Latest news with #JenniferMcCollum
Forbes
11-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
U.S. Business Leaders Say Cutting DEI Programs Is Risky
The vast majority of top executives across corporate America believe that companies should maintain—or even expand—initiatives to promote DEI, despite the government's executive orders designed to compel them to do the opposite, a new survey shows. The national survey—conducted by Catalyst, a consultancy focused on creating inclusive workspaces, in conjunction with the NYU School of Law's Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging—found that 83% of C-suite leaders and 88% of legal leaders said that they believe maintaining or expanding DEI is essential to mitigating legal risk. Some 77% of the executives surveyed said that they believe DEI initiatives are positively correlated with improved financial performance, and 81% said that a focus on DEI was likely to bolster customer loyalty. 'Inclusion has never been a liability — it's a competitive advantage and a business imperative,' said Jennifer McCollum, president and CEO of Catalyst. 'The data proves that organizations committed to the principles of opportunity and fairness behind DEI will be the ones that outperform their peers, retain talent, and build lasting trust.' The latest research—based on surveys conducted in January and February—was based on 2,500 employees, executives, and legal leaders across U.S. companies with active workplace inclusion programs. According to Catalyst, it represents the largest and most comprehensive workplace inclusion survey since the Trump administration in January issued executive orders designed to dismantle corporate DEI initiatives. The survey also found that support for DEI efforts extend beyond the C-suite. More than eight in 10 employees questioned said that they support practices like inclusive hiring, employee resource groups, and bias training (88%). And almost all employees questioned agreed with the statement that 'all workers should feel respected and welcomed at work, regardless of background or identity.' 'Opting out of DEI is not a neutral act — it's a choice with consequences,' Christina Joseph, project director of the Advancing DEI Initiative at the Meltzer Center, commented. 'That's because these programs help root out harmful policies that especially affect marginalized groups. This report reminds us that without those safeguards, organizations face more, not less, legal exposure.' In January, almost immediately after taking office, President Donald Trump issued a slew of executive orders targeting DEI programs both in the public and private sector. In response, many companies across the U.S. and beyond, announced that they were rolling back such initiatives or pausing programs. Meanwhile, references to diversity, equity and inclusion in Fortune 100 company reports dropped 72% between 2024 and 2025, according to an analysis by Gravity Research. This latest research, however, indicates that there could be some reversal of the initial reactions to the executive orders. 'Successful leaders understand that even in times of pressure and polarization, it is important to resist knee-jerk reactions and quick fixes and instead lean on decades of research-based solutions and practices that drive results,' added McCollum. 'Organizations that stay true to their values will emerge stronger as we evolve through these uncertain times.' Research from both an array of academic institutions and the private sector over the last decade has provided evidence of a positive correlation between diversity in an organization's workforce and that organization's financial performance. A 2020 McKinsey & Company report, for example, found that companies in the top quartile for gender diversity on executive teams were 25% more likely to have above-average profitability than those in the fourth quartile.
Axios
03-06-2025
- Business
- Axios
A record number of women are Fortune 500 CEOs
The number of women running Fortune 500 companies hit a new high this year, per the latest tally by Fortune magazine. Why it matters: It's still a shockingly low number, considering that women make up half the population, and are now outpacing men in education and other spheres. By the numbers: There are 55 women CEOs leading the nation's biggest firms by revenue. This is the first time the share of women leading these giant firms has crossed the 10% barrier. Zoom in: The highest ranked Fortune 500 firm run by a woman is General Motors (ranked 18 on the list), led by CEO Mary Barra. Six companies, including CVS Health and Duke Energy, lost a woman leader this year and replaced her with a male CEO, Fortune reports. Meanwhile, nine new women landed the top spot at other firms, most of them promoted from within. Between the lines: The turn away from diversity, equity and inclusion poses threats to women's progress to the top job, Jennifer McCollum, president and CEO of Catalyst, a workplace gender equity organization, tells Fortune.
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Arizona mom explains how TikTok saved her son's life
An Arizona mother claimed a TikTok saved her son's life in an extraordinary moment the internet pinpointed the boys symptoms early on. Nicholas McCollum, 7, was diagnosed with the flu after experiencing a fever and mobility issues, but the mother remembered how TikTok's urged parents to get a certain type of blood test. 'His fever was about 103-104 degrees, and that morning he said he couldn't walk,' his mom, Jennifer McCollum, told Live 5 News. As doctors were about to discharge Nicholas, his mother spoke up and pushed for further attention for her son. 'They were going to send me home, and I said I want his CK levels checked,' she said. 'I got looked at like it was so weird to ask for CK levels for a child because this diagnosis is usually only in athletes and cross-fitters.' Nicholas was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a disorder of skeletal muscle breakdown that releases toxins into the bloodstream, according to the Cleveland Clinic. 'They were going to send me home, and I said I want his CK levels checked,' she said. 'I got looked at like it was so weird to ask for CK levels for a child because this diagnosis is usually only in athletes and cross-fitters' It can lead to muscle death and kidney failure, and often presents after overexertion, trauma, medications or an underlying health condition. Common signs include muscle weakness or stiffness, muscle pain or a change in urine color. Around 26,000 people in the United States develop the condition every year, according to Cleveland Clinic. The Phoenix-area mother said the social media platform reminded her to advocate for her son's health and push for the right diagnosis. Nicholas has since returned home and has been feeling much better following his diagnosis.
