Bloomberg LP is the leading provider of news and information to the global business community, connecting influential decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas. With more than 15,000 employees in 192 locations, we deliver critical information in a world where information holds the power to move markets and improve people’s lives.
Bloomberg sits at the intersection of two industries – finance and technology – that have traditionally struggled to achieve meaningful diversity. Yet, as the company’s global client base becomes increasingly diverse, we believe that our future success is inextricably tied to our ability to attract a diverse workforce that is attuned to our clients’ rich and varied cultures, norms and business practices. In our results-driven culture, an inclusive environment means appreciating differences and breaking down silos to empower our people to collaborate – across businesses, functions and geographies. For this reason, we see diversity as both a social and business imperative.
At Bloomberg, support for diversity and inclusion starts at the top: Bloomberg’s Chairman, Peter Grauer, has made diversity and inclusion a key priority for all business leaders globally. “I’ve sat through enough meetings in my career to know that better outcomes inevitably come from a broader number of voices in the conversation – voices with different backgrounds, life experiences, perspectives and a willingness to challenge the conventional wisdom,” shares Grauer, who is also U.S. Chair of the 30% Club and serves on the Advisory Council for Out Leadership.
Grauer and the Bloomberg team are backing these words with action. Over the past several months, Grauer has led a companywide effort calling on each business head to develop a diversity plan to recruit, develop and retain diverse talent — with measurable results to ensure accountability — over the next five years. This approach will ensure that the company’s diversity efforts will be tied to specific business goals.
Building on that effort, In March 2015, Grauer enlisted the help of seasoned Wall Street banker and diversity practitioner Erika Irish Brown as Bloomberg’s first Global Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer. “When I first sat down with Peter to discuss joining the company, he made it clear that Bloomberg’s diversity efforts start at the top. We’re building a real partnership that includes all business heads to ensure that we don’t just talk about the diversity and inclusion, but deliver measurable results,” says Irish Brown.
One key part of the company’s D&I strategy is the Bloomberg Communities program, which serve as a forum for employees to share ideas, concerns and successes, to serve as brand ambassadors internally and externally, and to increase professional and leadership development. Bloomberg sponsors seven Communities with a total of more than 3,000 employee members (nearly 20% of the global employee population).
Bloomberg recognizes that diversity and inclusion is a journey without a finish line. Particularly given the recruiting challenges in finance and technology, there is much work to do. But by taking the same analytical, results-oriented approach Bloomberg applies to all business challenges, the company is building momentum and executing a smart strategy to drive change.
