The more talent pools Ohio draws from, the better off it will be| Eric Kearney
Eric H. Kearney is Ohio Chamber of Commerce director of Diversity and Inclusion. He is also the president and CEO at the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce. Kearney was an Ohio state senator from 2005-2014, serving two years as Senate Minority Leader.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion isn’t just a trend, but an exciting and systemic way of creating an environment - from the boardroom to the factory floor - that draws and promotes from the widest pool of talent possible across the state.
The Ohio Chamber of Commerce recognizes that Ohio businesses must promote a diversity, equity and inclusion approach in order for our state to be competitive. That’s why in my new role as the Ohio Chamber’s director of Diversity and Inclusion, I’m helping our state’s businesses create the best environment for all workers, thus placing Ohio at a competitive advantage and positioning our companies for future growth.
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How are we doing this?
Through the implementation of dynamic strategies that meet businesses' needs. We launched our first-ever DEI Summit last September in Columbus, where businesses gathered to talk about the business case for diversity and inclusion, as well as creating an equitable supply chain, best practices and more. It ended with a networking session.
That’s been followed by a host of initiatives and tools to help businesses implement or grow their current initiatives. We launched a diversity, equity and inclusion committee that meets quarterly. It’s one of several committees that guide the policy priorities and legislative issues the Chamber undertakes.
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We’re also planning to hold diversity, equity and inclusion-focused webinars, and to expand our outreach to diverse chambers like the African American, Hispanic and Ethiopian chambers.
The Ohio Chamber is the state’s leading business advocate and represents thousands of companies that do business in Ohio.
Our mission is to aggressively champion free enterprise, economic competitiveness and growth for the benefit of all Ohioans. Diversity, equity and inclusion is just one tool in the toolbox that will help our businesses compete.
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The world is becoming more complex, layered, and intertwined.
In order for Ohio to stay competitive, we need to increase awareness of different cultures, races and skill sets. The more people, the more talent. The more talent, the better the ideas.
With more people, more talent, and better ideas, we’ll have better performance. The more talent we draw from, the better off we will be.
Statistics show that the more diverse a company is, from the top down, the better it does financially, and the better it weathers fluctuations in the economy.
A more diverse supply chain with underrepresented and minority suppliers can help businesses execute strategies and close gaps in their supply chains.
More:Corporate diversity: Columbus companies making progress, but how fast?
We are in this together and the best talent can come from any place in the state. Through our work at the Ohio Chamber, we can help businesses start or expand the diversity, equity and inclusion approach to grow and become more competitive.
Eric H. Kearney is Ohio Chamber of Commerce director of Diversity and Inclusion. He is also the president and CEO at the Greater Cincinnati Northern Kentucky African American Chamber of Commerce. Kearney was an Ohio state senator from 2005-2014, serving two years as Senate Minority Leader.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Opinion: Diversity, equity and inclusion can help companies compete
