Inclusion & Opportunity

Jurmon Baker comes from a family with a history of military service, so joining the Army straight out of high school seemed like a logical decision for this native of Lawrenceville, Georgia.

Bechtel, a global engineering, procurement and construction leader, partnered with the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) to host a free screening of the film DREAM BIG: Engineering our World for schools and community organizations during the SWE Conference in Austin Texas, Oct. 26-28. Female engineers from SWE, Bechtel, and the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) will share their experiences and discuss science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers with local area students.

Sodexo, world leader in quality of life services, was included on FORTUNE magazine’s annual “Change the World” list for its commitment to and leadership in hiring and supporting employees who have disabilities. The list recognizes companies with annual revenues of $1 billion or more that have made a positive social impact through their core business strategy. Sodexo ranked 47th on the list.

National Geographic Photographer Annie Griffiths addressed the audience at the BSR Conference 2017 with a speech about how photography can be a powerful tool for telling stories.

Kayla Baumfalk joined the Nebraska Army National Guard in 2003, just out of high school. She would spend 11 years in this reserve component of the U.S. military—one of them deployed to Iraq—before her honorable discharge in 2014.

Imagine a room with 4,000 people from every state and 40 other nations. It’s a giant room which intersects many ages, genders, races, abilities and ethnicities along with a diverse range of talents, experience and professions. In fact, they come from more than 250 employers including my own, Sodexo. You might wonder what makes this global business conference unique?

Sodexo, world leader in Quality of Life services, in partnership with Northwestern University Dining, today announced that one of Chicago’s own celebrity chefs and owner of The Purple Pig, Jimmy Bannos, Jr., will serve as Northwestern Dining’s new culinary ambassador for the upcoming school year. Working alongside Northwestern Dining’s Executive Chef Chris Studtmann and his 13 chefs, Chef Bannos brings an exceptionally creative and exciting lens to the student dining experience.

Trish Walsh, Chief Legal Officer (CLO) for Voya Financial, Inc. has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the 2017 Attorneys Who Matter in the category of In-House Counsel. The annual designation highlights those who have made a significant difference in the field of ethics and compliance through their professional legal work and track record in public service.

Since joining Voya in 2015, Walsh has been extremely effective in creating a nimble, high-functioning legal and compliance program with a collegial, collaborative team culture. She has championed efforts to advance diversity and inclusion throughout Voya and in the broader legal and business community.

Brown-Forman Corporation was named a top-scoring company on the 2017 Disability Equality Index (DEI®) survey, conducted by the US Business Leadership Network (USBLN) and the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD). Brown-Forman received a perfect score of 100.