DALLAS, Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:J) has launched a global Action Plan for Advancing Justice and Equality, which builds on Jacobs' existing global inclusion and diversity strategy, TogetherBeyondsm, and sets actionable initiatives and measurable objectives in the company's continuing efforts to address embedded and systemic racial inequities.

"This action plan is about achieving true equality for all of our employees current and future – with a focus on ensuring Black employees have the tools needed to advance and achieve their ultimate goals at Jacobs," said Jacobs Chair and CEO Steve Demetriou. "Using the power of Jacobs' strong underlying culture of inclusion and diversity to drive innovation in solutions means higher value for our employees, our customers and communities, and inevitably, higher returns for our shareholders."

Employees initiated the development of the action plan with a team who collaborated alongside Jacobs' Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team to outline three key sets of commitments and specific, measurable actions with performance outcomes:    

No. 1 – Amplify culture of belonging

  • Expand beyond our Conscious Inclusion program, training the full 55,000-person global workforce in Bystander Intervention by the end of FY21
  • Engage 3,000 Jacobs leaders over the next 12 months to increase their focus on justice and equality through meaningful discussion and dialogue with leading speakers and scholars on anti-racism, justice and equality
  • Require I&D as a priority in senior leaders' annual performance plan tied to compensation for accountability
  • Add Martin Luther King, Jr., Day as a U.S. holiday; actively encourage employees to engage in volunteer opportunities around racial equality and justice; and drive adoption of MLK Jr. Day in the industry
  • Appoint TogetherBeyond leader to drive global I&D strategy and programs

No. 2 – Recruit, retain and advance Black employees based on merit

  • Increase representation of Black employees at all levels over the next three years to proportionally reflect the overall external population, and provide continuous professional development and advancement
  • Partner with external organizations to provide leadership development programs to accelerate advancement for Black employees to mid- and senior-level leadership
  • Require senior leaders to sponsor and mentor two diverse employees (one of whom must be Black), ensuring global reach of mentoring opportunities and accountability for success
  • Further strengthen diversity of the Board of Directors, including Black representation

No. 3 – Contribute to structural change in the broader society

  • Donate $10M over the next five years in support of Black educational and professional development and scholarship opportunities
  • Promote programs and volunteer opportunities for organizations committed to justice and equality through Jacobs' Collectivelysm giving and volunteering program. An example includes applying our expertise in water in at-risk urban and rural communities
  • Materially increase women- and minority-owned supplier and vendor spending over the next five years; expand Jacobs' Mentor-Protégé program with local subcontractors, suppliers, and professional services firms to encourage more women and minority firm engagement and growth

To drive this action plan as well as the global I&D strategy, Jacobs has appointed Jeff Dingle as Vice President and Global Director of TogetherBeyond.

"Advancing justice and equality requires strong leadership and a relentless drive to deliver on the vision," Demetriou said. "Jeff is the right person to lead this important work and grow a culture where employees want to join, stay and thrive.

"Ultimately, contributing to structural change at Jacobs and the broader society is about doing our part as a global leader, leveraging our scale within the industry to set the tone and influence peers. We must create a culture in which every person can access a future of opportunities. The time is now for us to get this right – once and for all."

About Jeff Dingle
Jeff has more than 30 years' experience across several markets as well as a strong global network, including leadership roles in many industry organizations in the U.S. He currently serves as Vice President and Global Strategic Sales Director within Jacobs' People & Places Solutions line of business and brings a broad perspective to the TogetherBeyond role, having served in California state government, as well as a principal within three small minority-owned firms before joining Jacobs in 2008. Jeff is a registered professional engineer with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering.

About TogetherBeyondsm
TogetherBeyond is Jacobs' approach to living inclusion every day and enabling diversity and equality globally. This means creating a culture of belonging where all thrive by embracing all perspectives. The TogetherBeyond Global Strategy is built on four strategic pillars: Culture Building & Engagement, Leadership Commitment & Accountability, Developing Talent and Growing the Business.

About Jacobs
At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of more than 55,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the related reaction of governments on global and regional market conditions and the company's business. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2019, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 26, 2020, and in particular the discussions contained under Part I, Item 2 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations; Part II, Item 1 - Legal Proceedings; and Part II, Item 1A - Risk Factors, as well as the company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law.

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SOURCE Jacobs