The PRSA Foundation named Mike Fernandez, IPR Trustee and Corporate Vice President, Corporate Affairs at Cargill, Inc. as its 2016 Paladin Honoree. At the reception on April 21, Fernandez said it is no longer acceptable to have a profession with a leadership that is just 6.5% diverse, when the general US population is 35% diverse. It is time to implement variations of The Rooney Rule, favored by the NFL, to boost the number of diverse candidates up for top jobs in PR – something he insists on at Cargill.
“If we do not move more quickly to provide a hand up to our diverse candidates, our very remit as communicators might be compromised due to our inability to relate to the very publics we are serving,” said Fernandez.
Download his full speech here: PRSA Foundation 2016 Paladin Award Acceptance Speech
