Ameren Corp. ranks at top for diversity

Ameren Corp. has been ranked number one among U.S. utilities for diversity by a company with a mission to monitor diversity among businesses in the county.

It’s the second consecutive year DiversityInc has ranked Ameren first inthe United Stateson its 2016 listing of the nation's Top 7 Utilities. Since 2010, Ameren has been recognized among DiversityInc's top utilities for creating an inclusive workplace, supporting the diverse communities it serves and developing strong partnerships with diverse suppliers.

"This is a tremendous honor that speaks to Ameren's ongoing commitment to creating a workplace – and community – that is diverse and inclusive," said Sharon Harvey Davis, Ameren's vice president of diversity and inclusion and its chief diversity officer.

"Our focus on diversity and inclusion strengthens our company and benefits our customers and the communities we serve," saidWarner Baxter, Ameren's chairman, president and CEO. "These efforts are tremendously important because they enable Ameren to better understand the needs of our customers, find innovative solutions to business challenges and recruit and retain the best talent."

Companies with more than 1,000 U.S.-based employees are eligible to enter the DiversityInc Top 50 competition each year, and there is no cost to compete.

"It's clear that corporate America understands how diversity and inclusion strengthen everything, from recruiting and retention to overall business success," said Luke Visconti, DiversityInc's founder and CEO.

During the past year, many of Ameren's diversity and inclusion efforts extended outside of the company's walls. In October, Ameren announced a$2.5 millionmultifaceted initiative to support educational partnerships, economic development and energy assistance for underserved communities in St. Louis and North St. Louis County. In January, the company introduced "Discussions Across Differences," a series of videos and discussion guides that explore and encourage honest dialogue around the issues of diversity and inclusion. The materials – which Ameren uses for its own employees – are free to community organizations, businesses and other groups.

In 2015, Ameren awarded contracts to more than 300 businesses owned by minorities, women and veterans. As detailed in Ameren's recently released Corporate Social Responsibility report, available at AmerenCSR.com, the company finished 2015 with $306 million in total diversity spending, a 12.5 percent increase over 2014. Recently, Ameren also awarded two of its diverse suppliers with business scholarships to attend the Minority Business Executive Program at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.

Ameren's employee resource groups reflect the diverse population the company serves and employs, and they provide insight and support of all of Ameren's diversity and inclusion efforts.

"Diversity is about having a variety of viewpoints at the table; that's where you find the best ideas," said Harvey Davis. "Our employee resource groups have been invaluable in identifying community needs and shaping our company culture. It is a privilege to work with employees and a leadership team that demonstrate the courage and commitment to make diversity and inclusion a part of the way we do business at Ameren."

Ameren has consistently been ranked a top 100 military-friendly employer by G.I. Jobs Magazine and continues to support co-worker diversity and inclusion through six employee resource groups: Ameren Military-Veteran Employees; Ameren Network of Minority Employees; Powering Connections for All Abilities; Gay, Lesbian, Bi-Sexual, Transgender Employees and Allies Network; Multi-Generational Resource Group; and Women Influencing Success in Energy.

The mission of DiversityInc is to bring education and clarity to the business benefits of diversity. The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list began in 2001, at the same time that many corporations were beginning to understand the business value of diversity-management initiatives. The 2016 Top 50 Companies for Diversity results will be featured on DiversityInc.com and in DiversityInc magazine. For more information, visit www.diversityinc.com,https://www.facebook.com/DiversityInc,https://twitter.com/DiversityInc or http://www.linkedin.com/company/26561.