Join INEmail InquiryCEO Letter on Disability InclusionView Official Letter.
Understanding that we are all operating in an unprecedented environment with multiple, competing interests for the time and attention of the CEO, we are writing to you – from a CEO to CEO perspective – to ask for your much-needed help in advancing equality and inclusion at a time when the need to make sure that no one is marginalized has never been more important.
July 2020 marked the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While there is much to celebrate in the progress that has been made since the ADA was created, there is still a great deal of work to be done. Specifically, we want to:
Request your consideration to participate in the Disability Equality Index (DEI), the leading corporate benchmarking tool for disability equality, which is administered by the non-profit organizations, American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN;
Share important information on disability inclusion that details its impact on business performance; and
Ensure that you’re aware of increasing investor interest in understanding how companies are inclusive of people with disabilities.
We have experienced first-hand, within our companies, the potential for innovation, sustainability, and profit as a result of disability inclusion. It is important to us, now more than ever, to drive companies aligned with corporate values and meaningful purpose. Without disability inclusion, we will fail to build sustainable futures that empower all.
We kindly request that your company registers for the DEI, a corporate benchmarking tool created by non-profit organizations AAPD and Disability:IN.
Our respective companies leverage the DEI to help build better products, stronger workforces, and innovative supply chains. At a larger scale, we stand to boost the American GDP by up to $25 billion if we hire just 1% of the untapped talent with disabilities.
Over one billion people have a disability across the globe – and it is a strength. We are leveraging this – by hiring inclusively, contracting with disability-owned business enterprises, and creating accessible tools and technology for all. We do this because it’s the right thing to do and it makes good business sense. Research reveals that companies that have led on key disability inclusion criteria during that time have realized: 1.6x more revenue, 2.6x more net income, and 2x more economic profit than other participants in Disability:IN’s annual benchmark survey.1 They are also 25% more likely to outperform on productivity compared to their industry peers that have not participated in the survey, measured as revenue per employee.
This is a growing topic for investors in driving sustainable performance. A global investor coalition, representing more than $2.8 trillion in combined assets, called on companies they invest in to become more disability inclusive. The coalition is led by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read, and includes large institutional investors such as California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) and Bank of America.
We understand, firsthand, that many requests come across the CEO’s desk, which is why we’re reaching out directly to you on this topic. The business case for disability inclusion in the workplace is compelling. Investor interest – along with regulator and legislator interest – on the topic of workplace disability inclusion is increasing at an accelerated pace. And the DEI provides an unbiased and confidential way to benchmark disability inclusion in the workplace.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Signed:
Darius Adamczyk, Chairman & CEO, Honeywell
Kevin Ali, CEO, Organon
José (Joe) E. Almeida, Chairman, President & CEO, Baxter International Inc.
Cristiano R. Amon, President & CEO, Qualcomm Incorporated
Bill Anderson, Chairman of the Board of Management, Bayer AG, Bayer
Peter Arduini, President & CEO, GE HealthCare
Carl S. Armato, President & CEO, Novant Health
Craig Arnold, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Eaton
Nikesh Arora, CEO and Chairman, Palo Alto Networks
Tom Arseneault, President & CEO, BAE Systems, Inc.
Stéphane Bancel, CEO, Moderna
Steve Bandrowczak, Chief Executive Officer, Xerox Corporation
Mary Barra, Chair and CEO, General Motors
Corie Barry, CEO, Best Buy
Brian Becker, CEO, RSM
Marc Benioff, Chair & CEO, Salesforce
Andy Bird, CEO, Pearson
Frank Bisignano, President & CEO, Fiserv, Inc.
Robert M. Blue, Chair, President & CEO, Dominion Energy, Inc.
Jean-Michel Boers, President & CEO, and US Country Managing Director, Boehringer Ingelheim USA Corporation
Gail Boudreaux, President & CEO, Elevance Health
Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman & CEO, Pfizer, Inc.
Roz Brewer, CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance
Bruce Broussard, President & CEO, Humana Inc.
Greg Brown, Chairman & CEO, Motorola Solutions Inc
Jeffrey J. Brown, CEO, Ally Financial Inc.
Michele Buck, Chairman of the Board President and Chief Executive Officer, The Hershey Company
Bill Burns, CEO, Zebra Technologies
David Burritt, President and CEO, U. S. Steel
James Butcher, President & CEO, Chemonics International
Giovanni Caforio, Chairman & CEO, Bristol Myers Squibb
David Calhoun, President & CEO, The Boeing Company
Anthony Capuano, CEO, Marriott International, Inc.
Marc Casper, Chairman, President & CEO, Thermo Fisher Scientific
Andy Cecere, Chairman & CEO, U.S. Bancorp
Annette Clayton, North American President & CEO, Schneider Electric
Frank Clyburn, CEO, IFF
Steve Collis, Chairman, President and CEO, AmerisourceBergen
Elizabeth B. Concordia, President and CEO, UCHealth
David Cordani, President & CEO, Cigna Corporation
Brian Cornell, Board Chairman & CEO, Target Corp.
Roger Crandall, Chairman, President & CEO, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
Joanne Crevoiserat, CEO, Tapestry, Inc.
Terrence Curtin, CEO, TE Connectivity, Ltd.
Paul Decker, President & CEO, Mathematica
Keith Demmings, President & CEO, Assurant
Francis deSouza, President & CEO, Illumina
Harry Dochelli, President & CEO, Essendant
Joe Dominguez, President & CEO, Constellation Energy Corporation
John Donahoe, President & CEO, NIKE, Inc.
Brian Doubles, President & CEO, Synchrony
Sandy Douglas, CEO, UNFI
Thasunda Brown Duckett, President & CEO, TIAA
Marvin R. Ellison, President & CEO, Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
John J. Engel, Chairman, President & CEO, Wesco International Inc.
Mick Farrell, CEO, ResMed
Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., President & CEO, Mayo Clinic
Bradley H. Feldmann, Chairman, President & CEO, Cubic Corporation
Jim Fitterling, Chair and CEO, Dow
Kathleen Flanagan, CEO & President, Abt Global Inc.
Beth Ford, President & CEO, Land O’Lakes, Inc.
James C. Foster, Chairman, President and CEO, Charles River Laboratories, Inc.
Richard Francis, President and Chief Executive Officer, Teva Pharmaceuticals
Fabrizio Freda, President & CEO, The Estée Lauder Companies
John C. Freker, Jr., CEO, Buck Global, LLC
Lance Fritz, Chairman, President & CEO, Union Pacific
Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and CEO, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
Pat Gelsinger, CEO, Intel
Paul Gentzkow, President & CEO, Talent Solutions, Robert Half
Russell Glass, CEO, Headspace
Matt Goldberg, President & CEO, Tripadvisor, Inc.
Jim Goodnight, Co-Founder & CEO, SAS Institute Inc.
Mark Greatrex, President, Cox Communications, Inc.
Kelly Grier, US Chair & Americas Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
Sebastian Guth, President, Bayer U.S. & President Pharma, North America, Bayer
Matt Hammerstein, CEO Barclays UK and Global Agenda Sponsor for Disability Inclusion, Barclays UK
M. Susan Hardwick, President & CEO, American Water Works, Inc.
Cain A. Hayes, President & CEO, Point32Health, Inc.
Gregory J. Hayes, Chairman & CEO, Raytheon Technologies
Joe Hinrichs, President & CEO, CSX Corporation
Lauren Hobart, President & CEO, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc.
Roger Hochschild, President & CEO, Discover Financial Services
Kevin Hourican, President & CEO, Sysco Corporation
Rich Hume, Chief Executive Officer, TD SYNNEX
Barbara Humpton, CEO, Siemens USA
Jean Hynes, CEO, Wellington Management
Robert Isom, Chief Executive Officer, American Airlines Group
Anthony Jabbour, CEO, Black Knight, Inc. and Dun & Bradstreet
Brad Jacobs, Chairman & CEO, XPO Logistics, Inc.
Haakan Jonsson, Chairman and President, Covestro
Robert E. Jordan, CEO, Southwest Airlines
Rick Keyes, President & CEO, Meijer
Julie Kim, President, U.S. Business Unit and U.S. Country Head, Takeda
Scott Kirby, CEO, United Airlines
Tim Knavish, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), PPG Industries, Inc.
Paul Knopp, U.S. Chair & CEO, KPMG
Ramon Laguarta, Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo
Ralph A. LaRossa, Chair, President and CEO, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)
Heather Lavallee, CEO, Voya Financial, Inc.
Alex Liu, Managing Partner, Chairman and Chief Diversity Officer, Kearney
Sarah London, CEO, Centene Corporation
Enrique Lores, President and CEO, HP Inc.
Charles F. Lowrey, Chairman & CEO, Prudential Financial, Inc.
Mike Mahoney, Chairman & CEO, Boston Scientific
Paul Markovich, President & CEO, Blue Shield of California
Judy Marks, Chair, CEO & President, Otis Worldwide
Geoff Martha, CEO, Medtronic
Rodney Martin, Chairman & CEO, Voya Financial
Alessandro Maselli, President & CEO, Catalent Pharma Solutions
Pamela Maynard, CEO, Avanade
Bill McDermott, Chairman & CEO, ServiceNow
James R. McDonald, President, Americas Land, SLB
Richard P. McKenney, President & CEO, Unum Group
Doug McMillon, President & CEO, Walmart Inc.
Rodney McMullen, Chairman & CEO, The Kroger Companies
Sanjay Mehrotra, President & CEO, Micron Technology, Inc.
Larry Merlo, President & CEO, CVS Health
Charles Meyers, President and CEO, Equinix
Ben Minicucci, CEO & President, Alaska Airlines
Sarosh Mistry, Chair, Sodexo North America, Sodexo
Mark Mondello, CEO, Jabil Inc.
Curt Morgan, CEO, Vistra Corp.
Sarah Morrison, CEO, Shepherd Center
Iva Morse, Country Speaker USA. Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
William S. Mosakowski, CEO, Public Consulting Group
Brian Moynihan, Chairman of the Board & CEO, Bank of America
Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft
Laxman Narashimhan, CEO, Starbucks
Chris Nassetta, President & CEO, Hilton
Antonio Neri, President & CEO, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Alan S. Ogilvie, President & Chief Executive Officer, Church Mutual Insurance Co., S.I.
Ronald P. O’Hanley, Chairman & CEO, State Street Corporation
Ken Paulus, President & CEO, Prime Therapeutics LLC
Mark Pearson, CEO, Equitable Holdings
Douglas L. Peterson, President & CEO, S&P Global
Pedro Pizarro, President & CEO, Edison International
Tom Polen, Chairman, CEO & President, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD)
Patti Poppe, CEO PG&E Corporation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
Bob Pragada, Chief Executive Officer, Jacobs
Heike Prinz, Chief Talent Officer & Labor Director, Bayer AG, Bayer
Peter Quigley, CEO, Kelly
Tom Reeg, CEO, Caesars Entertainment
Dave Regnery, Chair & CEO, Trane Technologies
Dave Ricks, Chairman & CEO, Eli Lilly and Company
Michelle Riley-Brown, President and CEO, Children’s National Hospital
David Risher, CEO, Lyft
Dino E. Robusto, Chairman & CEO, CNA Financial Corporation
Jorge M. Rodriguez, President & CEO, Sorenson
Horacio Rozanski, President and Chief Executive Officer, Booz Allen Hamilton
Jim Ryan, Chairman & CEO, Old National Bank
Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment
Tim Ryan, US Chair & Senior Partner, PwC
Vincent L. Sadusky, Chief Executive Officer; Executive Director, IGT
Leo Salom, President & CEO, TD Bank
Tom Salvaggio, President & CEO, CAI
Rafael Santana, President and CEO, Wabtec Corporation
Rodrigo Santos, President Bayer Crop Science Division, Bayer
Julien Sauvagnargues, President, Olympus Corporation of the Americas (OCA)
Charlie Scharf, CEO, Wells Fargo & Company
Jay Shah, Chief Executive Officer, Edelman Financial Engines
Alan Shaw, President & CEO, Norfolk Southern Corporation
Brian Shepherd, President and CEO, CSG
Brian Sikes, President & CEO, Cargill
Seth Siegel, CEO, Grant Thornton LLP
Mike Sievert, President & CEO, T-Mobile
Josh Silverman, CEO, Etsy, Inc.
Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman & CEO, Baker Hughes
Vince Sorgi, President & CEO, PPL Corporation
Evan Spiegel, CEO, Snap Inc.
John Stankey, CEO, AT&T
Stephen D. Steinour, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Huntington National Bank
Scott Strazik, Chief Executive Officer, GE Vernova
Michael Stubblefield, President and CEO, Avantor
Robert E. Sulentic, President & CEO, CBRE
Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture
Mike Swinford, CEO, NuMotion
J.K. Symancyk, President & CEO, PetSmart
James D. Taiclet, Chairman, President & CEO, Lockheed Martin
Joe Tarantino, President & CEO, Protiviti
Rob Taylor, President Sonepar North America, Sonepar
Laurent Therivel, CEO, US Cellular
Sanjeev Tirath, CEO, Pyramid Consulting
Chris Todd, CEO, UKG
Carol B. Tomé, CEO, United Parcel Service
Robert N. Trunzo, President & CEO, TruStage
Brian Turner, CEO & President, Point B LLC
Sherri Turpin, CEO, ZVRS and Purple Communications
Brian Tyler, CEO, McKesson Corporation
Joe Ucuzoglu, CEO, Deloitte Global
Hans Vestberg, Chairman & CEO, Verizon
Robin Vince, President & CEO, BNY Mellon
Michel Vounatsos, CEO, Biogen
Keith Waddell, CEO, Robert Half International
Pat Walsh, CPA, MBA, CEO, Withum
Kathy Warden, Chairman, CEO & President, Northrop Grumman Corporation
Mike Wirth, Chairman & CEO, Chevron Corporation
Dr. Jerry Wohletz, President & CEO, Draper
Anne Wojcicki, CEO & Co-Founder, 23andMe
Ashley Wright, Enterprise CEO, GHD Group Limited
John Zillmer, CEO, Aramark