Month: March 2023

Wellness and balance go hand in hand, so it makes perfect sense that it also plays an integral role in our careers — regardless of industry or organization. As we focus on our well-being, it can often be difficult to find representation and community in some activities, such as running. According to Running USA’s biannual National Runner Survey, only 1.6% of marathon runners in America are African-American, compared with 90% Caucasian, 5.1% Hispanic and 3.9% Asian/Pacific Islander.

We interviewed two of our leaders to learn more about their experiences as marathoners, and the ways Expedia Group has empowered them to lead their dream careers and invest in their love for running. One thing they have in common – they both agree running has taken them to new places and expanded their worlds.

Kira West, Inclusive Marketing & Social Impact Lead at Expedia Group, is also a wellness entrepreneur with a passion for inclusivity. Kira is the co-founder of ACTIV-ISM, an anti-racism wellness program, and Sanity Miles. She’s also a huge lover of traveling and is our Global Vice President of BEAM (Black Expedian Allied Movement, our Black Inclusion Business Group).

“Being an athlete is so much more than running marathons and competing in races. An athlete continues to show up and push themselves, reaching new heights while overcoming countless challenges along the way. I’m passionate about running as a vehicle for change.”

On finding inspiration to begin running

“Midway through college, I wanted to take my wellness more seriously and I wanted to approach it in a holistic way. I had always dreamed of doing a half marathon. In the beginning, a lot of it was overcoming my own challenges. But now, it’s become a lot more community-focused and a vehicle for mental wellness. It was also a beautiful way of finding freedom during the pandemic.”

For me, my running journey has shown me just how much I’m capable of, not just at the end of that race but in life.” – Kira West

On the relationship between running and work

“It has set me up for success and helped me process nuanced concepts. There are a lot of lessons learned in running that translate to work, like making progress. Progress happens over time, for both your success in the workplace and with running. That same concept of consistency is also important in both running and in work.”

“Progress happens over time, for both your success in the workplace and with running.” – Kira West

How Expedia Group has supported employee wellness journeys

“I used my wellness and travel benefits to participate in the Berlin marathon. It helped me meet other employees in our Seattle office who run, and I was able to lean on the Expedia Group community. It’s helped me build an internal and external community. You can also use the wellness benefit for things like fitness trackers, and sneakers!”

Recommended listenings

“Atomic Habits as an Audiobook.”

Jaison Williams, Senior Vice President, Capabilities and Culture at Expedia Group, is a talent management, leadership and organization development executive. He ignites passion and purpose in our organization by designing human-centered approaches that improve how employees experience the workplace —whether in physical or virtual environments. Jaison has completed over 20 marathons across 3 continents and 16 states in the U.S. Also, he has used his running to help raise funds to support World Vision and mental health services provided to the Boston community following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.

On finding inspiration to begin

“I was in graduate school and my stress reliever was playing basketball. After our games were finished, there was one person who would always go for a run around the track. One day I asked why he ran, and he inspired me to run with him. I watched this black man do it and that resonated with me. I’ve been running ever since then.”

On the relationship between running and work

“I started connecting leadership with running. Leadership is a marathon – it takes the same type of preparation and practice. You have to know where you’re going and the outcome want and you need to prepare before you get to the starting line in order to lead. Leadership and marathons require proper perspective — an unwavering understanding of what you are trying to achieve, and how you are pacing yourself. You also begin to recognize in any leadership journey that you can “hit the wall” the same way you do with running where your body starts to shut down on you. You have to train your leadership skills from start to the finish.”

“You have to know where you’re trying to lead, and you need to prepare before you even get to the starting line.” – Jaison Williams

How Expedia Group has supported employee wellness journeys

“When you run a lot, you go through a lot of shoes and clothes. Our wellness health benefits have been helpful for that, and I’ve been able to use it for race registration. I use our employee travel discount for hotels when I travel for races. Expedia Group has helped with my ambitions and I have been able save money to push farther and go farther.”

Recommended listenings

“The Marathon Talk Podcast.”

Learn more about the power of travel as a force for good at Expedia Group, our Travel Community, BEAM, and how you can join us.

As a technology company at our core, we believe that the best innovation comes from diverse perspectives, thoughts, beliefs, ideas, and experiences.

We consistently push boundaries and challenge the conventional to ensure our culture and products reflect the expectations of our employees, and the customers we serve. 

We understand that creating a workplace that fosters inclusion and welcomes diversity is an ever-evolving process. We will not be satisfied until we achieve parity across the organization in every experience, including recruiting and career progression, and have maintained a truly open and inclusive culture for everyone.

We work to foster a culture of inclusion and belonging that makes our employees feel safe, empowered, engaged, championed, and inspired to be the very best.

Learn more: https://careers.draftkings.com/who-we-are/diversity-inclusion/

A diverse workforce is not only fundamental to the company’s future success, but it’s also a part of its rich history. Taking a look back in time, the company highlights the contributions of Black leaders and company milestones that have made an impact on diversity and innovation in its past, present and future.

A long history of Black inventors and innovators

1. Susan Jenkins paved the way for black women in science at Merck

Susan Jenkins began a long career at Merck in 1957 when she joined Merck Research Laboratories (MRL) as one of its first female Black chemists. She was part of the team that first synthesized ribonuclease. Later, she joined the company’s corporate equal employment affairs department and served as a black university liaison. By the end of her career here, Susan was senior vice president of human resources and was emblematic of how important having Black women leaders in science was to creating an inclusive work environment.

Susan returned to the company almost 50 years later to attend the presentation of the Citation for Chemical Breakthrough award from the American Chemical Society (ACS) division of the History of Chemistry. The Citation for Chemical Breakthrough was awarded in honor of the series of five articles published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society describing the first total synthesis of an enzyme. These articles were authored by Dr. Ralph Hirschmann and his colleagues in 1969, one of whom was Susan.

2. William Bowers’ advocacy for civil rights at work and across the country

Merck alumni include numerous prominent Black civil rights leaders, including William “Bill” Bowers. Bill joined the company in 1951 as a technician, a position he held until 1969 when he received a bachelor of science degree in business management from Rutgers University. He earned his degree with assistance from the company’s educational grant program while balancing his full-time job, four children and many leadership positions in his community, including vice president of the Westfield Community Development Corporation.

Bill retired from a project management position at the company in 1993. He was a vocal proponent for civil rights nationally and within the company, having participated in the 1963 March on Washington. He was a co-founder of Black Employees at Merck (BEAM), which later became Merck’s Black Employees Network (BEN) and is known today as LEAD – Merck’s League of Employees of African Descent, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2020.

3. Baseball star Jimmy Dean found a second career at Merck

During the late 1940s, Negro League baseball featured a star pitcher named Jimmy Dean. Famous for his sinker-ball, Jimmy pitched for the Philadelphia Stars facing legends like Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron.

After the integration of Major League Baseball started to draw athletes and fans away from the Negro Leagues, Jimmy returned to school and began working for Merck. Jimmy traveled extensively, put three sons through college and after 33 years, he retired from his position as a technical analyst in 1990.

Our commitment to diversity in science careers

1. Investing in future science leaders

In 1968, Merck began sponsoring the Technical Training Program (TTP), a non-profit organization in Newark, New Jersey, which offered classes and on-the-job laboratory experience for students interested in pharmaceutical industry careers. TTP primarily targeted young people from educationally and economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Among TTP’s first graduating class were William “Gary” Mickle and Darrell Harris who became laboratory technicians in MRL. Gary would ultimately work in MRL for over 35 years.

2. Prioritizing equal opportunities for Black and minority employees

In 1968, Merck appointed Lawrence “Larry” Branch vice president of personnel relations, responsible for coordinating and recommending programs for employment, training, and promotion of persons from all minority groups. This new position marked the beginnings of Merck’s Office of Equal Employment Affairs — one of the first in the country to prioritize equity for black employees, among many other initiatives. Over the years, the Office of Equal Employment Affairs continued to evolve, establishing company-wide programming to address complex workplace issues such as racism, sexism and other barriers to equality. The programming was so successful it served as a model to other corporations, government organizations and community groups.

3. Merck celebrated for innovative diversity programs that support its Black employees

During the 1980s, Merck was recognized for its leadership in equal opportunity employment. As national politics surrounding affirmative action grew to be more complex, the company maintained its focus on welcoming and supporting diverse employees. The 1983 book “The Hundred Best Companies to Work for in America” listed Merck as  No. 15, specifically citing its diversity initiatives.

That same year Merck’s commitment to equal opportunity earned recognition from the United States Department of Labor with its Exemplary Voluntary Efforts Award. Then in 1989, the company was included on Black Enterprise magazine’s first-ever list of the 50 Best Places for Blacks to Work. Ever since, Merck has maintained a consistent presence on lists praising corporate diversity published by Black Enterprise, Forbes and more.

View the original content here. 

NEW YORK, March 7, 2023 /3BL Media/ – A new survey released today by PwC US and Workiva Inc. (NYSE: WK) finds 70% of business leaders report they are not waiting for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to finalize the climate disclosure rules and will proceed with compliance regardless of when they become U.S. law.

Assurance and technology are key to compliance 
Readiness varies across companies, and even business leaders that say they feel prepared also acknowledge there will likely be significant challenges to complying with the SEC’s proposed climate disclosure rules including deadlines, resourcing, technology, and budget.

Independent assurance will be a necessary component to meeting deadlines with investor-grade, transparent, and trustworthy data. Seventy percent of executives report their companies already seek voluntary, independent assurance–and will continue– even if it is not required for reporting scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions. Almost all leaders (96%) say they will proceed with assurance, regardless of whether it is included in the final SEC rules.

“Decisions in the capital markets are being made related to ESG, and it is our belief that market participants and other stakeholders are entitled to the same quality of information as they expect from financial related disclosures,” said Kevin O’Connell, Trust Solutions ESG Leader at PwC. “Many ESG issues can be material to a company’s core strategy and long-term value creation. Regardless of when the SEC rules are finalized, investors and stakeholders have made clear: this is important. Companies should be preparing by transitioning to investor-grade and tech-enabled reporting to help accelerate their reporting process, and looking to implement effective governance and internal controls.”

While 68% of executives report their company already uses technology for ESG reporting, 85% are concerned their company does not have the right technology in place to support the level of reporting required in the proposed rules, despite almost all anticipating it will play an important role in meeting potential new requirements.

“Having the right technology, people, and timelines will be critical to complying with the proposed rule changes and other stakeholder demands for ESG transparency,” said Julie Iskow, president and chief operating officer, Workiva. “Our research also indicates that independent assurance is expected to play a major role in companies meeting expected requirements. ESG reporting is complex, requiring the ingestion, capture, management, and reporting of financial and non-financial data from many disparate sources. The more that ESG reporting is integrated into the decision-making processes of companies, boards and investors, the more important it is that the information is trustworthy.”

Businesses are investing in ESG reporting 
Although 95% of business leaders say their company is prioritizing ESG reporting more now than before the rule was proposed, four in ten admit their company isn’t fully prepared to meet the expected disclosure requirements. That lack of preparation isn’t due to a lack of knowledge—leaders are acutely aware of the proposal and believe it sets clear expectations around what data and information needs to be disclosed; however, they expect to need more time once the rule goes into effect.

Many companies have already prioritized reporting and begun taking proactive measures. All executives shared that their company has taken at least one action in anticipation of the rule becoming law, with many taking more than one. While these actions vary, the most common include: investments in ESG reporting technology (40%) and people (33%), and accelerating (35%), or establishing, if necessary (33%), climate ambitions or goal timelines.

There are a number of steps that leaders should begin considering to help make sure their companies are prepared when the proposed rules go into effect. To meet investor demands and get ahead of the final rules from the SEC, forward-thinking organizations should begin tackling their ESG data and reporting strategy now.

Read the full report here: Change in the Climate.

Join Workiva and PwC US for a free webinar on March 14, 2023 at 2 p.m. EST exploring how companies are preparing for the SEC climate disclosure requirements and planning to address barriers to compliance. For details, visit workiva.com/sec-webinar.

About the Survey 
Workiva and PwC US jointly commissioned a study to evaluate corporate executives’ level of preparedness regarding the SEC’s proposed climate disclosure rule. In total, 300 corporate executives were surveyed between December 2022 and January 2023. Corporate executives are defined as senior-level decision makers with knowledge or responsibility for ESG reporting at U.S.-based public companies with at least $500 million in annual revenue. To access the report detailing all survey results, visit workiva.com/sec-survey.

About Workiva 
Workiva Inc. (NYSE:WK) is on a mission to power transparent reporting for a better world. We build and deliver the world’s leading cloud platform for assured integrated reporting to meet stakeholder demands for action, transparency, and disclosure of financial and non-financial data. Workiva offers the only holistic, unified SaaS platform that brings customers’ financial reporting, Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), and Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) together in a controlled, secure, audit-ready platform. Our platform simplifies the most complex reporting and disclosure challenges by streamlining processes, connecting data and teams, and ensuring consistency. Learn more at workiva.com.

Follow Workiva on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/workiva 
Like Workiva on Facebook: www.facebook.com/workiva 
Follow Workiva on Twitter: www.twitter.com/workiva

About PwC 
At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We’re a network of firms in 155 countries with over 327,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com.