Yesterday, the Council of PR Firms published a thought-provoking post around the need to foster diversity and inclusion in our organizations. It’s something on the minds of our clients and here at Porter Novelli it’s certainly something we don’t take lightly.
In the years I’ve been working here, I’ve had the opportunity to see the agency grow and become not only a voice for diversity, but a resource for clients and employees. For example, just yesterday Sonia Sroka, SVP and director of Hispanic Marketing for Porter Novelli, hosted a webinar on Hispanics and their burgeoning influence as part of the launch of PN Cultura (translated “culture”). It’s a new offering designed to offer strategic counsel in the area of multicultural communications for our clients.
While understanding the importance of fostering a conversation with our clients, we also need to champion it internally as well. As a result, Porter Novelli launched its Diversity Council last year. At the local level, I have had an opportunity to sit on the New York chapter and be involved with events, including a speed mentoring that connected senior and junior level employees, a Black History Month tweetup, and student outreach. I’ve heard from offices around the organization – including Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C., – each of which has had successes of their own. I look forward to seeing even more growth in Porter Novelli’s diversity programs.
As we consider the future of our business and our clients, let’s remember that while diversity is a big landscape, small steps start from within.