At Witt/Kieffer, diversity and inclusion is integral to our culture and mission. The firm’s commitment to diversity began decades ago with our efforts to support diversity in the ranks of our client partner’s senior management teams. We believe that a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to the success of both our firm and our client partners.
For Our Employees
Our Diversity Council actively encourages the continuation of an open and collaborative culture at Witt/Kieffer. The Council provides meaningful thought leadership and education to Witt/Kieffer employees with the goal of building awareness and support of individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints.
We believe that diversity and inclusion not only expresses the mission and values of an organization, but is good business! A culture of inclusion allows employees to reach their full potential in an environment that welcomes a free exchange of thoughts, ideas, and viewpoints in how we approach our business and how we provides services to our clients. Our goal is to model excellence in diversity and inclusion for our client partner organizations.
The majority of our workforce is women, and of our 30 partners, 14 are women. Many serve in leadership and governance roles, including the vice chair of the board, chief financial officer, chief knowledge officer, chief human resources officer, the head of the U.S. operational committee, and the head of the international operating committee.
For Our Clients
Witt/Kieffer has a long track record of helping clients build outstanding pools of highly qualified candidates with diverse backgrounds. The Chronicle of Higher Education, New York Times and Executive Search Review have cited our firm for its diversity efforts.
We encourage solution-oriented discussions with our clients about diversity and inclusion and support a broad view of diversity. We assist our clients in building diverse pools of accomplished candidates through a network of relationships built on trust earned over many years. In 2016, 20 percent of the firm's total placements were minorities; 49 percent were minority or female; and 42 percent were female.
Below is a list of diversity organizations and affinity groups Witt/Kieffer is proud to partner with.
Healthcare
Institute for Diversity
- Witt/Kieffer partners with IFD to host a summer intern who is studying Health Administration
National Association of Health Services Executives (NAHSE)
- Witt/Kieffer was named an Outstanding Organization of the Year in 2010 by NAHSE
National Forum for Latino Healthcare Executives (NFLHE)
- Senior Partner Donna Padilla serves on the Board of Directors for NFLHE
Education
National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE)
- Witt/Kieffer was a founding member of NADOHE
LGBTQ Presidents in Higher Education
AASCU Millennium Leadership Initiative
HERS Leadership Institute
ACE Women’s Network
Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
International
BritishAmerican Business
Association of American International Colleges and Universities
Thought Leadership
Resources for Military Veterans Seeking Healthcare Leadership Roles
Answering the Call: Veterans as Civilian Healthcare Leaders
Closing the Gap in Healthcare Leadership Diversity: A Witt/Kieffer Study
For Our Candidates
Witt/Kieffer has made it an integral part of our mission to support and advance leadership and career development for individuals with diverse backgrounds. From guiding our candidates through the search process to sharing our experiences about how careers in the industries we serve evolve and grow, our candidates have come to expect fairness and respect from our firm.