GRDC Member News and Kudos

Bausch & Lomb Joins The Conference Board's Diversity Council III

In an effort to leverage the collective experience of a broad spectrum of corporations, Clayton H. Osborne, Vice President of Diversity and Workforce Development for Bausch & Lomb, a global eyecare leader, joined The Conference Board's Diversity Council III. Diversity Council III members include representatives of Unisys, Lucent Technologies, Intel, Fannie Mae, Nike, United Technologies and Motorola, among others.

"Bausch & Lomb's vision is to be a leader in leveraging diversity and inclusive practices to increase our profitability and be the company of choice for the most talented employees," said Clay Osborne. "Our participation in the Diversity Council will support that vision by allowing us to learn of diversity best practices and improve our processes for achieving the inclusive culture that we envision."

Kimberly Joy, Manager Corporate Employee Relations, who attended the initial Council meeting, indicated that the Council members were energized to begin their work together. "It was affirming to see that we are doing many of the things other major corporations do to support diversity and that such efforts can be very effective in creating an environment of inclusion and high productivity." She noted.

The Conference Board defines itself as a not-for-profit organization that "creates and disseminates knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better serve society." As part of this charter, The Conference Board originally created a Diversity Council to provide corporate leaders a forum within which to share solutions to the common business challenge of driving corporate diversity initiatives.

Diversity Council III represents the third such council created by The Conference Board, as the first two councils reached maximum capacity while interest among corporations continues to expand. Each Council sets its own agenda based upon the needs of its participants. Diversity Council III kicked off on November 4, 2002 at The Conference Board's headquarters located in New York City. At this meeting, Council members discussed their needs and identified candidates for Council Board positions.

Conference Board councils provide opportunities for senior executives to meet regularly and share information, ideas, and insights on the issue of diversity. Members are able to network with peers from other companies and industries and are encouraged to engage in candid discussion.