Monica L. Bankston
Chief Diversity Officer
Corning Incorporated
Headquarters: Corning, NY
Business: Technology
Website: www.corning.com
Corning succeeds through sustained investment in RD&E, a unique combination of material and process innovation, deep trust-based relationships with customers who are global leaders in their industries, and the world-class talent of its diverse workforce.
“We depend on diversity of ideas, experiences, and perspectives to develop solutions to tough problems, identify opportunities for growth, and unleash new capabilities that make a positive difference in the world,” says Wendell P. Weeks, Corning’s chairman and chief executive officer.
Throughout Corning’s history, women have played a significant role in helping develop the life-changing innovations that have built the company’s legacy. The UP2 Initiative is a catalyst to help build on that legacy and develop the next generation of women leaders at Corning.
Through UP2, the top 200 women of the company each mentor at least two other women, who in turn coach two other women, and so on, creating a powerful multiplier effect. A global initiative, UP2 mentors share lessons learned with women colleagues around the world through one-on-one communication, conferences, networking events, and online tools such as an internal website and a dedicated group on the Blue Line, Corning’s internal discussion platform.
In 2018, Corning marked the 50th anniversary of its formal Diversity & Inclusion initiative with a twoday conference and celebration. Senior leadership joined hundreds of employees for the occasion, which was a significant milestone in its corporate history. Corning’s 16 Employee Resource Groups expanded globally, increasing the total number of chapters to 50 worldwide. The Diversity in Leadership initiative continued to increase diverse representation among company leaders.
In 2019, led by Chief Diversity Officer Monica Bankston, Corning will focus on four D&I objectives:
- Ensure alignment with Corning’s business strategy and future needs
- Meet the challenges of emerging dimensions of diversity
- Promote an inclusive work environment
- Increase Corning’s Diversity & Inclusion brand reputation
Each objective has a set of well defined priorities, action items, tactics, and measures. Corning focuses on identifying diverse emerging talent and creating “stretch opportunities” that will help them grow into tomorrow’s business leaders.
The company is also working to achieve 100 percent pay parity for employees. Having achieved parity in the United States in 2017, Corning is using the same approach to close pay gaps for its global workforce.
