With the mission to train, hire and advance one million Black Americans over the next 10-years into family-sustaining jobs with opportunities for advancement, Whirlpool Corporation’s Chairman & CEO Marc Bitzer will become a founding member of OneTen, a coalition of leading executives who are coming together to create an organization for that purpose.
Launched with 37 other company CEOs across a variety of industries, Bitzer and Whirlpool Corporation will work with partner organizations to continue to improve workplace inclusivity practices and provide opportunities for Black Americans. These actions align with Whirlpool Corporation’s commitment to foster an inclusive and diverse culture where all employees feel welcomed, respected, valued and heard.
Bitzer says, “Inclusion and diversity has always been a top priority for us as a company, and I am honored to join my peers at other companies in this incredible effort focused on removing structural barriers and driving real results.” He adds, “We have continually worked to create an engaging and inclusive environment across our organization, and we look forward to continuing to drive our core values and providing opportunities for all of our employees to succeed.”
Benton Harbor-based Whirlpool has long believed in the power of inclusion and diversity to drive its business strategy. Earlier this year, the company announced a multi-year action plan to drive sustainable, positive impact for all current and future Black colleagues and its local community – which will ultimately help all underrepresented groups within the company. Additionally, in 2019, the company established its annual Global Inclusion Week, a program designed to engage employees and teach them about the importance and benefits of Inclusion and Diversity in the workplace.
Whirlpool Corporation also champions Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), that include the FOCUS Network supporting Black employees and the Whirlpool Women’s Network (WWN), to attract, engage, and retain a diverse workforce and create an inclusive workplace. The company is also a member of Catalyst CEO Champions for Change, which pledges to advance more women into all levels of leadership.
As a result of these ongoing efforts, Whirlpool Corporation is regularly recognized as a leading company in efforts related to diversity and inclusion. In 2020, the Company was named to the 2020 Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index and scored a perfect 100 on the 2020 Corporate Equality Index.
