Washington, D.C – Today, the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) announced the regional winners and its inaugural international winner for its 2019 Employer of Choice Award. The Employer of Choice Award honors corporate legal departments who have made meaningful commitments to creating more diverse and inclusive workplaces.

“MCCA is proud to recognize these regional winners for their steadfast commitment to diversity and for leading the efforts in their region to develop a diverse and inclusive workplace,” said Jean Lee, MCCA President and CEO. “We are also excited to announce our inaugural international winner, Nokia, who is leading efforts to advance diversity, inclusion and equity globally. We have had many global companies whose headquarters were overseas and were selected as an Employer of Choice for the amazing work they were doing in the U.S. With Nokia’s exemplary work in both the U.S. and abroad, MCCA is thrilled to recognize Nokia as our inaugural international Employer of Choice winner. We hope that Nokia and our regional winners can be shining examples of what it means to do good and do well.”

“Our regional winners truly understand the importance of prioritizing diversity, inclusion and equity and the necessity to build an inclusive workplace in order to not only hire, but retain and advance diverse attorneys,” said Stuart Alderoty, MCCA Board Chair and General Counsel at Ripple. “I am particularly heartened to see that this group of winners have leaders who have demonstrated personal commitment by being present and engaged, which is the most effective way to demonstrate that diversity and inclusion is important. As MCCA expands with more international members, we are excited to honor Nokia and highlight how global corporations must also prioritize and commit to creating a more diverse and inclusive work culture.”

The 2019 Employer of Choice Award regional and inaugural international winners are:

Eaton Corporation, Midwest Region: Eaton offers rising diverse attorneys at strategic partner law firms with the opportunity to participate in its “Backstage Pass Program,” where participants spend three days on-site at Eaton to gain a unique “behind the scenes” perspective of Eaton and more importantly, develop deeper relationships with Eaton’s Law Team members, key business and functional leaders and each other. Eaton’s General Counsel is directly involved and personally committed to Eaton’s diversity initiatives, taking time to participate at training and events. Eaton Corporation is a power management company which offers energy-efficient solutions that help its customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power more efficiently, safely and sustainably. Eaton was named one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by FORTUNE magazine.

Mastercard Inc., Northeast Region: Mastercard’s Regional Action Plans hold senior leaders accountable and help solve identified inclusion gaps. In addition, Mastercard created a dashboard to track quarterly progress (representation, hiring, terminations and promotions) for each region as well as business function, recognizing the importance of accountability and utilizing metrics, in order to track and evaluate diversity initiatives. Mastercard’s General Counsel oversees its Global Inclusion & Diversity and is personally engaged to ensure that its diversity initiatives are a top priority, setting the culture for the company. Mastercard, a Fortune 500 global payments company, has a presence in more than 210 countries and territories.

Visa, Inc., Western Region: Visa’s succession plan includes an emphasis on diversity and greater inclusion of non-white men and women in firm leadership. Managers are encouraged to have “stay” conversations and develop their high potential diverse team members, so that they not only retain but promote their diverse talent. Visa’s General Counsel is also highly visible in her participation in various D&I related organizations and partnerships. Visa is a Fortune 500 electronic payment company that owns and manages payment brands including Visa and Interlink, as well as product platforms that financial institutions use to manage clients’ credit, debit, or prepaid programs.

Nokia Corporation, International: Nokia’s gender diversity initiatives have made progress on addressing the gender pay gaps and improving gender diversity. This year, for the first time, Bloomberg included Nokia in its 2019 Gender-Equality Index, due to its transparency and commitment to women’s equality. Nokia’s ‘OUT Leader’ program focuses on LGBT+ leaders, to foster authentic leadership, an inclusive work culture and to attract and retain key talent. As with our Regional Winners, Nokia’s leadership is no exception, with Nokia’s Chairman and Group Leadership embracing and openly recognizing the importance of creating a culture of inclusion. Nokia is a Fortune Global 2000 Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics company, founded in 1865.

All regional winners and the inaugural international winner will be honored, and the national Employer of Choice Award winner will be announced, at MCCA’s Diversity Gala on October 16, at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.