US President Barack Obama speaks at the Demo Day at the White House
The OEM’s “Wilson Rule” policy was referenced by US President Barack Obama.
Xerox stated that Obama mentioned and discussed the “Wilson Rule” at the White House Demo Day, which celebrates “the important role entrepreneurship plays in America’s economy” and saw innovators “demo” their stories about becoming entrepreneurs. The “Wilson Rule” is similar to the “Rooney Rule” in American football, helping to increase diversity in senior roles, and was named after Xerox’ first CEO Joseph Wilson.
The “Wilson Rule” requires that “women and minorities be among the final pool of qualified candidates for every open management position in the US”, while women will “need to be among the finalists outside the US”. Obama mentioned the programme and Xerox’ “renewed efforts to increase the ranks of minorities and women in management” in a speech at the event, which saw 35 other companies attend and showcase their stories and initiatives.
The OEM noted that the event “showcased why it’s important to give more entrepreneurs from all walks of life a chance to turn their ideas into vital products and services”, adding that it differs from a private-sector “Demo Day”, which would see “entrepreneurs and start-ups pitch their ideas to funders”.
Ursula Burns, Chairman and CEO of Xerox, commented: “Xerox has a long history of promoting diversity in its ranks. Because of the leadership over a half-century ago of one man – Joseph C. Wilson, the first CEO of Xerox and a champion of equal opportunity – diversity became part of our value system – part of our DNA.
“Today, we have one of the most diverse workforces in the world. Through that diversity of backgrounds and perspectives, we gain the benefit of different ways of looking at our business, leading to innovative breakthroughs for our customers and more engaging work for our people.”
Damika Arnold, Xerox’ Global Diversity and Inclusion Leader, added: “Our leadership team is representative of Xerox’ commitment to selecting the best candidates based on skills, knowledge and achievement. The ‘Wilson Rule’ will ensure this practice continues throughout our company.”