HE WAS ALSO CHIEF OF STAFF UNDER
PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH.
JOSH, THANKS FOR JOINING US.
WHY IS CORPORATE AMERICA CALLING
FOR POLICE REFORM?
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S A LITTLE BIT
OUT OF OUR USUAL LANE OF CORE
ECONOMIC ISSUES, BUT THIS IS NOW
A CORE ECONOMIC ISSUE FOR EVERY
COMPANY IN AMERICA.
WE’VE GOT ALMOST 200 OF THE
NATION’S CEOs OF OUR LARGEST
COMPANIES HERE AND EVERY ONE OF
THEM IS HEARING FROM THEIR
EMPLOYEES AND CUSTOMERS.
THEY WANT THE BUSINESS LEADERS
TO STEP UP AND TAKE A STAND IN
SUPPORT OF DOING WHAT WE CAN TO
ADJUST -- TO ADDRESS RACIAL
INEQUITY IN AMERICA.
AND SO THERE’S NO -- THERE’S NO
HESITATION ON THE PART OF OUR
CEOs AT THIS MOMENT TO STEP IN
AND DO WHAT THEY CAN TO HELP
ACHIEVE MEANINGFUL POLICE
REFORM.
>> WHAT MAKES YOU THINK YOU’RE
GOING TO HAVE ANY SORT OF
INFLUENCE?
WE’VE SEEN TENS OF THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE MARCH IN THE STREETS FOR
WEEKS AND WE’RE AT A STANDSTILL.
>> WELL, THIS GROUP OF 200 CEOs
IS INFLUENTIAL.
THEY HAVE -- INDIVIDUALLY, THEY
HAVE INFLUENTIAL VOICES WITH OUR
LAWMAKERS AND POLICYMAKERS.
THEY ALSO REPRESENT A LOT OF
EMPLOYEES.
THE AVERAGE MEMBER OF OUR
ORGANIZATION EMPLOYS NEARLY
100,000 PEOPLE.
SO WHEN -- AND THOSE EMPLOYEES
WANT THEIR LEADERS TO USE THEIR
VOICES.
WHEN WE STEP UP AND USE OUR
VOICE, WE HOPE IT WILL BE HEARD,
AND WE’RE TRYING TO USE THE
VOICE FOR BIPARTISAN CONSENSUS
BECAUSE THERE REALLY IS THE
OPPORTUNITY FOR BIPARTISAN
CONSENSUS ON MEANINGFUL POLICE
REFORMS.
SO WE’RE NOT GUARANTEED SUCCESS
BY ANY MEANS BUT WE’RE GOING TO
USE OUR VOICE INDIVIDUALLY WITH
THE CEOs.
WE’RE GOING TO DO ADVERTISING IN
KEY DISTRICTS OVER THE JULY 4th
BREAK.
AND LET’S SEE HOW WE DO.
WE DON’T THINK THEY’RE ALL THAT
FAR APART, BUT THE POLITICS ARE
MAKING IT REALLY DIFFICULT.
>> WHAT PEOPLE ARE OUT FIGHTING
FOR AND STANDING UP FOR GOES
BEYOND POLICE REFORM.
THEY WANT TO ADDRESS INJUSTICE
ACROSS THE BOARD.
HOUSING, EDUCATION, OPPORTUNITY.
I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU WHAT
MELODY HOBMAN, CO-CEO OF AERIAL
INVESTMENTS.
SHE SITS ON THE BOARDS OF
STARBUCKS AND JPMORGAN.
WHAT SHE SAID ABOUT WHAT
CORPORATE AMERICA COULD DO IN
THEIR OWN HOUSE.
>> SO I WANT LEADERS AT THE TOP
HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE
DIVERSITY OF THEIR ORGANIZATION.
THEY CAN’T JUST TALK ABOUT IT.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO SEE THEIR
PAY AFFECTED BY THAT OUTCOME
LIKE IT’S AFFECTED BY ALL OTHER
OUTCOMES THAT MATTER.
AND I ALSO WANT TO SEE THEM HOLD
THEIR INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE
ACCOUNTABLE.
THE LEADERSHIP ON DOWN
ACCOUNTABLE FOR DIVERSITY.
YOU CAN’T BE A SUPERSTAR AT AN
ORGANIZATION AND GET YOUR FULL
BONUS IF YOUR TEAM IS NOT
DIVERSE IS WHAT I AM SAYING.
>> WHY NOT TAKE ON INJUSTICES
THAT CORPORATE AMERICA CAN
ACTUALLY SOLVE THEMSELVES AND
PUT SOME REAL CONSEQUENCES
BEHIND THEM?
>> YEAH, A LOT OF OUR COMPANIES
ARE.
JPMORGAN, WHERE MELLODY SITS ON
THE BOARD IS A MEMBER.
JAMIE DIMON, THE CEO OF THAT
ORGANIZATION IS ON OUR BOARD.
HE’S LEADING ONE OF SEVERAL WORK
STREAMS THAT OUR CHAIR DOUG
McMILLEN OF WALMART ESTABLISHED
ON RACIAL EQUITY.
JAMIE HAPPENS TO BE LEADING THE
ONE ON FINANCIAL INCLUSION ALONG
WITH ROBERT SMITH OF VISTA
EQUITY.
BUT WE HAVE GOT A WORK STREAM ON
DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN OUR
OWN HOUSES BECAUSE ALL OF THE
CEOs RECOGNIZE THAT WE DO NEED
TO DO BETTER.
SEVERAL COMPANIES ARE ALREADY
DOING WHAT MELLODY IS TALKING
ABOUT, AND WE’LL USE OUR VOICE
TO ENCOURAGE A LOT OF OTHER
COMPANIES TO COME ALONG.
EVERY CEO RECOGNIZES THAT
THERE’S A PROBLEM WHEN YOU’VE
GOT ONLY FOUR OR FIVE
AFRICAN-AMERICAN CEOs IN THE
WHOLE FORTUNE 500.
SOMETHING’S GONE WRONG AT THE C
SUITE.
AND THERE’S A COMMITMENT FROM
EVERY ONE OF OUR MEMBERS TO DO
WHAT THEY CAN TO ADDRESS THAT.
>> OKAY.
BUT JUST BEFORE WE GO.
WHAT IS A COMMITMENT TO DO WHAT
THEY CAN?
THIS DO WHAT THEY CAN WITHOUT
ANY CONSEQUENCE AT THE END OF IT
OFTEN MEANS WE DON’T SEE
ANYTHING, RIGHT?
FIVE BLACK CEOs IN FORTUNE 500
COMPANIES.
ZERO BLACK WOMEN.
THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING BEYOND
DO WHAT YOU CAN.
>> SURE.
AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHERE WE’RE
HEADED.
I THINK WHAT YOU’LL SEE OVER THE
COMING MONTHS IS ACTUAL
COMMITMENTS FROM CEOs.
A LOT OF THEM HAVE PLANS.
EVERYBODY HAS DIVERSITY AND
INCLUSION OFFICERS WHO HAVE BEEN
WORKING FOR SOME TIME.
WHERE THEY NEED TO FOCUS IS NOT
JUST ON THE RECRUITING OF
AFRICAN-AMERICANS INTO SENIOR
POSITIONS, BUT THE RETENTION OF
AFRICAN-AMERICAN LEADERS AND THE
PROMOTION OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN
LEADERS.
AND I THINK, STEPHANIE, OVER THE
COURSE OF THE NEXT FEW MONTHS,
YOU’LL SEE A NUMBER OF COMPANIES
STEPPING UP AND MAKING
ACTIONABLE COMMITMENTS TO WHICH
THEY CAN BE -- FOR WHICH THEY
CAN BE HELD RESPONSIBLE,
INCLUDING WHAT MELLODY WAS
TALKING ABOUT WHICH IS MAKING
THE PROMOTION AND THE MENTORING
OF FUTURE AFRICAN-AMERICAN
LEADERS, MAKING THAT PART OF THE
EVALUATION PROCESS FOR THE
LEADERS OF THE COMPANY TO HOLD
THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR ADJUSTING