DALLAS, March 30, 2009—Comerica Bank has earned a coveted spot on the 2009 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list. The announcement was made by Luke Visconti, partner and cofounder of DiversityInc, a monthly business magazine and daily Web site. Comerica ranked 30th overall and fifth in commitment to supplier diversity.
"Competitive companies such as Comerica Bank have switched from trying to move the status quo to establishing a new one," said Luke Visconti, CEO of DiversityInc. "Smart companies see increasing diversity efforts in an economic downturn as a way of beating less-adept competition that will pull back.
“A total of 401 companies, up 14 percent from last year, vied for the honor this year, underscoring the increasing emphasis on diversity management among progressive companies.”
The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list is the largest competition of its kind. The list is determined from a comprehensive survey of diversity management that measures CEO commitment, human capital, corporate and organizational communications and supplier diversity.
“It is crucial for companies to recognize that supporting and embracing diversity and inclusion is not just a “feel good” thing that is the “right thing to do,” but that it also is a business imperative and the smart thing to do,” said Comerica Bank Vice President of Business Affairs Janice Tessier, who manages the bank’s corporate diversity initiatives.
The DiversityInc announcement followed the publication of the March issue of Hispanic Business Magazine, where Comerica was ranked first by HBM on its list of top supplier diversity companies.
“Supporting and fostering corporate diversity is critical to Comerica’s day-to-day success,” said Linda Forte, Comerica Bank senior vice president of Business Affairs and the bank’s chief diversity officer. “To be recognized by Hispanic Business Magazine and DiversityInc is particularly gratifying given the categories where we were measured.
“It is an honor we can all take pride in as we continue to uphold our commitment to diversity and inclusion as a company core value.’’
Following are additional recent diversity honors earned by Comerica Bank:
• Hispanic Business Magazine 2008 “Diversity Elite 60” (#3)
• Michigan Minority Business Development Council – 2008 Corporation of the Year: Financial and Insurance Services Sector (Comerica has received this honor 12 of the past 13 years)
• Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – 2008 Corporation of the Year: Financial Institution Sector (2nd consecutive year)
About Comerica: Comerica Incorporated is a financial services company headquartered in Dallas and strategically aligned by three business segments: Business Bank, Retail Bank, and Wealth & Institutional Management. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada, China and Mexico.