2010 Diversity Annual Report
Empowered: Aetna and Bertolini praised for bold leadership in ensuring equal rights for LGBT workers
In October 2010, Out & Equal™ Workplace Advocates presented Mark its “Champion Award,” which recognizes a non-LGBT person who has played a pivotal role in ensuring equal treatment and rights for LGBT employees in the workplace.
|
Watch Aetna’s LGBT Focus video (Video: 1:37m)
|
“I’m so proud of the accomplishments we have made as an organization to advance diversity in its broadest sense, and to serve the LGBT community as an employer and business partner. Make no mistake about it... we care. We ‘get it.’ And we are committed.” Mark Bertolini, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President, Aetna |
The award was presented at Out & Equal’s annual Workplace Summit in Los Angeles, before an audience of more than 2,400. Finalists for the award included executives from Johnson & Johnson, IBM, and American Airlines.
The organization’s process for selecting Champion Award recipients is very rigorous, requiring extensive information about an executive’s commitment and achievements in supporting LGBT rights. Leaders of Aetna’s LGBT employee resource group, called ANGLE, took the lead on preparing the detailed nomination, including soliciting perspectives from respected diversity organizations outside the company.
Aetna was also honored at the event as one of four finalists for the “Workplace Excellence” Award that recognizes an employer that has made a historic and ongoing commitment to workplace equality for LGBT employees. Also nominated in this category were Ernst & Young, IBM, and Cisco Systems, with IBM taking home the top honor. The awards are known collectively as “Outies.”
Aetna has been a corporate sponsor of this annual event for ten years. In 2010, more than 20 Aetna employees and executives attended the Summit.
