Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
BBH
FAIL
bbh-usa.com
TYPE: Advertising Agency
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: Capital Research & Management Co., Parvus Asset Management Europe Ltd., Mawer Investment Management Ltd., Capital International Ltd., The Vanguard Group, Inc., BlackRock Fund Advisors, Amundi Asset Management, etc. (via parent company Publicis Groupe)
OWNER: Publicis Groupe
SUBSIDIARIES: ZAG, BBH Sport
U.S. REVENUE: $10-50 million (est)
HEADCOUNT: 201-500 (est)
375 Hudson St, 13th Fl.
New York, NY 10014
hello@bbh-usa.com
BBH’s DEI policies, shaped by its parent company Publicis Groupe, rooted in a belief in equity and driven by leadership’s commitment to prioritizing underrepresented groups, carry a moderate to high risk of violating EEOC guidelines, federal law, and NYSHRL by potentially fostering a hostile work environment and discriminatory treatment of White employees through race-based prioritization and exclusionary practices. BBH is a founding member of "Black Representation in Marketing (BRiM)," a leadership program specifically for "high-potential Black employees." In 2024, 70% of BBH's participants in this program were Black women. This targeted program for Black employees for leadership development could be viewed as allocating more resources and training to non-White individuals. If similar, equally promoted programs are not available for other groups, it could be perceived as differential treatment based on race. The agency’s "The Barn" and "Homegrown" programs focus on "underrepresented talent," often implying racial minorities, while "HERd" accelerates female leadership, creating preferential pathways that may exclude White employees. Mandatory DEI and unconscious bias training is in place, including Catalyst’s MARC program, which risks fostering a hostile environment by framing Whites as inherently privileged, potentially violating EEOC guidelines and NYSHRL’s prohibition on racial harassment. Leadership, including Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun, Chief Impact Officer Nannette LaFond-Dufour, and former Chief Diversity Officer Geraldine White (she was let go in late 2025), alongside BBH Global CEO Karen Martin, BBH USA CEO Steven Panariello, Chief Creative Officer Erica Roberts, and DEI Lead and People Manager at BBH USA Dan DeGroat (a Black man), drive these initiatives, with statements like Global CCO Alex Grieve’s take on work “necessitat[ing] an absolute commitment to DE&I" suggesting demographic prioritization over merit. BBH’s promotion of Google's "Black-Owned Friday"** campaign, which CCO Erica Roberts has praised, could be seen as prioritizing one racial group’s businesses over others, potentially raising questions about fairness under anti-discrimination frameworks like Title VII or NYSHRL if similar efforts are not extended to other groups. These practices, influenced by institutional investors like Capital Research & Management Co. and client DEI demands from companies like Google, may conflict with Title VII’s merit-based principles and NYSHRL’s anti-discrimination protections, warranting scrutiny for systemic bias against White employees.
*DEI "equity" involves prioritizing certain racial, gender, or identity groups with targeted resources or opportunities to ensure equal outcomes at the cost of fairness and individual merit. DEI’s equity focus shares some similarities with communism and socialism in its group-based, redistributive approach, and with totalitarianism in ideological coercion.
**Google Maps does not offer a specific "White-owned" attribute for searching businesses, but offers searchable attributes like "Black-owned," "Latino-owned," "Asian-owned," "Indigenous-owned," "Veteran-owned," and "Women-owned", allowing owners to self-identify and users to filter searches accordingly (except for White owners and White-supportive users).
Institutional investors like Capital Research and Management Company, BlackRock, and The Vanguard Group increasingly emphasize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors, including diversity and inclusion metrics, in their investment stewardship and proxy voting guidelines. This external pressure from major parent company shareholders likely serves as a significant driver for BBH's public commitments and strategic focus on ESG and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). Consequently, accountability for the design and impact of DEI initiatives rests primarily with the company's leadership and board, who must navigate these influential investor expectations.
This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements. The information provided on this website is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice; consult a licensed attorney for specific legal guidance.
DieDEI.co is waiting on internal materials for a fuller picture of BBH’s DEI program. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS INCLUDE: Black Representation in Marketing (BRiM)
NOTE: Client lists are subject to change. This information is based on publicly available information, including websites, case studies, and news articles from a recent period. To ensure you have the most accurate and current information, please refer to the company's official announcements.