Asia Society Awards 2015 Best Employers for Asian Pacific American Talent
NEW YORK, June 8, 2015 — Asia Society announced today the winners of the 2015 Best Asian Pacific American Employer Awards. Now in their sixth year, the awards honor employers at the forefront of promoting and developing Asian Pacific American (APA) leaders.
The companies will be honored tonight at the 7th Diversity Leadership Forum at Asia Society in New York. The awardees were selected based on the quality of their APA programs as well as the results from employee surveys conducted for Asia Society’s 2015 Asian Pacific Americans Corporate Survey, the only published initiative to exclusively measure the leadership success of APAs at Fortune 500-level companies.
“As the head of a global organization, I can personally attest that diversity is transformative. Companies that recognize this will be best positioned to compete in an increasingly dynamic economy,” said Josette Sheeran, President and CEO of Asia Society. “Asia Society commends all winners for their commitment to Asian and Asian American employees and urges other organizations to follow their lead.”
For the third consecutive year, Goldman Sachs won top honors. “Goldman Sachs is honored to be named the 2015 Overall Best Employer for Asian Pacific Americans by Asia Society,” said Chris Kojima, Managing Director and Asian Professionals Network Senior Sponsor. “At Goldman Sachs, we understand that our success depends on our ability to attract, develop and retain the best talent, which reflects the communities and clients which we serve. We are committed to fostering an environment that maximizes the potential of all of our people and are proud to be recognized as an employer of choice for Asian professionals.“
KPMG was recognized as the Best Employer for APAs to Develop Workforce Skills, also for the third consecutive year. “KPMG prides itself on fostering a culture that is both diverse and inclusive, where all of our professionals can reach their full potential,” said Kathy Hopinkah Hannan, National Managing Partner of Diversity and Corporate Responsibility at KPMG. “The unique backgrounds and perspectives our Asian American professionals bring to their roles aid KPMG in providing the highest quality service to our clients. We are proud to once again be recognized by the Asia Society for the third year in a row as a top company for Asian Pacific American professionals.”
Two award categories were introduced this year as an acknowledgement of the growing role of employee resource groups and formal sponsorship programs in advancing APA employees. AT&T came out on top as the Best Employer for APA Employee Resource Groups. “We’re so proud that the Asia Society has once again recognized AT&T’s commitment to diversity and inclusion – this time for our employee resource groups,” said Cynthia Marshall, AT&T Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer – Human Resources. “Three of our 12 ERGs are dedicated to employees of Asian heritage, and their efforts – through programs, events and leadership – have a profound impact on our employees and in our communities. Being recognized for their contribution is icing on the cake!”
IBM was the award winner for Best Employer for Sponsorship of APAs, which recognizes formal programs focused on development and leadership skills. "We are honored to be recognized by the Asia Society for our diversity and leadership programs that enable senior executives to actively support the growth and development of emerging leaders," said Jon Iwata, senior vice president, marketing and communications, IBM. "These programs provide mentorship, coaching and career opportunities for leaders of diverse backgrounds to become the kind of IBMers our company needs to be essential to our clients."
Finalists and winners are chosen based on a combination of employee survey results (80 percent) and scores from a blind panel of expert judges (20 percent). Employees of Asia Society are not involved in the awards decisions. For more information about the awards, visit Asia Society's Global Talent Initiatives website.
Below is the full list of 2015 award winners, honorable mentions, and best practice citations:
BEST COMPANIES AWARDS
Overall Best Employer for Asian Pacific Americans
Winner: Goldman Sachs
Distinguished Performance: KPMG
Best Employer for Asian Pacific Americans to Develop Workforce Skills
Winner: KPMG
Distinguished Performance: Freddie Mac
Noteworthy Performance: Colgate-Palmolive
Best Employer for Promoting Asian Pacific Americans into Senior Leadership Positions
Winner: Freddie Mac
Distinguished Performance: Goldman Sachs
Noteworthy Performance: KPMG
Best Employer for Asian Pacific American Employee Resource Groups
Winner: AT&T
Distinguished Performance: Colgate-Palmolive
Noteworthy Performance: Discover
Best Employer for Marketing & Support to Asian Pacific American Community
Winner: Marriott International
Distinguished Performance: Cisco
Best Employer for Sponsorship of Asian Pacific Americans
Winner: IBM
Distinguished Performance: PepsiCo
Noteworthy Performance: Goldman Sachs
Best Employer for Most Innovative Practices Benefiting Asian Pacific Americans
Winner: General Electric
Distinguished Performance: Goldman Sachs
BEST PRACTICE CITATIONS
Recruitment and Selection
Colgate-Palmolive; Goldman Sachs; KPMG
Retention
Colgate-Palmolive; Discover; General Electric; Goldman Sachs
Employee Growth & Advancement
AT&T; Freddie Mac; General Electric; KPMG; Marriott
Profit & Loss Leadership Development
AT&T; Freddie Mac; Goldman Sachs; General Electric; KPMG
Asian Pacific American Employee Resource Groups
AT&T; Discover; Goldman Sachs; KPMG; PepsiCo
Diversity
Colgate-Palmolive; Discover; Freddie Mac; Goldman Sachs; KPMG; Marriott; Pacific Gas & Electric
Sponsorship
AT&T; General Electric; Goldman Sachs; IBM; KPMG
Community Commitment
BNY Mellon; Cardinal Health; Freddie Mac; Goldman Sachs; Medtronic
Market Opportunities
AT&T; Cisco; Goldman Sachs; KPMG; Marriott