No. 17 | Cox Communications
Patrick Esser
President and CEO“At Cox, diversity and inclusion are at the core of who we are, shaping how we connect with our people, customers, community and suppliers. We believe embracing transparency, valuing every voice and respecting our differences makes us stronger for the long run.”
LeVoyd Carter
Executive Director, Diversity & Inclusion“At Cox, inclusion is a superpower that drives us to recognize, respect and leverage our diversity — making us stronger together.”
From DiversityInc
- The advertising division of Cox Communications, Cox Media, stepped in to help restaurants during the pandemic by offering free television advertising for takeout and delivery.
- In March, the James M. Cox Foundation committed to providing up to $5 million to Emory Healthcare for purchasing COVID-19 testing equipment.
- During Black History Month, Cox Communications used its employee resource groups (ERGs) to share the worldwide contributions of African Americans.
In The News
- Cox Media Keeps Communities Connected to Local Restaurants with Free Ads During COVID-19 Crisis
- Cox Communications Uses Virtual Assistance to Support Customers at Social Distance During Coronavirus Crisistech-Help-Lightning
- Cox Commits up to $5M for COVID-19 Testing
- Cox Expands Coronavirus Relief Offerings for Residential Customers
Other DiversityInc Lists
- No. 11 Supplier Diversity
- LGBT Employees
- No. 14 Executive Diversity Councils
- No. 22 Philanthropy
From The Company
Diversity and inclusion play a vital role in Cox Communications’ strategy for success. President and CEO Officer Pat Esser and EVP and Chief People Officer Karen Bennett lead Cox Communications’ cross-functional National Diversity & Inclusion Council, which sets goals that impact our people, customers, communities and suppliers.
Cox Communications also relies on Regional Diversity & Inclusion Councils to execute on company goals. In 2019, Cox Communications’ regional councils focused on recruiting women into nontraditional roles through speed networking sessions and job fairs.
Cox Communications strengthened community ties, donating hundreds of laptops to community centers through our Connect2Compete program.
Regional councils also bolstered our diverse supplier pipeline by connecting with at-risk vendors and offering certification renewal steps, as well as expanding our diverse supplier scholarship program. To foster employee growth, Cox Communications’ employee resource groups (ERGs) offered impactful professional development sessions that were recorded for easy access. The Women’s ERG shared best practices for cultivating emotional intelligence and executive presence, while the Black/African American ERG joined forces with the Salute (veterans) ERG to host Tuskegee Airmen for Black History Month.
Continuous refinement of supplier diversity practices also led Cox Communications to achieve $774 million in combined tier 1 and tier 2 spend, increasing tier 2 spending for the sixth consecutive year.
Company Facts
U.S. Headquarters: Atlanta, GA
Global Employees: 18,342
2019 DiversityInc Top 50 Ranking: No. 11