As we continue our efforts to create a better environment for our people, we also are changing the ways in which we work across every facet of our global business. We are proud to hold a gold EcoVadis sustainability rating in 2021, which ranks us among the top 2% of companies regarding the way we treat both our employees and those who work with us, such as our suppliers and service providers.

We are committed to doing more. For example, we have begun diversifying those suppliers and providers, a move that is not only good for society but also good for our business. In 2020, our newly implemented supplier intelligence platform identified overall diverse spending in the US at 1%, and it's at 7% when including small and diverse businesses. Our goal this year is to increase that to 2% and 10%, respectively, and we have added a new supplier diversity role to help us accelerate the growth of those numbers over time. Additionally, at the local office level around the globe, our employees have led efforts to prioritize businesses with owners from underrepresented backgrounds when ordering team meals, home office supplies, and more.

Our Global DEI Practice

During the summer of 2020, we launched a formal Global DEI practice to support our clients directly in navigating the same issues we were confronting—namely, increasing diverse representation, effecting more equitable outcomes, and creating a more inclusive environment. This practice builds on existing capabilities in our Organization, Talent, and Culture offerings, while also fostering new outside partnerships that together enable us to bring a broad set of perspectives and experiences to collectively tackle these challenges.

Our practice emphasizes not just the moral importance of DEI but also the business value. We apply the same rigor and structure to ensure excellent business outcomes in DEI as we would in any other engagement. Over the past year, we have worked with clients across industries to help address tough questions and share the best practices we are learning.

The first questions clients often ask us is how to gauge where they are on their own DEI journey and how to prioritize their efforts. To address this, we have codeveloped an Opportunity Identifier diagnostic tool with our partner Grads of Life. Our evolving DEI Resource Guide then helps clients understand the tactical steps they can take to double down on their strengths and tackle opportunities for improvement. The lessons from our own journey and those of our clients are forming a rapidly growing body of tools and best practices and accelerating all of our respective efforts.

There is power in convening many voices in the room to share experiences and solve problems, and over the past year, we have used our reach and influence to bring together senior leaders, including chief diversity officers and chief human resources officers, to discuss DEI topics. These forums, along with our DEI engagements with other industry-specific coalitions, such as the Mass High Tech Council and Level 20, form an important part of our efforts to help the leaders we advise make progress in their own lives and within their own companies.

We also recognize that Black executives often can have a disparate experience in corporate America. As a part of our efforts to expand diverse leadership across all organizations, we convened the Black Leaders Forum to bring together Black executives to connect on topics such as thriving, mentorship, board readiness, and pressing for change within their organizations.

Embedding a DEI Lens in All of Our Client Work

As advisers to thousands of organizations, including many of the largest and most influential companies in the world, our opportunity and responsibility to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion extends far beyond our internal efforts and direct DEI practice engagements. We are committed to advising our clients on how to embed DEI considerations in all aspects of the way they do business. Examples include helping clients: