• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, December 5, 2016

For the third year in a row, Ogilvy & Mather has earned a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Foundation Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate
policies and practices related to LGBT workplace equality within Fortune 500 companies.

The 2017 CEI rated 1,043 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBT-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBT community. Ogilvy & Mather's efforts in satisfying all of the CEI's criteria results in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.

As part of its LGBT-friendly policies Ogilvy has ten professional networks within the agency, each focusing
on a particular topic area and which are charged with creating policies and procedures in support of each group. The groups, each managed by an agency executive are Administrative Professional Network, Black Diaspora, Doonya, LatinRed, Ogilvy Pride, RedLotus, Salute, Women’s Leadership Professional Network, Working Parents Network and Young Professional Network.

Of the honor, Donna Pedro, who joined the agency in 2007 as chief diversity officer and launched Ogilvy's diversity efforts said, "Ogilvy & Mather has a longstanding history of promoting Diversity and Inclusion and is dedicating to building a safe environment for our LGBT community, which includes pro bono work, Ogilvy Pride, our partnerships with our clients' LGBT groups, our philanthropic efforts with the Immigration Equality organization and our transgender benefits. This recognition is a testament that our LGBT inclusion
efforts are making a positive impact."