BLACK ENTERPRISE Announces the 40 Best Companies for Diversity

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BLACK ENTERPRISE (BE) has announced its fourth annual tally of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity as featured in the July issue. The companies identified in the special report demonstrated strength and outperformed their peers in one or more of four key categories: supplier diversity, senior management, board involvement, and employee base.

Of the 40 best, both McDonald’s Corp. and MGM Mirage met BE’s criteria in all four categories. Among the companies that hit the mark in three of the four areas are AETNA Inc., the Coca-Cola Co., Pepco Holdings Inc., WGL Holdings Inc., and Xerox Corp. Making their debut on this year’s list are Burger King Holdings, Sempra Energy, and Sodexho USA.

With the number of African American CEOs at America’s largest companies dwindling, BE focused additional reporting on companies that have demonstrated the ability to retain and develop diverse executive talent. Featured in this year’s report are several bold, energetic leaders-to-be, including cover subjects Abram Mercedes of IBM and Tonya Berry of Chrysler.

The full list of the BLACK ENTERPRISE 40 Best Companies for Diversity consists of the following companies:

Aetna Inc., Hartford, CT		MGM MIRAGE, Las Vegas, NV
Aflac Inc., Columbus, GA		Pepco Holdings, Inc. , Washington, D.C.
American Express Co., New York, NY		Pepsi Bottling Group Inc., Somers, NY
ARAMARK Corp., Philadelphia, PA		PepsiCo Inc., Purchase, NY
AT&T, San-Antonio, TX		PG&E Corp., San Francisco, CA
Bank of America, Charlotte, NC		Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford, CT
Burger King Holdings, Miami, FL		Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, OH
Chrysler L.L.C., Auburn Hills, MI		Ryder System Inc., Miami, FL
Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta, GA		Sempra Energy, San Diego, CA
Comcast Corp., Philadelphia, PA		Sodexho USA, Gaithersburg, MD
Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, NY		Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., White Plains, NY
Exelon Corp., Chicago IL		State Farm Insurance Cos., Bloomington, IL
Fannie Mae, Washington, D.C.		TIAA-CREF, New York, NY
FedEx Corp., Memphis, TN		Toyota Motor North America Inc., New York, NY
General Mills Inc., Minneapolis, MN		Marriott International Inc., Washington, D.C.
General Motors Corp., Detroit, MI		United Parcel Service Inc. (UPS), Atlanta, GA
IBM Corp. (IBM), Armonk, NY		Verizon Communications Inc., Washington, D.C.
Johnson Controls Inc., Milwaukee, WI		WGL Holdings Inc., Washington, D.C.
Kellogg Co., Battle Creek, MI		Xerox Corp., Stamford, CT
McDonald’s Corp., Oak Brook, IL		Yum! Brands Inc., Louisville, KY

The 2008 40 Best Companies for Diversity were determined by analyzing responses from a survey administered to major corporations. BE conducted a comprehensive outreach effort to the CEOs and diversity executives of the top 1,000 publicly traded companies, and the diversity executives of the 50 leading global companies with strong U.S. operations.

The complete special report, including methodology and selection criteria, is available in the July 2008 issue of BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine, on newsstands now.

BLACK ENTERPRISE, your ultimate source for wealth creation, is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. Since 1970, BE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. Every month, BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine provides 3.9 million readers with information on entrepreneurship, careers, and financial management. A multimedia company, BE also produces radio and television programming, business and lifestyle events, Web content, and digital media. BLACK ENTERPRISE is the definitive source of information for and about African American business markets and leaders, and the authority on black business news and trends.