PricewaterhouseCoopers Named One of Best Companies for Multicultural Women

NEW YORK, May 27 /PRNewswire/ -- For the sixth consecutive year, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) has been named one of the best companies for multicultural women by Working Mother magazine.  In naming PwC to its 2010 Best Companies for Multicultural Women, Working Mother cited the firm's strategic focus on diversity efforts and keeping such initiatives top-of-mind during the economic downturn.

The recognition honors organizations that dedicate themselves to bringing more perspectives to the decision-making table by promoting multicultural women's advancement.  Programs that set PwC apart in the diversity arena include Vanguard, an intensive three-day on-boarding program that provides Black/African American campus-hires with career advice, coaching and feedback, and the Diamond program, which gives multicultural senior managers and directors leadership exposure and executive coaching.

"Being a multicultural woman and working mother myself, this recognition is particularly gratifying and hits close to home," said Niloufar Molavi, partner and Chief Diversity Officer, PricewaterhouseCoopers.  "Cultural dexterity is critical in today's marketplace, regardless of economic conditions. PwC is committed to creating and sustaining an environment that supports the needs of all our people - with innovative programs and support from our leadership team."  

PwC supports women and working parents through numerous initiatives, including:

• Mentor Moms - Connects new mothers or mothers-to-be with an experienced PwC mom in their regional office. The program is designed to "share the best of both worlds" by providing support and guidance about the transition from maternity leave back to work.  Currently, 260 women from 45 different offices across the United States are enrolled as mentor volunteers and there are 80 successful mentor-mentee pairs.

• Full Circle - Allows people, especially women, to take up to five years away from the firm to devote themselves to full-time parenting or other dependent care and then return to the firm. While away, participants stay in touch with colleagues, peers and friends at the firm and they can take advantage of numerous PwC resources to stay professionally relevant.

"PwC has done a remarkable job of welcoming professionals from diverse backgrounds into their firm and onboarding them with a unique program that leads to early success," said Carol Evans, CEO, Working Mother Media.  "This program, along with many others, has made PwC standout on our 2010 list."

PwC has been recognized extensively for its commitment to people. In addition to the Best Companies for Multicultural Women, the firm has been named to Working Mother's "100 Best Companies" list for 15 consecutive years, including six successive years in the top 10.  In 2009, PwC was ranked No. 1 in the DiversityInc Top Companies for Global Diversity and No. 2 in the first-ever "Universum Global Top 50" employers index, a ranking of the world's most attractive employers.  In 2007, PwC won the "Catalyst Award" for its efforts to advance and retain women.  For a list of awards and recognition that PwC has received, visit the "About Us" section at www.pwc.com.

The Best Companies for Multicultural Women are detailed in Working Mother's June/July 2010 issue. A full listing is available at workingmother.com.

Best Companies for Multicultural Women Methodology: To be considered for Best Companies for Multicultural Women, each company applied and supplied Working Mother with 2009 data about the hiring, pay and promotion of multicultural employees. Applications focus on representation of multicultural women; recruitment; retention and advancement programs; and company culture. This year, equal weight was given to all segments of the 350-question survey. An independent survey research firm tabulated the scores.

About Working Mother Media

Working Mother magazine reaches 2 million readers and is the only national magazine for career-committed mothers; WorkingMother.com brings to the Web home and career information, advice and a broad range of solutions daily. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Working Mother's signature research initiative, Working Mother 100 Best Companies, the most important benchmark for work-life practices in corporate America. Working Mother Media, a division of Bonnier Corp. (www.bonnier.com), includes the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE, www.nafe.com), Diversity Best Practices (www.diversitybestpractices.com), the WorkLife Congress and the Multicultural Women's Conference and Leadership Summits. Working Mother Media's mission is to serve as a champion of culture change.

About PricewaterhouseCoopers

PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for its clients and their stakeholders. More than 163,000 people in 151 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice.

"PricewaterhouseCoopers" refers to PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP or, as the context requires, the PricewaterhouseCoopers global network or other member firms of the network, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity.

© 2010 PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. All rights reserved.

SOURCE PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP