Exposing Anti-White Harassment + Discrimination in US Media Companies
FAQs
Monks (formerly Media.Monks)
FAIL
monks.com
TYPE: Marketing + Advertising Agency
INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS: AccelerAsia, Bencis Capital Partners, Stanhope Capital Group, Inc., S4 Capital Plc
OWNER: S4 Capital plc
SUBSIDIARIES (AQUISITIONS): 4 Mile Analytics, Cashmere Agency, Circus Marketing, ConversionWorks, Decoded, Destined, Firewood Marketing, Formula Consultants, Formula.Monks, Jam3, Maverick Digital, Metric Theory, MightyHive, Raccoon, TheoremOne, WhiteBalance, XX Artists, Zemoga, et al.
REVENUE: $500-700 million (est)
HEADCOUNT: 5-10,000
32 Old Slip, New York, NY 10005
+1 347 767 6929
ny@mediamonks.com
Contact link
Monks Agency, under the leadership of Executive Chairman Sir Martin Sorrell, has implemented DEI initiatives that, through the lens of the EEOC, federal law, and New York State Human Rights Law, carry substantial risk of harassing and discriminating against White employees. Specifically, their "Diverse Slate Approach," mandating a 50% diverse candidate pool for interviews overseen by individuals like former Global Chief People Officer James Nicholas Kinney, a Black man, functions as a de facto racial quota that could lead to less qualified White individuals being overlooked in hiring, thus constituting reverse discrimination under Title VII and NYSHRL (Kinney’s website currently indicates a shift from DEI to AI, stating he is “Leading the AI Revolution in the Workplace”). Regarding DE&I at Monks, Kinney has stated, “We are building a new era, and to us, that means equity in every form”* and that at Monks, “We measure by metrics but more so by impact. DE&I is not a people function exclusively for us; DE&I performance is required from our board members to our new hires.” Global VP of People Strategy Erald Minga, while “spearheading global people strategies across 33 countries, overseeing HR operations for a workforce of 8,000+ employees”, implemented “DEI initiatives in partnership with the Globa DEI lead that achieved a 15% increase in diverse leadership representation.” Regina Romeijn excitedly serves as Global Head of ESG, a role that oversees the company's Environmental, Social, and Governance strategy, which includes DEI under the 'Social' pillar. Specific DE&I initiatives include focusing the inaugural S4 Fellowship Program on graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and partnering with organizations like Hack the Hood for internships. In 2023, Monks stated a priority to make U.S. internships less Asian and White. Monks also launched “Diversity in Action (DIA), our first-ever global formal framework for DE&I” as well as an “Obsidian Black Leadership Series” aimed at elevating Black “voices”. Monks has formed “Monk Action Committees” that are “ESG and DE&I-focused.” Monks has stated, “Since 2020, we’ve made a concerted effort to increase Black representation across our organisation.” Furthermore, the mandatory and ongoing unconscious bias training with a focus on DE&I principles, unconscious bias, microaggressions, allyship and anti-racism, risks creating a hostile work environment if its content implicitly or explicitly portrays Whiteness as inherently privileged or complicit in inequality, thereby constituting racial harassment. Monks has stated that these trainings have reached “2,858 of our people globally”. The establishment of Employee Resource Groups for specific racial and identity groups without a parallel group for White employees suggests unequal resource allocation based on race, potentially fostering exclusion. Monks’ practice of segregating employees into two adversarial racial categories, BIPOC vs White, can be seen as problematic under the NYSHRL and may raise concerns under federal law and with the EEOC, as it creates distinctions based on race that could foster division, disparate treatment, and a hostile work environment, potentially violating prohibitions against discriminatory employment practices. These policies, implemented by HR leaders like Minga and potentially influenced by Linda Cronin (EVP, Head of Media) and Co-CEOs Wesley ter Haar, Bruno Lambertini and board members, prioritize identity-based metrics over merit, creating legal vulnerabilities and undermining equal opportunity. Monks’ reliance on DEI consulting firm Forshay and partnerships with tech giants like Google and Salesforce, which reinforce DEI priorities, further embeds these risks, warranting social critique and accountability for practices that may discriminate 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.
Institutional investors like Bencis Capital Partners, Stanhope Capital Group, Inc., S4 Capital Plc 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 Monk's public commitments and strategic focus on ESG and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). 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 may or may not have internal documents from Monks’ DEI program, which we may post. Follow us on social and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.
TECH PARTNERSHIPS INCLUDE: Google, Amazon Web Services, Salesforce, Adobe, Hightouch, Tagboard, DatoCMS, Wurl, Workato, Forshay (DEI consulting) 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.