Bank, Pharma Giant Joined McKinsey Training Excluding White Individuals
Corporations Participate in Controversial Leadership Training Programs
U.S. Bank and Bayer Pharmaceuticals are among the companies that have recently come under scrutiny for their involvement in employee leadership training programs hosted by McKinsey and Company. These programs have faced criticism for excluding white employees based on their race, as revealed in videos posted online by McKinsey.
The videos showcase McKinsey’s “Connected Leaders Academy,” a career advancement program that aims to accelerate racial equity and diversify talent pipelines. However, the program only allows participation from high-level minority employees, as highlighted by featured executives from U.S. Bank and Bayer Pharmaceuticals.
McKinsey describes the programs as being delivered through identity-based communities, such as the Black Leadership Academy, Hispanic and Latino Leadership Academy, and Asian Leadership Academy.
Support and Praise for Discriminatory Programs
Astrid Benedetto, U.S. Bank’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy Manager, celebrated the racially discriminatory program, emphasizing its role in managing the company’s talent pipeline more equitably and fairly.
Allison Smith, the talent management lead at Bayer Pharmaceuticals, also praised the Connected Leaders Academy, stating that it helps develop employees for their future opportunities.
Nicolas Bahamon, Bayer VP of Strategy, highlighted how the program has helped him as a leader to understand different approaches when engaging with his Latin American colleagues.
Employees from both U.S. Bank and Bayer Pharmaceuticals confirmed their participation in the program, further demonstrating the companies’ support and sponsorship.
Wider Participation and Backlash
Best Buy, Liberty Mutual, and numerous other companies have also partnered with McKinsey to offer these discriminatory programs to their employees. Best Buy’s involvement, in particular, has sparked calls for a boycott.
America First Legal, a non-profit legal foundation, has urged Best Buy employees who were disqualified based on their race to contact the organization for potential legal action.
Liberty Mutual, an insurance industry giant, specified that the program was only available to those who identify as Asian, Black, or Hispanic/Latinx, with the aim of diversifying talent pipelines and accelerating careers.
Program Details and Reach
McKinsey’s Connected Leaders Academy consists of three course offerings: Leadership Essentials, Management Accelerator, and Executive Leadership. The program is designed for cohorts of individuals through their organizations and is not accessible directly by individuals.
Since its launch in 2020, the program has engaged over 67,000 Black, Asian, and Latino professionals from more than 900 organizations.
U.S. Bank has proudly highlighted its involvement in the program in its ESG Report, emphasizing its commitment to affinity-based development programs and the development training provided by McKinsey’s Black Leadership Academy.
McKinsey’s ESG Report Executive Summary also mentions the program’s broad reach and impact on diverse professionals.
Both U.S. Bank, Bayer, and McKinsey have not responded to requests for comment regarding the controversy surrounding these programs.
DISCRIMINATION: A Citizen Journalist has revealed Best Buy is partnering with McKinsey & Company on a Management Training Program.
The program is not open to white applicants. “Candidates must meet the [racial] requirements below”
Any comment @BestBuy? pic.twitter.com/lxfivezCa6
— O’Keefe Media Group (@OKeefeMedia) August 8, 2023
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