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W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z C O R P O R AT E R E S P O N S I B I L I T Y In 2019, companies in the top quartile of gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to report above- average profitability than counterparts in the fourth quartile, while companies with more than 30% women on their executive teams were more likely to outperform those with 10% to 30% representation. Ethnic and cultural diversity had a similar impact, with companies in the top quartile 36% more profitable than those in the fourth. e report urges all companies to do more, insisting that "it's worth the push." Even in Maine — the whitest state, according to the 2020 Census — a growing number of large employers across a range of sectors are hiring people to lead that push. Portland-based consultant Brien Walton sees this as the most cost-effec- tive way for companies to be proactive. "When you consider the lack of diversity in Maine … the conclusion of many socially conscious corporate executives — and more importantly, their shareholders, was that maybe they could and should be more proactive in recognizing and resolving social injustice in their organizations," he says. In other words, as communities become more diverse, the workplace will follow. Another DEI expert, Krystal Williams of Portland-based legal and business advisory company Providentia Group, sees current workplace trends as more of a cycle than a shift. "ere is renewed focus on work- force diversity every decade or so," she says. "Each time, we become a little bit more aware of the depth of the problem and a bit more nuanced when creating solutions." Williams says that while most employers she works with are focused on the "diversity" and "inclusion" pieces, she always recommends starting with equity. "Once a company becomes truly equi- table, it makes becoming diverse much easier," she says. "e company evolves into a more attractive employer." WEX and Unum WEX, which has operations in 16 coun- tries, has more than 5,600 employees, including 4,800 in Maine. It aims to boost diversity and inclusion on several fronts. Examples include adding Juneteenth and Veterans Day as paid company holi- days; amending the company-wide email signature template to offer a personal gender pronoun option; and adding a new fertility or conception benefit that includes coverage for same-sex couples and surrogacy. Employees have also formed groups such as the Black Growth Council, LatinX and WEX Pride, which the company supports with an executive sponsor and a budget for programming. "I started LatinX in the aftermath of the horrific death of George Floyd," says Carlos Escobor, a Florida-based senior national account manager in WEX's large fleet division. "I wanted WEX to recognize all cultures to have a voice at the table." is fall the group is planning activi- ties around Latin Heritage Month. ere are nine groups in all, and Shen underscores that they're not just clubs. "ey are important to our business. and we treat them as little businesses," she says. "ey're really great voices of 'How can we do better?'" Unum Group, a Chattanooga-based benefits provider with a large Maine presence, also has employee networks that meet monthly to chat about current events and trending societal topics, where employees can discuss their feelings freely and without judg- ment, according to Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer Ericka DeBruce. e company introduced training earlier this year to inspire self-reflection and identify day-to-day actions needed to make connections across differences and culture, measures inclusion and belong- ing through its annual employee survey, and recognizes May as Jewish American and Asian-American/Pacific Islander Heritage Month. "Each employee's unique perspective, experience and background equips us to better serve our customers, communities and each other," DeBruce says. "It is our corporate responsibility to ensure a psy- chologically safe environment and consis- tently foster inclusion and belonging." Jackson Lab's 'Stoveside Chats' Like WEX, Jackson Laboratory has a global footprint, employing close to 3,000 people in Maine, Connecticut, California and Japan, as well as a joint venture in China. e Bar Harbor- based institution produces genetically specialized mice used in laboratories around the world, and hired Davis in March 2021 as DEI director. He joined JAX after a career mainly in I'm definitely in this for the long haul. DEI is my life, love and my vocation. — Moses Davis Jackson Laboratory P H O T O / T I F FA N Y L A U F E R , JA C K S O N L A BO R AT O R Y C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E » Jackson Laboratory Bar Harbor-based independent, nonprofit biomedical research institute Workforce: Nearly 3,000 employees in the United States and Japan DEI Director: Moses Davis 13 M AY 3 0 , 2 0 2 2 F O C U S P H O T O / C O U R T E S Y O F JA C K S O N L A BO R AT O R Y Moses Davis, left and below, Jackson Lab's DEI director, hosts a video series called "Stoveside Chats" set in a kitchen. He is shown here at the taping of a recent episode with Elissa Chesler, a JAX professor of addiction research, about the importance of having difficult conversations.

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