What is the next generation of
innovative products? How are the
results of innovative teams generating
specific ROIs for these companies?
PERAINO: Diversity is definitely driving innovation at American Express in something we’re calling Blue Work. Blue Work is about combining the concept of work
space with work styles. What I like most about it is that it’s being driven by our
global real-estate team and our global technology team. Those are traditional staff
groups. Yet we’re dealing with a very real business issue that has cost-implication or
cost-save opportunity. There isn’t a business among us today that isn’t struggling with
the high cost of real estate and how we deal with that. Our motto is “Let’s get rid
of space and not people.” Blue Work has created a four-box system. It’s called Hub,
Club, Home and Roam. It happens to rhyme; it makes it easy for people to understand. It helps us deal with the multi-generations in the workplace today. It helps us
meet people where they want to be met in terms of their preferred work style, and it
also allows us to marry that with what the job requires. Hub means you sit in a hub
location because your job does require you to be face-to-face in any one of our cities.
Club is the most innovative. Home and Roam are pretty self-explanatory as well. Do
your work at home and we don’t pay for corporate real estate for you, you get a
stipend to set up your home office. Roam is your road warrior, you’re a salesperson,
someone in client management, someone you actually pay not to be in the office but to
