Lockheed Martin Recognized With Catalyst Award

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Apr 03, 2014, 05:30 ET

BETHESDA, Md., April 3, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received the 2014 Catalyst Award on April 2 for the corporation's initiatives that expand opportunities for women in business. The Lockheed Martin win marks the first-ever for an aerospace and defense company. Chairman, President and CEO Marillyn Hewson received the award on behalf of Lockheed Martin at a ceremony at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Her remarks are below:

I am deeply honored to be here to accept this award on behalf of my 115,000 colleagues at Lockheed Martin.

It is humbling for us to be recognized by such an amazing organization as Catalyst, which has worked for more than 50 years to expand opportunities for women... and create more inclusive and effective workplaces.

I also want to congratulate Tom Falk and the Kimberly-Clark team with whom we share this honor. We are all inspired by your leadership in the area of diversity and inclusion and we are proud to stand here with you tonight.

At Lockheed Martin, innovation moves us forward. It is what keeps us at the leading edge of technology and enables us to solve some of the world's most complex challenges.

As you saw in the video, we believe diversity is the driver of innovation. Each of us brings a perspective that is shaped by our individuality. Gender, race, social status, education and experience are all elements that influence the way we see and think about the world.

The best ideas and the greatest innovations come from individuals and teams that actively seek out different points of view. They know that diverse perspectives lead to different thinking. And thinking differently is what solves problems, advances scientific discovery and stimulates invention and ingenuity.

When we encourage and embrace the different ways of thinking, we create an environment without the boundaries of convention or the limits of the status quo. We unlock the real potential of the human mind and create new opportunities to shape the future.

Thanks to the perseverance of talented women in all industries and fields – and the leadership of organizations like Catalyst – we've made great progress in ensuring women are contributing to that diverse perspective.

For more than a decade Lockheed Martin has invested in our Women Accelerating Tomorrow initiative. This collection of programs, processes and tools supports women's advancement in our company and in our communities.

That is the effort and progress we are so proud to celebrate tonight.

We've reinvented our talent management systems to promote diversity and inclusion. We've developed workshops to engage all leaders in honing inclusive behaviors. We've promoted supplier diversity to give women-owned businesses the chance they deserve to compete. And we've stepped up our efforts to encourage young women of all ages to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

And it's making a difference. There is no doubt that diversity is vital to the future success of our business.

The work we've done – along with similar initiatives at other companies – has helped significantly to advance women in the workforce. Yet women continue to be under represented in senior leadership roles.

Many of the women in this room tonight are the exception. We have demonstrated that glass ceilings are starting to come down – even in industries where women have traditionally been underrepresented.

As exciting as that is, it is not enough.

Until we see more diversity in key leadership positions, we continue to limit the potential of our organizations and hinder change at all levels.

For our organization and yours, embracing diversity is a business imperative. It drives innovation and performance. We must embrace the full human capital available to our organizations.

So how do we get there?

I believe it starts in rooms like this, with people like you and me.

The Catalyst name represents a call to action, for individuals and organizations to actively lead change and foster an environment of inclusion everywhere we go.

We here tonight get it. So in that spirit, I ask that we all serve as Catalysts for change.

Change happens when we deliberately challenge ourselves to include diverse perspectives, ideas and experience in our work.

Change happens when women take control of their careers, own their advancement, and seek out leadership opportunities.

Change happens when our leaders go beyond mentoring and start promoting qualified women, and supporting their growth and development at the most senior levels.

Each and every one of us at all levels of our organizations have the ability – and, quite frankly, the responsibility – to lead change and unlock the power of diversity and inclusion.

We have made a lot of progress and we have a lot more to do.

I challenge you – as individuals, as leaders and as organizations – to take action and lead the change we need to drive the innovations and performance of the future.

Imagine the possibilities of what we can accomplish together if we are willing to open our minds, broaden our perspective and think differently.

Again, on behalf of all of us at Lockheed Martin, thank you so much for this recognition.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 115,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation's net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

For additional information, visit our website: http://www.lockheedmartin.com

SOURCE Lockheed Martin