A Kodak Moment
Former chairman Daniel A. Carp makes the case for collegiate and corporate diversity
Few companies have retained the lead in their respective markets like Kodak. With a brand name that’s recognized around the world, this 117-year-old multinational corporation has remained competitive not only by making photography accessible and easy to use, but also by recognizing the value of diversity in the workplace.
“There’s no way that all White males can design and market products to diverse customers only through the White male view of how to design a camera,” said then outgoing Kodak chairman Daniel A. Carp at the recent Diversity Best Practices conference in Washington, D.C., in October.
In an interview with Frank L. Matthews, Carp, who received the Diversity Best Practices CEO Leadership Award in 2003, speaks candidly about the corporate sector’s well-documented diversity concerns. Many CEOs are worried that higher education is doing a poor job producing students who are well versed with and comfortable in the diverse settings that characterize today’s business environment.
DI: What is it that the higher education community needs to be doing in terms of diversity?
