MGM Resorts International Earns Top Spot On Prominent List Of "50 Best Companies For Diversity"

News provided by

Jan 07, 2019, 16:22 ET

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For 2018 BLACK ENTERPRISE (BE) magazine has named MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) one of the "Best Companies for Diversity" in the U.S. based on MGM Resorts' diversity and inclusion practices.

The 50 companies featured in the publication's special report demonstrate a commitment to diversity in one or more of four key areas, including: Board of Directors mix, employee diversity, senior management mix and supplier diversity.

"We are incredibly honored to achieve this recognition from BLACK ENTERPRISE. As a responsible corporation we strive daily to embed diversity and inclusion into the core of our company's culture and operations for the empowerment it brings to our employees and the strength it brings to our business," said Phyllis A. James, Chief Diversity and Corporate Responsibility Officer for MGM Resorts International. "We salute BLACK ENTERPRISE for this effort that continues to send a strong message of the moral imperative, business necessity and transformational value of diversity and inclusion in America."

In compiling this year's list, the BE research team sent surveys to more than 1,000 of the largest publicly traded companies and global companies with significant U.S. operations. Companies were also chosen based on programs created to nurture and maintain a diverse professional space. Surveys did not simply focus on black inclusion, but ethnic minority groups as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau. The complete report, including methodology and selection criteria, is available in the November/December 2018 issue of BE.

In 2000, MGM Resorts pioneered the gaming industry's first voluntary Diversity and Inclusion initiative. That year the Company installed a policy requiring minority business enterprise ("MBE") participation in all construction bids, followed in 2003 by a policy mandating MBE participation in all biddable commodity procurement contracts and purchases exceeding $1,000.

Since the establishment of those policies, the Company has spent more than $4.5 billion with certified diverse-owned (including minority- and women-owned) business enterprises. MGM has become not only the industry pacesetter but also a widely-acclaimed corporate leader of Diversity and Inclusion in corporate America. Some of the Company's recent highlights include:

MGM Resorts is an employer of choice with robust talent recruitment and development initiatives. MGM's workforce is richly diverse, with minorities comprising more than 68% and women more than 51% of employees. More than 42% of management is minority; more than 44% of managers are women. [Based on 2017 data]
In 2017, MGM Resorts' expenditures with certified diverse-owned (including women-owned) business enterprises in procurement and construction exceeded $323 million.
In 2017, MGM Resorts earned top accolades for its diversity best practices from national benchmarks, including: No. 3 of Top Regional Companies (DiversityInc Magazine) and America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises (Women's Business Enterprise National Council).

About BLACK ENTERPRISE

BLACK ENTERPRISE, your ultimate source for wealth creation, is the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans. Since 1970, BE has provided essential business information and advice to professionals, corporate executives, entrepreneurs, and decision makers. Every month, BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine provides 6 million readers with information on entrepreneurship, careers, and financial management. As a multimedia company, BLACK ENTERPRISE produces television programming, business and lifestyle events, web content and digital media. BLACK ENTERPRISE is the definitive source of information for and about African American business markets and leaders, and the authority on black business news and trends.

ABOUT MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL

MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is an S&P 500® global entertainment company with national and international locations featuring best-in-class hotels and casinos, state-of-the-art meetings and conference spaces, incredible live and theatrical entertainment experiences, and an extensive array of restaurant, nightlife and retail offerings. MGM Resorts creates immersive, iconic experiences through its suite of Las Vegas-inspired brands. The MGM Resorts portfolio encompasses 28 unique hotel offerings including some of the most recognizable resort brands in the industry. Expanding throughout the U.S. and around the world, the company in 2018 opened MGM Springfield in Massachusetts, MGM COTAI in Macau, and the first Bellagio-branded hotel in Shanghai. The 81,000 global employees of MGM Resorts are proud of their company for being recognized as one of FORTUNE® Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies®. For more information visit us at www.mgmresorts.com.

SOURCE MGM Resorts International