Diversity data is lacking; New report seeks to fix that

Investors, customers and employees are paying increasing attention to corporate diversity. That was true for gender in the wake of the #MeToo movement, and it has been increasingly true of race following the death of George Floyd in the U.S. But data is lacking, especially around racial and ethnic diversity. In this episode, we explore a first-of-its-kind diversity report that provides a much-needed window into corporate diversity. This new report is the result of an Illinois law that requires public companies headquartered in the state to report on the gender, racial and ethnic representation among corporate leaders and boards of directors. In March 2021, the University of Illinois used the disclosures from this law to publish the first report card evaluating how companies are faring on diversity. You can access the report here. We interview Illinois Speaker of the House Chris Welch, who sponsored the diversity law. He called the report “a goldmine of data.” Speaker Welch said this data will help drive informed decisions. It will also put companies on public notice. “These companies spend a whole lot of money on their brands,” he said. “Having this information out there, companies know that they can be publicly shamed. It shows where their values are, and their customers are paying attention.” You can listen to our previous interview with Speaker Welch, from October 2020, here.