Diversity and Inclusion

Our Approach

Diversity strengthens our company, portfolio of brands, employees, and our ties with the communities in which we operate. We fully realize that to achieve diversity - and to instill an inclusive spirit - poses considerable challenges to Brown-Forman and the industry as a whole. We do not underestimate the challenges, nor the importance, as we become more global in our outlook, operating in diverse cultures and countries. This is why we have specific goals to move the needle in four strategic areas:

• Improve the attraction and retention of employees who reflect the diversity of our markets
• Enhance the relevancy of our consumer brands and corporate brand in an international and diverse market
• Broaden our suppliers to include more minority- and women-owned businesses
• Include community involvement as one of the strategic planks of our efforts to increase diversity.

There are three governing bodies for Diversity & Inclusion management: an executive steering committee, an operations team, and an office of Diversity & Inclusion led by Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), Ralph de Chabert.

The Diversity Operations Team is responsible for executing the strategy across all four strategic areas. Our initial focus is within the U.S. and we plan to extend and adapt our experience to our global markets.

The Executive Diversity Steering Committee, which is a sub-committee of the Executive Committee, is responsible for setting the strategy, with each member working on action items within their functional areas of expertise.

The Executive Committee members have agreed to hold themselves responsible for making progress in the Workforce plank and setting meaningful Supplier Diversity goals.

We have a set of diversity principles, long-term goals and objectives and short-term goals. You can download them here.

Actions

We have made progress in three areas related to Diversity. First, we improved employee benefits. At the start of 2009 Brown-Forman began offering domestic partner and adoption benefits to all employees in the U.S. We also launched a fourth tier of medical benefits for employees who needed coverage for dependent children but not for a spouse or partner. For several years, we have also offered dependent care flexible spending accounts as part of our health insurance options. These programs allow employees to put pre-tax earnings into an account which can be used to pay for eligible daycare, elder care, and other dependent care-related expenses.

Second, we strengthened the employment practices function by naming a new Equal Employment Opportunity Officer, by enhancing and reissuing important non-discrimination and non-harassment policies to our global workforce, and by creating a cross-functional forum to oversee enforcement of these policies. In addition, we piloted a management training course that addresses employment practices in a manner consistent with Brown-Forman’s values. In 2009 we also established four Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), adding a fifth group in 2010. The ERGs allow employees to support each other's personal and professional growth and enhance their individual and collective ability to contribute to the company. Read more about our ERGs here.

Third, we improved strategic goal setting and measurement. We did this by gathering, analyzing and publishing important workforce data along with our principles, goals, strategies and measures.

Performance

Unless otherwise noted, data are for out fiscal year 2010, which ended April 30, 2010.