Meet the Canadian Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CanDEI) Committee

McCormick is committed to providing our employees with the tools and resources they need to feel validated, supported and welcomed at work. In our Canadian office, a group of ambassadors called the Canadian Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (CanDEI) Committee has made it their goal to connect, engage, and inspire McCormick Canada employees by celebrating all ethnicities, genders and sexual orientations.

CanDEI members say that the group has done an amazing job educating the broader Canadian organization on the many areas of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. "They’ve raised the level of awareness in our company to help ensure we are all doing our part to create a more inclusive workforce," said Deborah Sharpe, Group Marketing Director.

In the past year, CanDEI's areas of focus have been guided by current events, such as Black Lives Matter, systemic racism and news around Indigenous Canadians. The committee is also emphasizing women's empowerment and women in leadership roles as well as promoting networking and mentorship opportunities both internally and externally. For example, take a look at some of CanDEI's recent events below:

• International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Canadian swimmer Aurélie Rivard, a Paralympic gold medalist, spoke to employees about her journey as an athlete with a disability. CanDEI also shared fact sheets on disability awareness.
• Black Lives Matter. Through educational videos, recommended podcasts and books, and more, CanDEI sent employees communications about creating awareness around biases, prejudices, and stereotypes. CanDEI also partnered with the African American Ambassador Network (AAAN) from the US to launch a virtual book club with "I've Been Meaning to Tell You," a story about David Chariandy (a Toronto author) writing to his daughter and sharing his own experiences of growing up as a “visible minority."
• Asian Heritage Month. The CanDEI team provided informational material to employees to educate them on the many achievements and contributions of Asian descent. CanDEI also encouraged employees to take a stand against anti-Asian racism through The Asian Gold Ribbon campaign, a platform developed for social change and to celebrate Asian culture.
• World Mental Health Day. In conjunction with McCormick's annual Charity Day, CanDEI partnered with local charities that are focused on mental health to help raise funds. And through Nourish, McCormick's global health and wellbeing program, CanDEI shared informational resources on how to care for your mental health.
• National Indigenous Peoples' Day. As part of a speaker series, CanDEI invited Wabusk Skweow Kahetapit Neegn nipeek Ohscheh (Polar Bear Woman Who is Looking Ahead from the Water) also known by her English name, Tracey Whiteye, to speak to employees about celebrating and recognizing Indigenous cultures.

Outside of hosting events, CanDEI also partners with and supports other business functions within the company. For example, CanDEI works with HR functions to review Canada workforce demographics to ensure programs meet the needs of our employees and are working to create awareness on crises both locally and globally with how they can support and the resources that the HR team has made available. CanDEI also supports the growth of McCormick business and products by supporting diverse marketing and sales efforts, offering promotions to customers supporting diverse celebrations and building engagement within the community.

CanDEI plays an important role in accelerating McCormick's journey as a top-tier company in Canada. And Erin Rooney, VP, CPD Sales, says CanDEI is one of the many reasons she enjoys working for McCormick. "CanDEI does a tremendous job educating us on the many aspects of DE&I and how they come to life in our country and communities," she said. "Not only do they bring in very powerful speakers to bring issues to life, but they provide additional resources for us to pursue if we want to learn more. CanDEI makes me proud to work for McCormick."

Follow the Flavor Forward Blog and McCormick & Company on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for company news and updates.