General Mills Honored by Working Mother as a Best Company for Multicultural Women for Sixth Consecutive Year

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Working Mother magazine today announced General Mills as one of the 2009 Best Companies for Multicultural Women for the sixth consecutive year. General Mills ranks among the top five companies on this year’s list.

“We know that diversity makes us a more innovative and competitive company. As such, recruiting, retaining and advancing women of color are critically tied to our success.”

“This honor reflects the importance General Mills places on creating an inclusive workplace,” said Ken Charles, vice president of diversity and inclusion for General Mills. “We know that diversity makes us a more innovative and competitive company. As such, recruiting, retaining and advancing women of color are critically tied to our success.”

Profiled in the June/July issue of Working Mother magazine, General Mills is recognized for its success in retaining talented women of color and for offering comprehensive resources such as its seven employee networks and several mentoring programs.

“Creating an environment where all employees can thrive is essential to a company’s success. Each Best Company for Multicultural Women demonstrates commitment to diversity by putting its money where its mouth is — through key programs and practices,” said Carol Evans, president, Working Mother Media.

The complete 2009 Best Companies for Multicultural Women special report — including profiles of the winning companies and stories on diversity in corporate America — appears in the June/July issue of Working Mother.

Methodology
To be considered for the Best Companies for Multicultural Women recognition, each company applied and supplied Working Mother with key data points. For the 2009 list, the most weight was given to questions involving representation, training, development and advancement of multicultural women. DFD Consulting, an independent survey research firm in Maplewood, N.J., tabulated the scores.

For more information on the Best Companies for Multicultural Women, visit www.workingmother.com.

About General Mills
One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in over 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A., General Mills had fiscal 2008 global net sales of US$14.9 billion, including the company’s $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales. Visit www.generalmills.com.