Feb. 23, 2021 | InBrief
Celebrating our Black Employee Network’s inaugural year
Leaders and members of West Monroe’s Black Employee Network (BEN) reflect on their first year as an employee resource group
Celebrating our Black Employee Network’s inaugural year
West Monroe’s Black Employee Network (BEN) launched in February 2020 as the firm’s third formal employee resource group. At the time, none of us anticipated what the year would bring—namely, the transition to remote work for both our people and our clients, and an intense spotlight on racial justice issues. However, BEN did not let the challenges of 2020 stop them from creating incredible results. Last year, BEN:
- Held events on topics such as impostorism, intersectionality (in conjunction with WMPride), racial justice, and cultural competency, which brought together nearly 1,500 participants across the firm
- Collaborated with the Women’s Leadership Network and our talent partners on a pay parity summit, with more than 460 participants
- Raised more than $25,000 for My Block My Hood My City, which West Monroe matched with a donation to Black Lives Matter Chicago
- Addressed actionable items with our Executive Leadership Team to address racial inequity both in our firm and in our community, resulting in the acceleration of several initiatives including finalization of our firmwide Inclusion and Diversity strategy; mobilization of an I&D team; and onboarding of Rodney Clark, a new Black board member
- Engagement with Jumpstart and Howard University to fill the campus pipeline
In 2021, BEN will continue to work with Talent team partners and leaders across the firm to ensure we are recruiting, retaining, and promoting Black talent.
