Burson-Marsteller Wins Best PR Firm Diversity Initiative at 2017 Diversity Distinction in PR Awards

NEW YORK, Sept. 15, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Burson-Marsteller, a leading global strategic communications and public relations firm, was awarded the Best PR Firm Diversity Initiative for a large firm by the PR Council and PRWeek at the annual Diversity Distinction in PR Awards. These awards honor individuals and organizations that foster greater diversity and inclusion across the public relations industry. The awards were presented at a ceremony in New York on September 14^th.

The PR Council and PRWeek honored Burson-Marsteller's Together Being More program. In its second year, Together Being More was designed to promote greater diversity at Burson-Marsteller by developing partnerships and programs to attract diverse talent and by establishing internal initiatives to promote a culture of inclusion among all employees.

In the last year, Burson-Marsteller strengthened its efforts with diverse hires in senior positions, a commitment in the U.S. to diverse slates for job openings and the roll-out of unconscious bias training to its senior ranks. It also expanded its talent network through its partnerships with INROADS, dedicated to leadership development and internships for underserved students; sponsorship of the Arthur W. Page Society's Diverse Future Program, which helps rising executives of color succeed at the top of their organizations; the Emma Bowen Foundation, which helps minority youth find careers in the media and communications industries; and The LAGRANT Foundation, which works to help ethnic minority students establish careers in advertising, marketing and communications. In addition, under the Together Being More banner, the firm's employee resource groups hosted a variety of discussion and education forums for U.S. employees on topics of importance to U.S. Latino, African-American and LGBTQ audiences.

"This is a proud moment for Burson-Marsteller," said Don Baer, Worldwide Chair and CEO, Burson-Marsteller. "It is crucial for all of us, at Burson-Marsteller and across our field, to devote ourselves to representing the diversity of the world around us. We all owe great thanks to each individual on our team who helped bring Together Being More to life and create an inclusive and rewarding work environment that contributes to our doing our best work for our clients. As much as we want to celebrate this achievement, we know we have work we must continue to do to bring diversity and inclusion into every aspect of Burson-Marsteller, and this recognition inspires us to continue on that crucial course."   

"We appreciate the recognition but know that our efforts must continue," added Mike Fernandez, U.S. CEO, Burson-Marsteller. "When it comes to diversity and inclusion, we must have a bias for action."

About Burson-Marsteller
Burson-Marsteller, established in 1953, is a leading global strategic communications and public relations firm. It provides clients with strategic thinking and program execution across a full range of public relations, public affairs, reputation and crisis management, advertising and digital strategies. The firm's seamless worldwide network consists of 77 offices and 85 affiliate offices, together operating in 110 countries across six continents. Burson-Marsteller is a part of Young & Rubicam Group, a subsidiary of WPP (NASDAQ: WPPGY), the world's leader in communications services. For more information, please visit www.burson-marsteller.com.

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SOURCE Burson-Marsteller