Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
FleishmanHillard*
FAIL
fleishmanhillard.com
TYPE: Global PR Agency
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: Vanguard Group Inc, BlackRock, Inc, State Street Corp, et al. (via parent company Omnicom Group)
OWNER: Omnicom Group
SUBSIDIARIES:
2023 GLOBAL REVENUE: $606.9 million
2024 HEADCOUNT: 2,300 (est)
1285 6th Ave 5th Floor
New York, NY 10019
+1 212 453 2000
Contact Link
FleishmanHillard, a major global PR agency under Omnicom Group, has significantly expanded its Diversity, Equity,* and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives since 2020, led by Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Adrianne C. Smith (appointed 2021, a Black woman) and supported by a team including Leela Stake (Global Lead, True MOSAIC and FH4Inclusion, a multiracial woman) and Francesca Weems (SVP, Director of DE&I, a Black woman). Smith has spent her career primarily working with organizations dedicated to the support, recruitment, and training of Black and other non-White individuals. Emily K. Graham, another Black woman, preceeded Adrianna Smith as CDIO, and is now with parent company Omnicom. Graham is responsible for Omnicom's overall DEI strategy and the execution of OPEN 2.0, the holding company's action plan for systemic equity. These initiatives, encompassing mandatory unconscious bias training in some regions, Employee Resource Groups, and the client-facing True MOSAIC practice are concerning. While FleishmanHillard’s DEI programs, such as the Alfred Fleishman Diversity Fellowship and reported 2021 U.S. diversity hiring (36% ethnically diverse), emphasize underrepresented groups, the lack of transparency on recent U.S. hiring metrics and unconfirmed mandatory bias training across U.S. offices could suggest uneven application, potentially creating a perception of exclusion or bias against White employees. Other DEI roles have been held by Rachel Coleman (a Black woman), John Sorano (an Asian man), Cheyenne Cameron-Pruitt (a Black woman), and Leela Stake (a White woman).
*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.
Institutional investors like Vanguard Group Inc, BlackRock, Inc, and State Street Corp 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 FleishmanHillard'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.
FleishmanHillard instructs companies on DEI practices.
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 FleishmanHillard’s DEI program. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
PARTNERS INCLUDE: BlueCurrent Group, DDC Public Affairs, GMMB, VOX Global, Methods & Mastery, etc.
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.