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CEO Letter on Disability Inclusion

Understanding that we are all operating in an unprecedented environment with multiple, competing interests for the time and attention of the CEO, we are writing to you – from a CEO to CEO perspective – to ask for your much-needed help in advancing equality and inclusion at a time when the need to make sure that no one is marginalized has never been more important.

July 2020 marked the 30th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  While there is much to celebrate in the progress that has been made since the ADA was created, there is still a great deal of work to be done.  Specifically, we want to:

  1. Request your consideration to participate in the Disability Equality Index (DEI), the leading corporate benchmarking tool for disability equality, which is administered by the non-profit organizations, American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN;
  2. Share important information on disability inclusion that details its impact on business performance; and
  3. Ensure that you’re aware of increasing investor interest in understanding how companies are inclusive of people with disabilities.

We have experienced first-hand, within our companies, the potential for innovation, sustainability, and profit as a result of disability inclusion. It is important to us, now more than ever, to drive companies aligned with corporate values and meaningful purpose. Without disability inclusion, we will fail to build sustainable futures that empower all.

We kindly request that your company registers for the DEI (www.DisabilityEqualityIndex.org), a corporate benchmarking tool created by non-profit organizations AAPD and Disability:IN. 

Our respective companies leverage the DEI to help build better products, stronger workforces, and innovative supply chains. At a larger scale, we stand to boost the American GDP by up to $25 billion if we hire just 1% of the untapped talent with disabilities.

Over one billion people have a disability across the globe – and it is a strength. We are leveraging this – by hiring inclusively, contracting with disability-owned business enterprises, and creating accessible tools and technology for all. We do this because it’s the right thing to do and it makes good business sense. Research reveals that leading disability-inclusive companies stand to gain as much as 28% higher revenue, double the net income and 30% higher economic profit margins than their peers.

This is a growing topic for investors in driving sustainable performance. A global investor coalition, representing more than $2.8 trillion in combined assets, called on companies they invest in to become more disability inclusive. The coalition is led by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read, and includes large institutional investors such as California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) and Bank of America.

We understand, firsthand, that many requests come across the CEO’s desk, which is why we’re reaching out directly to you on this topic. The business case for disability inclusion in the workplace is compelling. Investor interest – along with regulator and legislator interest – on the topic of workplace disability inclusion is increasing at an accelerated pace. And the DEI provides an unbiased and confidential way to benchmark disability inclusion in the workplace.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Signed:

  1. Darius Adamczyk, Chairman & CEO, Honeywell
  2. Joe Adams, Managing Partner & CEO, RSM US LLP (“RSM”)
  3. Aron Ain, Chairman & CEO, UKG
  4. Kevin Ali, CEO, Organon
  5. José (Joe) E. Almeida, Chairman, President & CEO, Baxter International Inc.
  6. Cristiano R. Amon, President & CEO, Qualcomm Incorporated
  7. Carl S. Armato, President & CEO, Novant Health
  8. Nikesh Arora, CEO and Chairman, Palo Alto Networks
  9. Tom Arseneault, President & CEO, BAE Systems, Inc.
  10. Stéphane Bancel, CEO, Moderna
  11. Mary Barra, Chair and CEO, General Motors
  12. Corie Barry, CEO, Best Buy
  13. Marc Benioff, Chair & CEO, Salesforce
  14. Andy Bird, CEO, Pearson
  15. Frank Bisignano, President & CEO, Fiserv, Inc.
  16. Robert M. Blue, Chair, President & CEO, Dominion Energy, Inc.
  17. Jean-Michel Boers, President & CEO, and US Country Managing Director, Boehringer Ingelheim USA Corporation
  18. Gail Boudreaux, President & CEO, Elevance Health
  19. Dr. Albert Bourla, Chairman & CEO, Pfizer, Inc.
  20. Roz Brewer, CEO, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Walgreens Boots Alliance
  21. Bruce Broussard, President & CEO, Humana Inc.
  22. Greg Brown, Chairman & CEO, Motorola Solutions Inc
  23. Jeffrey J. Brown, CEO, Ally Financial Inc.
  24. James Butcher, President & CEO, Chemonics International
  25. Giovanni Caforio, Chairman & CEO, Bristol Myers Squibb
  26. David Calhoun, President & CEO, The Boeing Company
  27. Anthony Capuano, CEO, Marriott International, Inc.
  28. Marc Casper, Chairman, President & CEO, Thermo Fisher Scientific
  29. Andy Cecere, Chairman & CEO, U.S. Bancorp
  30. Annette Clayton, North American President & CEO, Schneider Electric
  31. Frank Clyburn, CEO, IFF
  32. David Cordani, President & CEO, Cigna Corporation
  33. Brian Cornell, Board Chairman & CEO, Target Corp.
  34. Roger Crandall, Chairman, President & CEO, Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company
  35. Steve Demetriou, Chair & CEO, Jacobs
  36. Francis deSouza, President & CEO, Illumina
  37. Sven Dethlefs, MD, Executive Vice President of North America Commercial, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
  38. Harry Dochelli, President & CEO, Essendant
  39. Joe Dominguez, President & CEO, Constellation Energy Corporation
  40. Brian Doubles, President & CEO, Synchrony
  41. Sandy Douglas, CEO, UNFI
  42. Thasunda Brown Duckett, President & CEO, TIAA
  43. Marvin R. Ellison, President & CEO, Lowe’s Companies, Inc.
  44. John J. Engel, Chairman, President & CEO, Wesco International Inc.
  45. Mick Farrell, CEO, ResMed
  46. Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., President & CEO, Mayo Clinic
  47. Bradley H. Feldmann, Chairman, President & CEO, Cubic Corporation
  48. Beth Ford, President & CEO, Land O’Lakes, Inc.
  49. Fabrizio Freda, President & CEO, The Estée Lauder Companies
  50. Lance Fritz, Chairman, President & CEO, Union Pacific
  51. Pat Gelsinger, CEO, Intel
  52. Paul Gentzkow, President & CEO, Talent Solutions, Robert Half
  53. Thomas P. (Todd) Gibbons, CEO, BNY Mellon
  54. Matt Goldberg, President & CEO, Tripadvisor, Inc.
  55. Jim Goodnight, Co-Founder & CEO, SAS Institute Inc.
  56. Mark Greatrex, President, Cox Communications, Inc.
  57. Kelly Grier, US Chair & Americas Managing Partner, Ernst & Young LLP
  58. Anders Gustafsson, CEO, Zebra Technologies Corp.
  59. Bill Hagaman, CPA, CGMA, Managing Partner and CEO, Withum
  60. M. Susan Hardwick, President & CEO, American Water Works, Inc.
  61. Cain A. Hayes, President & CEO, Point32Health, Inc.
  62. Gregory J. Hayes, Chairman & CEO, Raytheon Technologies
  63. Joe Hinrichs, President & CEO, CSX Corporation
  64. Lauren Hobart, President & CEO, DICK’S Sporting Goods, Inc.
  65. Roger Hochschild, President & CEO, Discover Financial Services
  66. Kevin Hourican, President & CEO, Sysco Corporation
  67. Barbara Humpton, CEO, Siemens USA
  68. Jean Hynes, CEO, Wellington Management
  69. Robert Isom, Chief Executive Officer, American Airlines Group
  70. Anthony Jabbour, CEO, Black Knight, Inc. and Dun & Bradstreet
  71. Brad Jacobs, Chairman & CEO, XPO Logistics, Inc.
  72. Robert E. Jordan, CEO, Southwest Airlines
  73. Rick Keyes, President & CEO, Meijer
  74. Julie Kim, President, U.S. Business Unit and U.S. Country Head, Takeda
  75. Scott Kirby, CEO, United Airlines
  76. Paul Knopp, U.S. Chair & CEO, KPMG
  77. Alex Liu, Managing Partner, Chairman and Chief Diversity Officer, Kearney
  78. Patrick Lockwood-Taylor, President, Bayer US
  79. Sarah London, CEO, Centene Corporation
  80. Charles F. Lowrey, Chairman & CEO, Prudential Financial, Inc.
  81. Dave MacLennan, Chairman & CEO, Cargill, Incorporated
  82. Mike Mahoney, Chairman & CEO, Boston Scientific
  83. Paul Markovich, President & CEO, Blue Shield of California
  84. Judy Marks, Chair, CEO & President, Otis Worldwide
  85. Geoff Martha, CEO, Medtronic
  86. Rodney Martin, Chairman & CEO, Voya Financial
  87. Pamela Maynard, CEO, Avanade
  88. James R. McDonald, President, Americas Land, SLB
  89. Michael H. McGarry, PPG Chairman & CEO, PPG
  90. Doug McMillon, CEO, Walmart Inc.
  91. Rodney McMullen, Chairman & CEO, The Kroger Companies
  92. Sanjay Mehrotra, President & CEO, Micron Technology, Inc.
  93. Larry Merlo, President & CEO, CVS Health
  94. Ben Minicucci, CEO & President, Alaska Airlines
  95. Sarosh Mistry, Chair, Sodexo North America, Sodexo
  96. Mark Mondello, CEO, Jabil Inc.
  97. Curt Morgan, CEO, Vistra Corp.
  98. Iva Morse, Vice President, Head of BioProcessing Commercial Americas | Country Speaker USA,Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany
  99. Brian Moynihan, Chairman of the Board & CEO, Bank of America
  100. Satya Nadella, CEO, Microsoft
  101. Chris Nassetta, President & CEO, Hilton
  102. Antonio Neri, President & CEO, Hewlett Packard Enterprise
  103. Kurt Newman, MD, President & CEO, Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
  104. Ronald P. O’Hanley, Chairman & CEO, State Street Corporation
  105. Ken Paulus, President & CEO, Prime Therapeutics LLC
  106. Mark Pearson, CEO, Equitable Holdings
  107. Douglas L. Peterson, President & CEO, S&P Global
  108. Pedro Pizarro, President & CEO, Edison International
  109. Richard Poirier, President & CEO, Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.
  110. Tom Polen, Chairman, CEO & President, Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD)
  111. Patti Poppe, CEO PG&E Corporation, Pacific Gas and Electric Company
  112. Peter Quigley, CEO, Kelly
  113. Tom Reeg, CEO, Caesars Entertainment
  114. Dave Regnery, Chair & CEO, Trane Technologies
  115. Dave Ricks, Chairman & CEO, Eli Lilly and Company
  116. Dino E. Robusto, Chairman & CEO, CNA Financial Corporation
  117. Jorge M. Rodriguez, President & CEO, Sorenson
  118. Jim Ryan, Chairman & CEO, Old National Bank
  119. Jim Ryan, President & CEO, Sony Interactive Entertainment
  120. Tim Ryan, US Chair & Senior Partner, PwC
  121. Leo Salom, President & CEO, TD Bank
  122. Tom Salvaggio, President & CEO, CAI
  123. Julien Sauvagnargues, President, Olympus Corporation of the Americas (OCA), Olympus Corporation of the Americas
  124. Charlie Scharf, CEO, Wells Fargo & Company
  125. Howard Schultz, CEO, Starbucks Corporation
  126. Kåre Schultz, President and CEO, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries
  127. Seth Siegel, CEO, Grant Thornton LLP
  128. Mike Sievert, President & CEO, T-Mobile
  129. Lorenzo Simonelli, Chairman & CEO, Baker Hughes
  130. Vince Sorgi, President & CEO, PPL Corporation
  131. Evan Spiegel, CEO, Snap Inc.
  132. Julie Sweet, CEO, Accenture
  133. Mike Swinford, CEO, NuMotion
  134. James D. Taiclet, Chairman, President & CEO, Lockheed Martin
  135. Joe Tarantino, President & CEO, Protiviti
  136. Laurent Therivel, CEO, UScellular
  137. Carol B. Tomé, CEO, United Parcel Service
  138. Robert N. Trunzo, President & CEO, CUNA Mutual Group
  139. Brian Turner, CEO & President, Point B LLC
  140. Sherri Turpin, CEO, ZVRS and Purple Communications
  141. Brian Tyler, CEO, McKesson Corporation
  142. Joe Ucuzoglu, CEO, Deloitte US
  143. Hans Vestberg, Chairman & CEO, Verizon
  144. Michel Vounatsos, CEO, Biogen
  145. Keith Waddell, CEO, Robert Half International
  146. Kathy Warden, Chairman, CEO & President, Northrop Grumman Corporation
  147. Mike Wirth, Chairman & CEO, Chevron Corporation
  148. Anne Wojcicki, CEO & Co-Founder, 23andMe
  149. Ashley Wright, Enterprise CEO, GHD Group Limited
  150. John Zillmer, CEO, Aramark