Boards Honored For Commitment To Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion

NACD NXT® Initiative Helps Directors Prepare for the Future and Foster a New Generation of Board Leaders

News provided by

National Association of Corporate Directors

Oct 13, 2020, 14:00 ET

WASHINGTON, Oct. 13, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the authority on boardroom practices representing more than 21,000 corporate board members, in collaboration with Deloitte and supported by CACI and USAA, today announced the winners of its third annual NACD NXT^® Recognition Awards, part of a multiyear initiative to help directors and boards understand how they can leverage the power of diversity, equity, and inclusion to create long-term value.

Here are the winners of the third annual NACD NXT Recognition Awards:

The Board of Pensions of the Presbyterian Church (USA) — This board was selected for its long history of recruiting and maintaining a diverse board and workforce. The board of directors is intentionally diverse regarding the gender and ethnicity of its members, and 35 percent of its members are people of color. Today, over 50 percent of its employees are women, and over 30 percent are people of color.

Canada Pension Plan Investment Board — Factors leading to this board being selected include that the board's head of Diversity and Inclusion reports to both the chief talent officer and the CEO, supports internal leaders, and provides counsel to portfolio companies embarking on their own diversity and inclusion initiatives. Seven of the board's 12 directors are women.

Sempra Energy — This board was chosen because it has been on an intentional diversity, equity, and inclusion journey that began 20 years ago when it established an Office for Corporate Diversity. The company also has a comprehensive approach to embedding diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout its culture, including taking steps toward enhanced inclusion of hearing-impaired customers and employees. More than half of Sempra Energy's board members are either women or people of color.

The award winners were chosen from ten finalists and announced during the Virtual NACD Summit 2020. NACD NXT is a multiyear initiative to equip board directors to better navigate the rapidly changing business environment and ready them to face the challenges of the future. In addition to the awards, the initiative provides success stories, podcasts, and practical tools to help directors and boards lead with confidence and prepares the next generation of board leaders through scholarship and education.

"This year's NACD NXT winners serve as an example of how a board's intentional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion leads to long-term success for their companies," said Peter R. Gleason, CEO of NACD. "On behalf of NACD and the program's sponsors, we congratulate them and appreciate their leadership."

For more information on the NACD NXT initiative, awards, and to learn about past winners, visit www.NACDonline.org/NXT.

About NACD
The National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) empowers more than 21,000 directors to lead with confidence in the boardroom. As the recognized authority on leading boardroom practices, NACD helps boards strengthen investor trust and public confidence by ensuring that today's directors are well prepared for tomorrow's challenges. World-class boards join NACD to elevate performance, gain foresight, and instill confidence. Fostering collaboration among directors, investors, and corporate governance stakeholders, NACD has been setting the standard for responsible board leadership for 40 years. To learn more about NACD, visit www.NACDonline.org.

SOURCE National Association of Corporate Directors