black ceo fortune 500 4x3Tapestry; Jim Spellman/WireImage/Getty; Mark Sagliocco/WireImage; Bennett Raglin/Getty; Shayanne Gal/Business Insider

The only four black CEOs of Fortune 500 companies have each addressed the recent death of George Floyd.
Nearly all say that to them, everything going on feels personal. 
Merck & Co. CEO Kenneth Frazier spoke with CNBC on June 1 and said that Floyd “could be me.”
Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison said he has a “personal understanding of the fear and frustration” many people are feeling during this time. 
Meanwhile, TIAA CEO Roger Ferguson Jr. said he was “outraged” by the recent events, and Tapestry CEO Jide Zeitlin spoke about how irreplaceable human life is. 
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There are only four black professionals among the leaders of America’s largest 500 companies. Now, they’re speaking out about systemic racism and inequality following the killing of George Floyd.

Merck & Co. CEO Kenneth Frazier, Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison, and Tapestry CEO Jide Zeitlin spoke about how “personal” the recent events have felt to them as black men, while TIAA CEO Roger Ferguson Jr. said he was “outraged” by the recent events of police brutality against black Americans. 

Here’s exactly how each responded to Floyd’s death and the growing civil unrest in America.

Roger Ferguson Jr., CEO of TIAA (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America)
Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

In a statement given to CNN, Roger Ferguson said he was “outraged by the recent incidents of racism, violence, and police brutality against members of the African American community.”

“The haunting video of Mr. Floyd’s last breaths is a sobering reflection of this national crisis,” he continued. “No group should ever be targeted for racism, harassment, or other forms of discrimination.

“Particularly with the pandemic issues we are confronting in 2020, this is a time when we must embrace our differences and become more inclusive,” he told CNN.

Ferguson joined TIAA in 2008, Business Insider previously reported

On May 29, Ferguson and TIAA’s Executive Committee also sent a letter to employees that said the deaths of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor “bring to the light the fear, inequality, and concerns of racism that still pose a threat to our humanity.” 

Source: CNN

Kenneth Frazier, CEO of pharmaceutical company Merck & Co.
Stephanie Keith / Stringer / Getty Images

Kenneth Frazier is the CEO of the $190 billion pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Business Insider previously reported. 

On June 1, Frazier spoke to CNBC about the death of George Floyd and said Floyd “could be me.”

“What the African American community sees in that videotape is that this African American man, who could be me or any other African American man, is being treated as less than human,” he said.

“Even though we don’t have laws that separate people on the basis of race anymore, we still have customs, we still have beliefs, we still have policies and practices that lead to inequities,” he added. 

Frazier joined Merck & Co. in 1992. He held various positions, including general counsel and president, before being appointed CEO in 2011.

“I know for sure that what put my life on a different trajectory was that someone intervened to give me an opportunity, to close that opportunity gap,” he said. “And that opportunity gap is still there.”

Source: Business Insider

Marvin Ellison, CEO of retail home improvement chain Lowe’s
Courtesy of Lowe’s

On May 30, Marvin Ellison wrote an open letter to his team, in which he recalled growing up in the segregated South. In the letter, he said he has “personal understanding of the fear and frustration” many people are feeling during this time. 

Ellison was appointed CEO of Lowe’s in 2018 and was previously the CEO of  J. C. Penney, Business Insider previously reported.

Ellison also encouraged people to join together to combat and solve racism, and vowed that Lowe’s would provide its team leaders with resources to support employees and their communities.

“To overcome the challenges that we all face, we must use our voices and demand that ignorance and racism must come to an end,” he said. “This is a time to come together, to support one another and, through partnership, begin to heal.”

Ellison shared the letter on Twitter. Read it in full here:

Tweet Embed: //twitter.com/mims/statuses/1266899923259265025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw My wife & I feel tremendous sadness as our hearts & prayers are with the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor & all communities ripped apart by violence. As the father of a young black male, I can only imagine their pain & emptiness. Sharing my company message: pic.twitter.com/JTQaLUAC9W

 

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

The 15 highest-paid celebrities in the world, rankedThe most powerful passports in the world in 2020, rankedHow billionaires are responding to the George Floyd protests

SEE ALSO: Kamala Harris’ niece wants to inspire the next generation of social activists

DON’T MISS: There are zero black women leading Fortune 500 companies right now. Here’s how company culture can be sculpted to change that.


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California is no stranger to wildfires. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, wildfires in California destroyed 703 commercial/mixed residential structures disrupting businesses and perhaps halting operations altogether.

Have you taken any measures to safeguard your California business? A wildfire can damage your business structures in three ways:

Burning Embers: Wind-blown embers typically cause most building ignitions. A wildfire creates embers when it burns combustible items such as landscaping vegetation and structural fuels.
Radiant Heat: Fire creates radiant heat that can ignite combustible materials when a fire is hot enough and has enough time to cause the ignition. Additionally, exposure to lower levels of radiant heat can preheat materials and make it easier for them to catch fire from a direct flame.
Direct Flame Contact: Direct flame contact refers to actual flames from the wildfire coming into contact with buildings or combustible items attached to or near the business.

So, what should you do during a wildfire, and how can you protect your business’s assets if they are damaged or destroyed? Mercury Insurance wants to help you safeguard your livelihood.

How to Prevent Wildfires

The best way to stop a wildfire is to prevent it from occurring. Help keep your business wildfire-proof by:

Clearing natural debris such as dead vegetation from roofs, gutters and decks.
Closing off all vents in attics and crawl spaces or shielding them with mesh screens to keep burning embers from blowing into your commercial structure.
Never parking commercial vehicles on dry vegetation and cleaning up any spilled gas or motor oil.
Removing any combustible materials from underneath decks and porches.

What to Do During a Wildfire

Business owners have a responsibility to ensure their property is ready for wildfire season. The West Coast, especially California, should expect an above average wildfire frequency in 2019, according to NIFC. In the event a wildfire does approach your business, protect it and your employees by:

Listening carefully to news alerts and public service announcements for air quality reports and wildfire updates on television, radio or smartphones.
Following your company wildfire response plan and holding practice drills to make sure your staff knows evacuation routes and safe places to go.
Propping a ladder on the side of the building to give firefighters access to the roof.
Turning on water hoses and filling containers with water.
Removing any combustible materials from the area surrounding the property.
Turning a light on in each room of the office for visibility in the event of smoke.
Closing all doors and windows, but not locking them.
Moving upholstered office furniture away from windows and sliding glass doors.
Turning off the air conditioning system.

Commercial Property Insurance/Wildfire Insurance

Every business owner faces a different set of challenges and risks when it comes to wildfires. That’s why Mercury Insurance provides coverage options that can help almost any company. A commercial property insurance policy or business owners policy (BOP) can protect your assets and provide liability coverage if one of your employees gets injured on the job.

Having an insurance company that provides effective customer support and speedy claim resolution after a wildfire can help you get back to business sooner. Whether it’s our client-focused service or established industry reputation, we pride ourselves on being a top insurance product provider.

Mercury is an A-rated company by A.M. Best.
We provide 24/7 claims service.
We have more than $4 billion in assets.

Get in touch with your local Mercury Insurance agent today to talk about how you can protect your business from wildfires.

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Original Source: blog.mercuryinsurance.com