At Huron, we strive to create a culture that celebrates and embraces diversity in all of its forms. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workplace is essential to our success and have implemented a robust offering of programs to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. These include training programs for all employees, as well as targeted recruitment, engagement, and retention efforts.
Our efforts to drive inclusion, diversity, and accountability start with our board of directors. In 2022, Joy T. Brown was elected to Huron’s board of directors, continuing our multiyear board refresh process and further contributing to the board’s diverse mix of knowledge, skills, and business acumen in support of the Company’s strategy. The makeup of our board continues to reflect our Company value of inclusion and our knowledge that diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences lead to better outcomes.
We have seen positive impacts from our five-year diversity and inclusion action plan, which was implemented in September 2020. One of the pillars of the action plan is to advance diversity and inclusion by increasing diverse representation at all levels of the organization.
As of the end of 2022, women made up approximately 53% of our U.S. population, while racial and ethnic minorities made up approximately 28% of our U.S. population, an increase from our 2019 benchmark of 22%.
* Graphs represent U.S. population, which constitutes approximately 70% of Huron’s total full-time employee population, as of Dec. 31, 2022.* Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
At the senior leadership level, which are principals, managing directors, corporate vice presidents, and executives, we have increased representation of women to 29% as of the end of 2022.
Additionally, 47% of the senior leadership promotions made at the end of 2022, effective Jan. 1, 2023, were women.
We have maintained racial and ethnic minority representation at the leadership level at 10% and will continue to build on the progress we have seen companywide to work toward our goals.
While we are encouraged by our progress, we continued to challenge ourselves in 2022 by revisiting and increasing many of our goals to further increase diverse representation across our organization.
Our employee resource groups, or iMatter teams, are vital in fostering a sense of belonging and inclusivity within our company. They provide a safe and supportive space for our colleagues to share their experiences and perspectives, bringing our core value of inclusion to life in a meaningful and authentic way. In North America, 58% of our employee base is a member of at least one iMatter team; globally, 43% of our employee base participates in our employee resource groups. Our employee resource groups provide a platform for employees to connect, exchange stories and perspectives, and contribute to the growth of our inclusive culture.
During Black History Month in February, our Black Alliance employee resource group led two important initiatives that focused on issues of health equity, as well as early childhood literacy. In collaboration with the American Red Cross, the team hosted an information session on addressing sickle cell disease and the need for diverse blood donors. The corresponding blood drive resulted in more than 100 lives saved through blood donations. Throughout the month the team also hosted its fifth annual Black History Month book drive with Reach Out and Read. More than 2,700 books were collected and donated to encourage healthy growth and early literacy for children in our communities.
The Veterans employee resource group also hosted its second annual Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) Awareness art auction. The fundraiser auctioned art created by a U.S. Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and lost a teammate and commander while on patrol. Oil painting is one of the therapies that has helped with his PTS treatment. With this artwork, the team raised more than $6,500 to support veteran participation in the Courage Foundation’s PTS Recovery Program.
For the eighth year in a row, Huron celebrated Diversity Awareness Month in October, hosting 16 live events and four charitable initiatives over the course of 31 days. This year’s theme was "intersectionality," and events were attended by more than 1,000 employees. Our employee resource groups collaborated to host several events, including: