General Mills Honored by DiversityInc for Commitment to Diversity

03/13/2009

Today General Mills was named to DiversityInc’s annual Top 50 Companies for Diversity list.  

“We’re honored to be recognized as a leader in corporate diversity,” said Kenneth Charles, vice president for Diversity and Inclusion at General Mills. “Diversity plus inclusion equals business value. We connect with our consumers, customers, and communities. We reap new ideas and innovation. And, we recruit and retain the talent to win now and in the future.”

DiversityInc, which operates both a Web site and a monthly business magazine, calculates the annual list from a survey of 200 questions measuring four components: CEO commitment, human capital, corporate and organizational communications, and supplier diversity. A total of 401 companies, up 14 percent from last year, vied for the honor this year, underscoring the increasing emphasis on diversity management among progressive companies.

"Competitive companies, such as General Mills, have switched from trying to move the status quo to establishing a new one," said Luke Visconti, CEO of DiversityInc. "Smart companies see increasing diversity efforts in an economic downturn as a way of beating less-adept competition that will pull back."

View the entire Top 50 Companies for Diversity list at DiversityInc.com.

About General Mills
One of the world's leading food companies, General Mills operates in over 100 countries and markets more than 100 consumer brands, including Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Old El Paso, Progresso, Cascadian Farm, Muir Glen, and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A., General Mills had fiscal 2008 global net sales of US$14.9 billion, including the company’s $1.2 billion proportionate share of joint venture net sales. Visit www.generalmills.com.

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For More Information, Contact:

Maerenn Ball
General Mills
763-764-6364