Cola-Cola ranked 33rd on DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity for 2014, up five spots from 2013 and company's 12th consecutive appearance on list

Nevin Barich

ATLANTA , April 23, 2014 (press release) – The Coca-Cola Company ranked No. 33 on DiversityInc’s Top 50 Companies for Diversity for 2014, up five spots from 2013. This marks the company’s 12th consecutive appearance on the list.

More than 1,000 private and publicly held companies competed for the honor by completing a 300-question survey, which measures a company’s commitment to diversity. According to DiversityInc, companies are assessed in four areas: talent pipeline, equitable talent development, CEO/leadership commitment and supplier diversity. Participation in the U.S.-based survey, which is free to any company with 1,000 U.S. employees or more, was up 36 percent this year, and the methodology used was more rigorous.

“Earning a spot on the DITop50 (DiversityInc Top 50) proves that management is paying close attention to the needs of their primary constituents—employees, customers and other key stakeholders,” said DiversityInc founder and CEO Luke Visconti. “Companies with great reputations attract the best and most skilled employees, who then create and deliver the best products and services. It’s a virtuous cycle that enables public companies on the DiversityInc Top 50 list to consistently outperform the major domestic stock market indices and privately held companies to surpass their peers.”

Coca-Cola Chief Diversity Officer John Lewis added, "As the most comprehensive diversity-based survey we complete, DiversityInc provides a good barometer of how we compare against other companies year-over-year. This is an important exercise for the company, allowing us to take a holistic look at our roadmap."

Lewis continued, “While pleased with the honor, our company will continue to strive for even greater inclusion.”

Looking ahead, Lewis said his team planned to strengthen the company’s Business Resource Groups to become more involved with the business and facilitate better connections among employees.

The 2014 Top 50 Companies for Diversity results, announced April 22 in New York, are featured on DiversityInc.com and in DiversityInc magazine.

Diversity at Coke: By the Numbers

As of Dec. 31, 2013, 44% of the company’s U.S. workforce was multicultural.
The Coca-Cola Company and The Coca-Cola Foundation directed $30.7 million (or 46%) of U.S. community giving to ethnic, veterans, disability and LGBT non-profit organizations in 2013.
The Coca-Cola system’s 2013 U.S.-based spend with diverse businesses was $826 million, an 11% increase over 2012.

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