Our Initial Commitments to Action

Jun 17, 2020

Dear colleagues,

Racism is more than individual prejudice. In addition to daily micro-aggressions suffered by many, it is embedded in everyday structures in the US and around the world, leading to systemic inequities, including in education, employment, housing, health, wealth and justice.

Today, communities have joined together to say enough is enough and demand change. People of all ethnic backgrounds have joined in solidarity to confront racism around the world. We must take a stand against all forms of racism and this begins with addressing the structural inequities that enable it.

The question is not only what we stand for. It is what we will do. Black lives matter. And change is up to all of us. Here’s what we are doing:

OUR INITIAL COMMITMENTS TO ACTION

The Executive Committee will host a series of “safe space” sessions with Black colleagues, to listen, learn and understand what we can do better, as individuals and as an organization. We will also create a Race Advisory Council whose initial focus will be on the Black community, to meet with our Executive Committee on a regular basis.

We will strengthen our D&I measurement metrics and reporting across the company and hold ourselves accountable for improvement and transparency.

We will renew our commitment to being a company where Black colleagues choose to join and choose to stay:

  • Augmented professional development as well as clear opportunities for career progression and promotion, including a leadership development program.
  • Initiatives to facilitate connection and empowerment among Black colleagues across the firm, including a dedicated platform for Black colleagues to share ideas and information.
  • A commitment to hiring more Black colleagues at every level.

We will implement mandatory training on unconscious bias, allyship and inclusive leadership for every leader and manager.

In addition to these investments internally, we will commit $5 million over the next three years, to the following:

  • Supporting select organizations that advocate for equity for the Black community.
  • Doubling our match for donations our colleagues make to organizations that advocate for equity for the Black community.

At our Board of Directors meeting in July, Board members and the Executive Committee will participate in a special joint session to address issues of diversity and race, in addition to the regular review and discussion of our race and ethnicity metrics.

SUPPORTING OUR COLLEAGUES

For our Black colleagues experiencing an extraordinary amount of stress and anxiety at this time, I want to remind you that you—and importantly, your family—can take advantage of our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at any time, including a new 60-minute session tailored to the impact of current events. We’re piloting this new session in the US to start.

Our Diversity and Inclusion teams and others are hosting conversations to help colleagues support each other. I encourage you to take part. Reach out to your D&I leader for more information.

Now is the time to lead the change we want to see.

You’ll hear more from your business and functional leaders as we work to make these commitments a reality. These are our first steps, but not our last. This is ongoing work.

Best regards,

Dan

 

Dan Glaser
Chief Executive Officer, Marsh & McLennan Companies