Asia Society Awards Best Employers for Asian Pacific American Talent

New York (June 10, 2014) – Asia Society, a leading global and pan-Asian organization working to strengthen relationships among the United States and Asia, is pleased to announce this year’s winners of the Asian Pacific Americans Corporate Awards, honoring companies at the forefront of promoting APAs and global diversity.

The companies were honored last night at Asia Society’s 6th Diversity Leadership Forum at New York’s Time Warner Center. They were selected based on the quality of their APA programs as well as the results from their employee surveys which made up Asia Society’s 2014 Asian Pacific Americans Corporate Survey, which explores the many facets of the APA employee experience.

“The corporate awards not only highlight company activities in support of diversity and APA leadership, but also stress the importance of developing the APA workforce and the impact this may bring to companies,” said Asia Society Executive Director Dr. Michael Kulma. “We commend all winners for their amazing work as well as those companies that exhibit best practices and noteworthy support to the APA Community.”

For the 2nd time in a row, Goldman Sachs won the top honor as “Overall Best Employer for Asian Pacific Americans” for providing an inclusive work environment for Asian Pacific American talent. “Goldman Sachs is honored to be named the 2014 Overall Best Employer for Asian Pacific Americas by Asia Society,” said Chris Kojima, Managing Director and Senior Sponsor of Goldman Sachs’ Asian Professionals Network. “This important recognition reflects the commitment to diversity shared by our entire team as we serve our clients and communities.” The company also scored the top spots for “Best Company for Support of the APA Community” and “Best Company for Promoting APAs into Senior Leadership Positions.”

KPMG has been awarded as “Best Company for Asian Pacific Americans to develop Workforce Skills” also for the 2nd time in a row. “We are proud to once again be recognized by the Asia Society as a top company for Asian Pacific American professionals, as it further underscores our commitment to creating a diverse and inclusive workforce where everyone has the opportunity to succeed,” said Kathy Hannan, National Managing Partner, Diversity and Corporate Responsibility, at KPMG. “The efforts led by our national Asian Pacific Islander Network are dedicated to ensuring that talented diverse individuals at KPMG can achieve their career goals.”

AT&T came out on top as the “Best Company for Mentoring” and recognized as honorable mention in the “Best Company for Support of the APA Community.” “AT&T is honored to be recognized by Asia Society,” said Debbie Storey, SVP – Talent Development & Chief Diversity Officer. “In an industry that evolves as quickly as ours, it’s vital that we have a diverse, inclusive culture that encourages continuous learning. When our mentoring and diversity efforts are recognized by an organization like Asia Society, it validates for our employees – including thousands of Asian Pacific Americans – that we’re on the right track.”

BNY Mellon is award winner for company with “Most Innovative Practices.” “BNY Mellon is honored to be recognized by the Asia Society for the global best practices that foster innovation, generate brand pride and build long-term shareholder value. I believe that diversity is transformative,” said Jyoti Chopra, Managing Director and BNY Mellon’s Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion. “To deliver expertise across the investment lifecycle, drive innovation and deliver leading-edge services and solutions for our clients, we leverage our entire workforce. I am so proud to share this award with my colleagues around the world."

Medtronic is the award winner for “Best Company for Marketing and Appealing to the APA Market.”
“As a world leader in medical technology, Medtronic is committed to leveraging the diversity of our employees to drive growth and innovation. We are pleased to be recognized by the Asia Society for our efforts to build a culture that values the unique contributions and perspectives of our global workforce,” said Chris Lee, president of Medtronic Greater China and Medtronic vice president.

In addition to these winners, Asia Society also honored companies with noteworthy and distinguishable performances, such as Colgate-Palmolive, Freddie Mac, General Electric, Marriott, New York Life, and Pfizer.

Below is the full list of Award Winners, Distinguished Performance, and Best Practice Companies for 2014:

Best in Class
Overall Best Employer for Asian Pacific Americans
Winner: Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Best Company for Support of the Asian Pacific American Community
Winner: Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Distinguished Performance: AT&T

Best Company for Promoting Asian Pacific Americans into Senior Leadership Positions
Winner: Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Honor for Distinguished Performance: Colgate-Palmolive

Best Company for Asian Pacific Americans to Develop Workforce Skills
Winner: KPMG
Distinguished Performance: Goldman, Sachs & Co.; Colgate-Palmolive

Best Company for Marketing and Appealing to Asian Pacific Americans
Winner: Medtronic

Best Company for Mentoring
Winner: AT&T
Distinguished Performance: KPMG; GE

Best Company with the Most Innovative Practices
Winner: BNY Mellon
Distinguished Performance: GE

Best Practices
Mentoring
KPMG; AT&T

Sponsorship
Pfizer; KPMG; and Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Diversity
AT&T; BNY Mellon

Recruitment and Selection
Marriott

Retention Efforts
GE; BNY Mellon

Employee Growth and Advancement
KPMG; Goldman, Sachs & Co.; and Freddie Mac

P&L Leadership
GE; KPMG; and Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Support for the Community
AT&T; Marriott; and Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Market Opportunities
Medtronic; Marriott; and NY Life