DIVERSITYINC LEARNINGS
SPECIAL
AWARDS
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TOP COMPANY FOR
EMPLOYEE-RESOURCE GROUPS
American
Express
No. 13 on the DiversityInc
Top 50 list
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American Express has been a leader in both the types of employee-resource groups it has offered and in the effec- tive ways it uses those groups to find and build talent, create an inclusive workplace, promote engagement,
retention and productivity, and reach new markets.
American Express has 15 employee-resource groups
with more than 70 chapters globally. The company
has had groups for more than a decade.
Groups are funded through a mixture of funding
from executive sponsors, diversity councils and the
diversity department. Membership in these groups is
available to all permanent American Express employees. The employee groups provide development and
networking opportunities and support key business
imperatives.
They play an important role in diversity recruiting
efforts, often attending events and providing referrals
for top talent. They also frequently greet new employees upon hiring and offer a sense of community. The
groups are used for mentoring programs, sponsorship initiatives, development offerings and networking
opportunities. They also play a critical role in creating
marketing strategies and business solutions that appeal
to a diverse consumer audience. Examples include
the Felicidades and Lunar New Year gift cards that
were created in partnership with the Global Prepaid
Business and AHORA and ANA employee networks.
Carolynn Johnson and Anré Williams
Award Accepted by Anré Williams,
President, Global Merchant Services:
“Diversity is a business imperative, but not
everyone believes that, and it’s great to be in a
room full of people that do. We [at American
Express] recognize that diversity is important
but try to think about it beyond the way
people normally do—beyond race, religion,
gender. We try to think about it globally. We
have 15 different networks in 80 chapters
throughout the world to create a sense of unity
and community. It’s important for talent,
not just in attracting people but to find and
identify people who might be great assets to
the company … Bringing people together gives
a sense of belonging and lets people know
they can do more. If you don’t see it, you can’t
believe it. We are all on this quest to build
diversity together, and we can learn a lot from
each other.”
