RICHMOND, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Altria Group, Inc. (Altria)(NYSE:MO) today announces that CEO Billy Gifford has joined The Valuable 500, a global CEO community revolutionizing disability inclusion through business leadership and opportunity.
By joining The Valuable 500, Altria commits to:
- Ensure that disability inclusion is on our senior leadership agenda;
- Make at least one firm commitment to action; and,
- Share our commitment with the business and the world.
“To achieve our 10-year Vision to responsibly lead the transition of adult smokers to a non-combustible future we need a diverse and inclusive workforce and we need people to feel comfortable bringing their whole selves to work,” said Billy Gifford, Altria’s Chief Executive Officer. “We are proud to support The Valuable 500 in helping to create awareness of the critical role people with disabilities play within the business community.”
As part of its commitment to Inclusion and Diversity, in 2020 Altria established RISE, a network for employees and families with disabilities. RISE’s mission is to create an environment for Altria’s employees and families with diverse abilities to feel fully included, supported and equipped to maximize their skills, develop their careers, and advance the organization. RISE focuses on fostering an inclusive workplace through education and training and by providing resources for employees and families with disabilities so they can bring their whole selves to work.
Altria has established a goal to have at least seven percent of vice presidents or directors identify as a person with a disability.
“It is fantastic to see Altria join The Valuable 500 network and great to see the initiatives they currently have in place such as RISE. As we look to 2021, I am excited to activate the network of 500 business leaders as we look to build a more inclusive world,” said Caroline Casey, Founder, The Valuable 500.
Altria’s Profile
Altria’s wholly-owned subsidiaries include Philip Morris USA Inc. (PM USA), U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company LLC (USSTC), John Middleton Co. (Middleton), Ste. Michelle Wine Estates Ltd. (Ste. Michelle) and Philip Morris Capital Corporation (PMCC). Altria owns an 80% interest in Helix Innovations LLC (Helix). Altria holds equity investments in Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (ABI), JUUL Labs, Inc. (JUUL) and Cronos Group Inc. (Cronos).
The brand portfolios of Altria’s tobacco operating companies include Marlboro®, Black & Mild®, Copenhagen®, Skoal® and on!®. Ste. Michelle produces and markets premium wines sold under various labels, including Chateau Ste. Michelle®, 14 Hands® and Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars™, and it imports and markets Antinori® and Champagne Nicolas Feuillatte™ products in the United States. Trademarks and service marks related to Altria referenced in this release are the property of Altria or its subsidiaries or are used with permission.
More information about Altria is available at altria.com, or follow Altria on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
The Valuable 500
Launched by social entrepreneur and activist Caroline Casey at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in January 2019, aims to put disability on the global business leadership agenda.
The Valuable 500 was created by Binc, the organization founded by Caroline Casey in 2015, with a mission to ignite a historic global movement for a new age of business inclusion—capitalizing on Casey’s 18-year track record of success engaging over 450 organizations. The campaign has won three awards: a Cannes Lion, D&AD, and a BIMA.
Our goal is to persuade 500 multinational companies that have at least 1,000 employees to make a public commitment to advance disability inclusion in their organization. By engaging the most influential business leaders and brands, we want to create a tipping point within business that unlocks the business, social, and economic value of the 1.3 billion people living with disabilities around the world, and the millions of us who will become disabled over time.
We believe that if business takes a lead, society and government will follow, and truly inclusive businesses can build truly inclusive societies.
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