"Diversity is something I personally value, because I think it has the potential to unlock the full business vision of our corporation."
Bob Rewey
Group Vice President of Marketing
Sales and Service (MS&S),
Ford Motor Company

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Quotes


Public Sector

Arthur Bienenstock
Associate Director for Science, Office of Science & Technology Policy
IWG Co-Chair 

If we are to maintain a strong science and technology workforce that will make the new discoveries, drive a strong economy, ensure our national defense, provide a clean environment, improve our health and teach our children, we must increase the participation of minorities in science and technology. i
Rita Colwell
Director, National Science Foundation 
As we strive to improve opportunities in science, engineering, and technology for all citizens, we face challenges of inclusion and challenges of opportunity that are in many ways more complex and more subtle, and therefore more difficult to address... That is why we need a new strategy, in a new direction, for human resource development in science and engineering. ii
Neal Lane
Assistant to the President for Science and Technology
Director, Office of Science & Technology Policy 
Our most valuable national resource is clearly our human resources. If we squander that valuable resource, we will have paid a terrible price, and it will show up and be reflected in the position of our country in the 21st century. We simply cannot afford to do that. iii
Shirley Malcom
Director, Education & Human Resources, AAAS
Past Member, President's Committee of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) 
Science, math, engineering and technology workforce issues are not about the end of the pipeline but about the full spectrum of workers who use technology as well as create it, and upon whom we all depend for our health and our quality of life. iv
William A. Wulf
President of the National Academy of Engineering 
First, engineering is a very creative profession. That is not the way it is usually described, but down to my toes I believe that engineering is profoundly creative. Second, as in any creative profession, what comes out is a function of the life experiences of the people who do it. Finally, sans diversity, we limit the set of life experiences that are applied, and as a result, we pay an opportunity cost--a cost in products not built, in designs not considered, in constraints not understood, in processes not invented.

Collective diversity, diversity of the group--the kind of diversity that people usually talk about--is just as essential to good engineering as individual diversity. At a fundamental level, men, women, ethnic minorities, racial minorities, and people with handicaps, experience the world differently. Those differences in experience are the "gene pool" from which creativity springs.

Rather, it is that range of design options considered in a team lacking diversity that will be smaller. It's that the constraints on the design will not be properly interpreted. It's that the product that serves a broader international customer base, or a segment of this nation's melting pot, or our handicapped, may not be found. It is that the most elegant solution may never be pursued.

There is a real economic cost to that. Unfortunately, it is an opportunity cost. It is measured in design options not considered, in needs unsatisfied and hence unfulfilled. It is measured in "might have beens," and those kinds of costs are very hard to measure. That doesn't change the fact that they are very real and very important. v


Private Sector

C. Michael Armstrong
Past Chairman and CEO, AT&T 

Access and diversity are not the enemy of excellence. vi
Paul A. Allaire
CEO, Xerox Corporation 
For us, diversity goes beyond numbers and targets. It is the acceptance of people of all ages with globally diverse background whose fresh ideas, opinions, perspectives and borderless creativity enrich the lives of others. vii
Ted Childs
Vice President, Global Workforce Diversity, IBM 
Workforce diversity is the bridge between the workplace and the marketplace... If any group feels that people like them are not welcomed and valued, the most powerful way to execute that opinion is to not spend their money with us. We don't want anyone here to feel that people like them aren't working here and doing well. viii
Ivan Seidenberg
CEO, Bell Atlantic 
I've never used the expression 'It's the right thing to do'. I think it's a '70s expression. And doing this [diversifying the workforce] is no more right than upgrading the facilities. [What Bell Atlantic needs most is] more diversity of thinking. If everybody in the room is the same, you'll have a lot fewer arguments and a lot worse answers. ix
Rich McGinn
Former CEO, Lucent Technologies 
Diversity is a competitive advantage. x
Tom Engibous
President and CEO, Texas Instruments 
At TI, we strive to draw on the skills and talents of all our employees because we recognize the importance of using their abilities to compete and win in the global economy. xi
Craig Barrett
President and CEO, Intel 
...Diversity is very important to Intel. To attract and retain the best diverse global talent and encourage full contributions from all employees, Intel managers and employees need to work effectively with many cultures, attitudes and communication styles. xii
Lewis E. Platt
Chairman, Hewlett-Packard Company (retired) 
Hewlett-Packard is blessed with a rich diversity of human talent. HP's diversity is a competitive advantage for our customers, our employees and our company. xiii
Santiago Rodriguez
Former Director of Diversity, Microsoft Corporation 
Diversity assumes not only that people are different-we know that-but that their difference is value-added. If you know how to harness that difference, you'll be more competitive as a corporation than those firms that don't-in the domestic marketplace and certainly in the global marketplace. xiv
George M.C. Fisher
CEO, Kodak Eastman Company 
Diversity is critical to Kodak's future. If we are to grow, our workforce must reflect the diversity of the markets we serve -- not only in terms of race and gender, but in cultural diversity, as well. xv
Alex Trotman
Chairman and CEO, Ford Motor Company 
The only truly sustainable advantage that any company has is the quality, commitment, energy and competitiveness of all its people. We have to use the best talent and experience we can find, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, cultural or national difference. xvi
Michael Jackson
President and CEO, MBNA (Mercedes-Benz of North America) 
You need to match diversity to the business goals of the organization by using a top-down approach, in which the commitment of management motivates all employees to embrace it as critical to the company's success--and therefore, to their own success. xvii
Robert J. Eaton and Jurgen E. Schrempp
Chairmen, DaimlerChrysler Corporation (Diversity Statement) 
Building globally competitive products and offering future-oriented services requires that we use the unique talents of every employee in our workforce worldwide. The best decisions result when all perspectives are considered. Therefore, we must value all employees for their unique talents, backgrounds, cultures and experiences. xviii
Roy S. Roberts
Vice President and General Manager, Pontiac-GMC 
If you put diversity around a table, diversity of thought, diversity of people -- you will get a much stronger answer in terms of how you run the business. When you think of whom we are tying to reach as consumers, it is a very fragmented marketplace. To the degree that I have people around me, challenging me, thinking differently than I do, but thinking about that marketplace, we will benefit. xix
Andrew Jackson
Partner and Chair of Americas Diversity Committee, Andersen Consulting 
You're helping clients fulfill their vision, both tactically and strategically. So it's critical that the client and consultant have a good working relationship. If the client's organization is diverse, and our organization is diverse, we are going to understand the issues the client is facing, including people issues and the technology we are helping them implement. xx 

To the degree that we build the best product and provide the best value, we will get the best returns for our shareholders. I don't think we can do that without maximizing on the diversity of our employees. Nothing is more important than our people. When we talk about technology, product design, and marketing -- people make all of that happen. xxi

Gene Renna 
President and Chief Operating Officer, Mobil Corporation 
When every individual's input is valued in our workplace, Mobil gets an immediate competitive jump because we can maximize everyone's best performance. xxii 
Norm Augustine
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Lockheed Martin 
...If in your employment practices you ignore 85 percent of the newly available talent in this country, how are you going to be a great company? How are you going to compete against companies that recruit from the country's entire pool of talent? And so, if for no other reason than self-interest, we ought to do more to maintain a diverse workforce. xxiii
Michael J. Critelli
Chairman and CEO, Pitney Bowes, Inc. 
We have to convince our leadership throughout the years that there is a strong business benefit to valuing diversity. They will be attracting the best and brightest employees. We will have better customer relationships over the long-term because our employees mirror our customer demographics. As a result, there are bottom-line benefits to our shareholders. xxiv
Edgar S. Woolard, Jr. 
Past CEO, DuPont 
Competition for the most qualified employees, including women and minorities, is stiff. Diversity is an effective recruiting tool since the comfortable and supportive environment that can be developed attracts and retains talented people. xxv
Jerry Blumberg
Executive Vice President and Chairman, Europe, DuPont 
The great advantage we have in Europe over other European companies is our national diversity... On our European leadership team we have 10 nationalities represented. As a result, we can come to grips with customer issues and can come up with innovative solutions on a pan European basis much faster than many of our European competitors. I believe that the promise of diversity is better business performance; we'll get better and more creative solutions so we can grow faster. It's the right thing to do for people, it's the right thing to do for business, and we'll do better as a company. xxvi
Gene Tucker 
Director, Equal Employment Opportunity and Workforce Diversity, Schering-Plough, Pharmaceutical Division 
In order to ensure that we are competitive with anyone in the global marketplace, we have to be sure that we're getting the best help we can. If you exclude any particular group, by gender, race, or religion, you would be excluding the person who's going to discover the next blockbuster product or someone who can contribute in another meaningful way in marketing, engineering, or elsewhere. xxvii
Scott McNealy 
CEO, Sun Microsystems 
Hiring, retaining, and developing great people is the biggest challenge and single greatest key to the success of any business.xxviii

Jeet S. Bindra 
President, Chevron Pipe Line Co.

With the globalization of the world economy, it is imperative that we nurture and take advantage of the diverse U.S. population in order to compete effectively around the world. A diverse work force is now widely recognized as an important tool for improving business results. It's not just window dressing.xxix
i "The US Science, Engineering & Technology Workforce of the Future -- National Strategy, National Portfolio, National Resource Base", Proceedings of A Workshop by the National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Science, July 1998, Page v.

ii "The US Science, Engineering & Technology Workforce of the Future -- National Strategy, National Portfolio, National Resource Base", Proceedings of A Workshop by the National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Science, July 1998, Page v.

iii "The US Science, Engineering & Technology Workforce of the Future -- National Strategy, National Portfolio, National Resource Base", Proceedings of A Workshop by the National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Science, July 1998, Page ix.

iv "The US Science, Engineering & Technology Workforce of the Future -- National Strategy, National Portfolio, National Resource Base", Proceedings of A Workshop by the National Science and Technology Council, Committee on Science, July 1998, Page xi.

v "Diversity in Engineering", The Bridge, Vol. 28 No. 4, 1998.

vi "Mentoring for Success", AT&T video, May 23, 1998.

vii Special advertisement section, Fortune, May 1999

viii http://www.diversityinc.com/forbes.htm, accessed 6/9/99.

ix "The 50 Best Companies for Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics", Fortune, July 1999.

x "The 50 Best Companies for Asians, Blacks, and Hispanics", Fortune, July 1999.

xi http://www.ti.com/corp/docs/press/company/1997/c97033.shtml 

xii Internal memo from CEO Craig Barrett to Intel U.S. Site Committee Chairs. Monday, June 21, 1999.

xiii http://www.hp.com/abouthp/diversity/index.html

xiv http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/1999/05-24rodriguez.htm

xv http://www.kodak.com/country/US/en/corp/pressReleases/pr19950918-5.shtml

xvi Special advertisement section, Fortune, May 1999

xvii http://www.diversityinc.com/forbes.htm, accessed 6/9/99.

xviii http://www.diversityinc.com/forbes.htm, accessed 6/9/99.

xix Special advertisement section, Fortune, May 1999

xx http://www.diversityinc.com/forbes.htm, accessed 6/9/99.

xxi Special advertisement section, Fortune, May 1999

xxii http://www.mobil.com/cgi-bin/bld_frameset.cgi?CONTENT=/diversity_report/people_2.html

xxiii http://www.lmco.com/lmtoday/9701/augustine.html

xxiv Special advertisement section, Fortune, May 1999

xxv Women in management. Comments. September 1995

xxvi "Quotable Quotes", Du Pont Directions, Issue 2, 1997.

xxvii Women in management. Comments. September 1995 

xxviii The Congressional Commission on the Advancement of Women and Minorities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development. Land of Plenty: Diversity as America's Competitive Edge in Science, Engineering, and Technology. September 2000, Page 9.

 xxviii Boyond Tokenism: Fighting for True Integration. As delivered to the Los Ingenieros and National Society of Black Engineers 7th Annual Awards and Installation Banquet. University of California at Santa Barbara, California. April 28, 2001, Page 2.