Feb.

9, 2023 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Maddie Ulmer
770.549.4553
mulmer4@students.kennesaw.edu

MINORITY EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP FAILS TO MIRROR ORGANIZATIONS’

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION STATEMENTS
KENNESAW, Ga. - Kennesaw State University Institute Relationships, Equity, Inclusion
and Diversity (IREID) conducted a study this week to examine the relationship between retail
and sales companies’ diversity, equity and inclusion statements and executive representation.
IREID examined Fortune 500 retail and sales companies including Walmart, Kohls’s,
Bath and Body Works, Williams-Sonoma, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Goldman Sachs Group, Gap,
Dollar Tree, Macy’s and Esteé Lauder. IREID looked at the top 6 executives of each company
and found that a majority of these organizations have failed to represent their DE&I statements
through their executive leadership representation.
● 5 out of the 10 companies showed a 33% representation of racial minorities, or non-white
executives.
● 3 out of the 10 companies showed a 15-20% racial minority representation.
● Goldman Sachs and Esteé Lauder showed a 0% racial minority representation among
their top 6 executives.
“While many Fortune 500 companies have failed to have an even and racially diverse
representation in their corporate leadership, it is still great to see that the female to male ratio is
starting to increase,” said Justin Pettigrew. “I hope that in the next few years there will be more
racial minority representation on the executive ladder.”
● 4 out of the 10 retail and sales companies showed a 50% or greater female representation
in the top executive positions.
● Remaining 6 companies showed a 17-33% female representation.
 The Institute Relationships, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity (IREID) at Kennesaw State
University in Kennesaw, Georgia was started in 2018, and is dedicated to research an action that
helps to advance DE&I in businesses and organizations throughout the country. For more
information, visit www.ireid.ksu.edu.
###