When Maggie Carey joined SC Johnson 14 years ago, she had no idea what kind of whirlwind career was in store.

After completing her education at Cornell University, Maggie stepped into a sales role and it wasn’t long before she was promoted to a marketing associate position.  But it was when she and her husband Sean, a sales director at SC Johnson, decided to start a family that things really took off.

Shortly after the birth of their first son, Sean was promoted to Country Manager — Puerto Rico. The stress of new family life can be tough enough without the obstacles Maggie and her husband had to overcome, namely the language barrier.

Thankfully, the couple did find child care. And Maggie’s supportive managers had a plan to keep her professional life on track as well. “I thought I was going to have to leave the company,” recalls Maggie. “Instead, they saw an opportunity to use my situation as an experiment.” The company found marketing projects for Maggie to do at home, part-time. The only catch: she’d have to come back to headquarters, in Racine, WI, for one week every month.

The plan worked. As for the language barrier, Maggie solved that for herself: She learned Spanish during her time in the Caribbean.

The Careys welcomed a second son to the family before returning to Racine for good. And Maggie now serves as Category Manager of Air Care New Product Development in North America.

The key to Maggie’s success in juggling career and family, she says, is the leadership at SC Johnson. “There is such passion and integrity here,” Maggie says.

“They understand that, as challenging as a career in marketing can be, I do have demands outside of work. They know that for me to be able to focus while I’m at work, I have to be able to focus on my family when I’m at home, too. It’s the advantage of working in a privately-held environment for a company that stands by its commitment to family values.”

During her 19 years with P&G, V.P. and brand franchise leader Hanneke Faber has delivered consistent results across four different countries—The Netherlands, Greece, Switzerland and now the United States—with her family right beside her. These days, Hanneke leads two of the world’s biggest beauty brands: Pantene and Head & Shoulders.

While it isn’t always easy to adjust to life in a new country, Hanneke is enjoying her career and her family is thankful for the opportunity to learn about new cultures. “My kids now speak four languages: English, Dutch, French and Greek,” she says. “I guess they’ll end up brilliant…or very confused!”

Hanneke is passionate about improving lives. She recently led a team of P&G employees to Malawi as part of an employee volunteer program. Hanneke and her team taught more than 5,000 Malawians about the importance of clean drinking water and how to access it. Upon her return, she shared the experience with fellow employees and others, which became an opportunity for Hanneke to help shape new employee ambassadors and raise more funds for P&G’s volunteer program.

Who manages the operations of a 389,000-square-foot manufacturing facility with 360 employees for the largest U.S. food company?

Who is on the board of directors for the local symphony and Chamber of Commerce, and is an active member of the Junior League?

Who is a great mother of two college-age daughters—one of whom is now in medical school?

Is it Supermom? Almost.

It’s all in a day’s work for Lisa Grenier, who manages the daily operations and long-term goals of the Kraft Foods Planters snack nuts facility in Fort Smith, Ark.  Lisa makes balancing career, community and family look like a cinch. Recently, she secured local government support for a major expansion of what will be a LEED-certified production facility as part of the sustainability goals for Kraft Foods.  During her leadership, the facility has also received a coveted company safety award while delivering consistently solid operating performance.

Lisa shares her passion for social responsibility with her family and work colleagues. She instilled in her daughters at an early age that citizenship and giving back to the community are essential. When her girls where younger, she taught Sunday school in her church and coached their soccer team.

At work, Lisa encourages her employees to get out and volunteer in the community.  Last October, her teams contributed 300 hours of their time to local food banks, schools and community outreach centers as part of the Kraft Foods annual Delicious Difference Week, a global volunteering program.

In addition, Lisa serves as a mentor to other women and instituted a regular call for the company’s female plant managers to discuss best practices and challenges. She also is one of the founding members of Kraft Foods’ Supply Chain Women employee council.

This hard work has been recognized externally too. In 2010, her plant received the United Way Leaders Award—the highest tribute to a company that raises awareness of United Way, promotes volunteerism, and encourages corporate giving and employee support—for its continued commitment to and participation in the Fort Smith community.

Lisa has faced many of the same challenges as working moms everywhere. She recommends setting priorities, being flexible, having family and community support for daycare, and focusing on quality time with family.  Although Lisa’s daughters are young adults now, she learned early in her career that balancing work and family needed to be a priority.

“When I was with my daughters, I made sure they had 100 percent of my attention,” said Lisa. “And when I was at work, I focused on my job. That way, once I returned home, my attention could again be focused squarely on my girls.”

To raise its next generation of leaders, this consumer products company pinpoints high-potential women of color during each talent review and considers their readiness for promotion, discussing how they can be given more support and what they need to do to raise their profile. while executive women may be paired with members of the board of directors for further mentoring and coaching, women enrolled in the multicultural reverse mentoring program give executives and senior leaders insight into what their office experience is like. At least 65% of multicultural women say they currently have a counselor, mentor or advisor at the office; managers who supervise diverse employees have access to training on “cultural fluency,” which makes them more aware of other points of view. Individual diversity events and programs abound, but the company took a big step forward in 2010 by launching its formal inclusion & Diversity council. In quarterly meetings overseen by the CEO, the company reflects on its diversity goals. Impressively, at least 75% of multicultural women employees belong to one of seven employee networks.

Chairman, President & CEO Robert McDonald
Chief Diversity Officer Linda Clement-Holmes

At Procter & Gamble, multicultural women represent…
9% multicultural women
6% of corporate executives
8% of senior managers
8% of the top earners
13% of the company hires
14% of the company promotions
11% of the company losses
10% of participants in mentoring programs
27% of participants in affinity groups

Looking to get a leg up on the competition? Dozens of coaching and mentoring programs help multicultural women advance at this major food-manufacturing company, as does an executive diversity council with satellites in ten functions and divisions. To maintain a level playing field, the company has sent more than 10,000 employees to its understanding and modeling inclusion training course, and continued support is crucial: According to its latest data, 55% of all recent hires are female, and one third are women of color. Six affinity groups provide women of similar racial and ethnic backgrounds with a place to commune: “it was an instant group of friends,” says Mansi Bhandari, a supply-chain buyer, of her introduction to the South Asian American network. “We had the opportunity to interface with senior leaders, and I was given a buddy right away.”

Chairman & CEO Ken Powell
VP, Diversity & Inclusion Kenneth Charles

At General Mills, multicultural women represent…
7% multicultural women
4% of corporate executives
5% of senior managers
7% of the top earners
11% of the company hires
10% of the company promotions
10% of the company losses
16% of participants in mentoring programs
15% of participants in affinity groups

79% of women participate in leadership development programs

At this consumer products company, investing in women pays: Officers who commit to diversity receive extra stock options, while women can gain sponsors, coaches and/or premium assignments. “We are intentional about staffing women in mainstream roles that have a high impact on the business, are highly visible to leadership and provide high levels of learning,” says Jennifer Irwin, associate director of leadership development.

Chairman & CEO Robert Mcdonald

Global HR Officer Moheet Nagrath

43% of employees are women

41% of managers are women

32% of senior managers are women

16% of corporate executives are women

47% of recent promotions to manager, senior manager or corporate executive have gone to women

33% of top earners are women

63% of women participate in mentoring

70% of women participate in networking

9% of women participate in sponsorship programs

79% of women participate in leadership development programs

Offers women’s task force? Yes

Procter & Gamble’s Blueprint for Healthy Living program offers 24/7 access to a nurse who advises and advocates for employees.

Adopting a child takes time, money and patience, but for so many parents, it's the realization of a dream. Recognizing that, this consumer products company offers employees who adopt up to $5,000 in aid and gives them as much as a year of job-guaranteed time off. When they're ready to return to work, they may do so on a temporarily reduced schedule or (if their job permits) opt to work from home. Employees who telecommute more than two days per week are outfitted with laptops, high-speed Internet and an outside business line. At least 75% of employees adjusted their hours and telecommuted at some point in 2009, while 10% started working part time. Anyone who puts in at least 20 hours of work per week earns health insurance; single moms with one child pay an "employee plus one" rate that costs less than family coverage. Kids ages 6 weeks to 5 years enjoy three on-site child-care centers in Albany, GA, and Cincinnati.

Chairman & CEO Robert McDonald

Global HR Officer Moheet Nagrath

Women managers, senior managers and corporate execs 41%

Women among top earners 33%

Women on board of directors 31%

Women corporate executive hires in 2009 0%  

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year* 79%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year* 7%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement Not tracked  

Do formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance? Yes

*Percentages reflect number of women participants versus company’s total female workforce.

“Brain Food” classes on everything from Excel and PowerPoint to fly-fishing, finance, design and CPR keep life intriguing for Patagonia moms.

Imagine working for an employer that encourages taking a long lunch break to train for a half-marathon, provides free yoga classes on-site and even repairs your bike. Having a personal life is supported by this apparel company, which allowed 99% of its employees to flex their hours and 80% to work outside the office last year. Group camping trips and snowshoe treks reinforce the casual, collaborative vibe, and no one's office (not even the CEO's) has a door. Need time off? Try four unpaid months with job guarantee, or one paid month working for an environmental organization. Work just 20 hours per week and you're eligible for paid sick leave, vacation and "no-cost" health insurance (with office copays only). New parents may take 16 job-guaranteed weeks off; birth moms get 14 partially paid, while primary adoptive caregivers receive eight fully paid, with up to $5,000 in aid. Employees marking ten years with the company earn $1,000; after 20 years, it's $2,500. In 2009, 32 people celebrated such tenures.

CEO Richard Sheahan

Director, HR Lucinda Setnicka

Women managers, senior managers and corporate execs 62%

Women among top earners 37%

Women on board of directors 43%

Women corporate executive hires in 2009 0%  

Women participating in management or leadership training in the past year* 22%

Women participating in formalized executive succession planning last year* 2%

Women promoted last year who utilized a formal flexible work arrangement 100%  

Do formal compensation policies reward managers who help women advance? No

*Percentages reflect number of women participants versus company’s total female workforce.

Procter & Gamble’s average retention rate for multicultural women has increased to 95% from 93% over the past four years.

Multicultural women who work for this consumer products giant now occupy 50% more jobs at the vice president or general manager level than they did in 2006, thanks in part to the work of the company’s Corporate Women’s Leadership Team. Devoted to retaining and developing multicultural female managers, especially those who have been with the company less than five years, the team has led the charge to fill key leadership roles with talented women of color. The company’s commitment to diversity is exemplified by the fact that more than half of its top leaders come from outside the United States. But even in the lower ranks, this diverse segment of female employees affects policy, business strategy and work-life initiatives by taking part in the firm’s Mentor-Up program, which encourages junior women to share their thoughts with senior managers. Diversity training, which is embedded in management programs, teaches employees at all levels that different viewpoints help make the company stronger. This idea is endorsed by CEO Bob McDonald, who considers it his personal mission to create a diverse workforce. He expects top leaders to show the same interest in diversity and inclusion, and requires annual reviews to monitor diversity in each business unit.

Multicultural Women 9%
President & CEO Robert McDonald
Chief Diversity Officer Linda Clement-Holmes

At Procter & Gamble, multicultural women represent…
3% of corporate executives
7% of senior managers
8% of the top earners
12% of the company hires
11% of the company losses
10% of participants in mentoring programs
9% of participants in career counseling programs

PepsiCo is a founding partner and 20-plus year-sponsor of the Executive Leadership Council, which helps African-American men and women advance.

Sponsoring the first leadership program specifically devoted to the needs of multicultural women was a watershed moment for this consumer goods company, which signed on in 2007 as a corporate partner of Ascent, an organization that seeks leadership roles for multicultural women. Today, the company’s top female employees rely on the program’s development education, peer counseling and executive coaching to shepherd them from their first jobs all the way into corporate leadership roles. Top execs also nurture high-potential talent by frequently mentoring two women in positions below them, and a group of managers are involved in Power Pairs, a unique initiative that strengthens their relationships with female employees of color. The Women of Color Multicultural Alliance helps to drive diversity initiatives and collaborates closely with separate advisory boards dedicated to female, African-American and Hispanic employees. Networking groups throughout the country help bring women of color together to discuss relevant issues or listen to speakers on topics such as “The Interrelationship Between Confidence and Competence.” Diversity and inclusion goals are part of senior executives’ performance objectives. The number of multicultural women in executive-level jobs has doubled since 2002, when the company began tracking their representation.

Multicultural Women 9%
Chairman & CEO Indra Nooyi
SVP, Chief Global Diversity & Inclusion Officer Ron Parker

At PepsiCo, multicultural women represent…
4% of corporate executives
6% of senior managers
6% of the top earners
19% of the company hires
14% of the company lossesNot tracked % of participants in mentoring programs
Not tracked % of participants in career counseling programs