Sodexo No. 1 on The 2010 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity

    WASHINGTON, DC, March 13, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The 2010 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list was announced at a sold-out dinner in Washington, D.C., at DiversityInc's two-day event March 9-10. Sodexo was named the No. 1 company.

This year, 449 companies participated in the DiversityInc Top 50 competition, up 12 percent from last year and up 75 percent in the past four years.

"We're seeing an increased correlation between ethical corporate behavior and culturally competent relationship-building with customers and employees," said Luke Visconti, CEO of DiversityInc. "More companies understand this and it's driving the desire to be recognized for good work."

Sodexo made it to the top spot, according to Visconti, because it has exceptional commitment from top management. "The leadership of Sodexo leverages superior diversity management to give them a competitive edge. From the service and nutritious food they serve to superior facilities management, their clients benefit," he said.

Rounding out the top 10 were Johnson & Johnson, AT&T, Kaiser Permanente, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Marriott International, IBM, Bank of America and Abbott.

The list is very diverse in its own right:

- There are 14 different industries represented on the list: financial services 17.3 percent; consumer products 13.5 percent; healthcare/insurance 11.5 percent; professional services 9.6 percent; telecommunications/media 9.6 percent; pharmaceuticals 7.7 percent; hospitality 7.7 percent; technology 7.7 percent; retail 3.8 percent; auto 3.8 percent; defense contractor 1.9 percent; business software 1.9 percent; heavy manufacturing 1.9 percent; agriculture 1.9 percent

- Forty percent of the companies had knowledge-based workforces while 31 percent were in labor-intensive industries

- There is a wide range in the size of companies on the list. The largest company, in terms of employee size, is Target, with 334,000 employees. The smallest is SC Johnson, with 3,192 employees

Applicants fill out a survey divided into four parts: CEO Commitment, Human Capital, Corporate and Organizational Communications, and Supplier Diversity. The same application is used to determine placement on the 12 specialty lists: The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Supplier Diversity; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Blacks; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Latinos; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT Employees; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for People With Disabilities; DiversityInc's 25 Noteworthy Companies; The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Global Diversity; The DiversityInc Top 5 Regional Utility Companies; and The DiversityInc Top 5 Hospital Systems.

For information, contact Barbara Frankel, [email protected], 973-494-0515
For interviews with Luke Visconti, contact [email protected], 973-494-0513

Website: http://www.DiversityInc.com

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