1940
Pitney Bowes Chairman Walter H. Wheeler Jr., resigns from a private club in protest of the city's anti-Semitic membership policy. He vows that the company's employee roster would be representative of the ethnic and racial population of Stamford, Connecticut.
1942
Chairman Wheeler boycotts a hotel when it refused to register one African American Pitney Bowes salesman during the company's annual recognition event. To demonstrate his displeasure, Chairman immediately left the conference with 20 sales people in tow.
1944
Chairman Walter Wheeler re-issued a memo to the head of personnel to ensure the company had hired blacks and people of Polish and Italian descent at the manufacturing plant in the same proportion to the local population. He stated, "I do not expect that we can bring about pro-rata employment overnight, or that it is logical to work on any exact formula. However, there must be objectives in any undertaking of this kind, and the apportionment of the population is about as good as index as I think can be found."
1947
The Race Relations Institute is established at Fisk University. Among the first to pledge support of the program is Pitney Bowes Chairman Walter H. Wheeler Jr. The company participated in successive years in the late 1940s and was again among the firs corporations to support the re-established Race Relations Institute at Fisk University in 1977 through the early 2000’s.
1987 Chairman George Harvey creates the Women's Resource Group and the Minorities Resource Group.
1993
Pitney Bowes' Diversity Task Force creates a vision statement and a Diversity Strategic Planning process. The process required each business unit to develop measurable goals to create and sustain a diverse environmental (communications, training, and development, supplier diversity, recruitment and retention, etc.). The units were evaluated on progress against plan and the diversity ratings were a factor in the compensation of senior executives.
1994
Pitney Bowes receives the Catalyst Award, honoring businesses for innovative efforts in advancing women, because of our Diversity Strategic Plan.
1997
Under direction of its new Chairman and CEO, Michael J. Critelli, Pitney Bowes implements a Diversity Communication strategy designed to develop partnership and promote the company's tradition of diversity within diverse communities. The ELC redefines diversity, establishes new performance standards for Business Unit's Diversity Strategic Plans and links senior manager's compensation and performance to diversity results."
1997
Mr. Critelli is appointed to the Board of Trustees of the National Urban League.
1998
A comprehensive managerial accountability program begins in which each manager receives a 360-degree evaluation of performance. Diversity efforts are a major part of the ratings. the Board of Trustees of the National Urban League.
1999
PB presents first NUL Young Professionals Forum: A Dialogue with Young Professionals at NUL National Conference in Houston.
1999
The company develops a brochure on "African Americans and Messaging" and a related exhibit for which the Smithsonian Museum provided us with photos and artifacts of the country's first African American postmaster.
2000
Pitney Bowes celebrates “Diversity Around the World” with global diversity day observance in its 134 offices around the world.
2000
At Pitney Bowes, total purchases with women-and-minority owned businesses exceeds $57 million.
2002
Pitney Bowes Chairman and CEO Michael J. Critelli is named Chairman of the Board of the National Urban League.
2004
DiversityInc.com ranks Pitney Bowes Number 1 in its “Top 50 Companies for Diversity.” Pitney Bowes Chairman and CEO Michal J. Critelli serves his second term as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the National Urban League.
2005
Pitney Bowes is recognized as a Corporate Diversity leader by four prominent institutions: DiversityInc., NSHMBA, Black Enterprise and ELC.
2006
Michael J. Critelli is named for a record third term as Chairman of NUL
2006
Pitney Bowes receives the EOD Award from NUL
2007
Murray D. Martin is named Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Pitney Bowes
2007
International Diversity and Inclusion Council
2010
2010 marked the 100th Anniversary of the National Urban League.
2010
Pitney Bowes is recognized among Best Companies to Work For by "Great Place to Work Institute India".
2010
Pitney Bowes sponsored the National Urban League’s plenary on education that opened with an inspiring speech from President Barack Obama, who was introduced by Murray D. Martin, Chairman, President and CEO.
2011
Pitney Bowes holds its first Supplier Diversity Summit at Stamford Headquarters.
2011
Pitney Bowes is the presenting sponsor of the first Global Diversity Leadership Exchange at the New York Stock Exchange on Feb. 6. Murray D. Martin heads a panel of C-Suite executives from Toyota, Sodexo, and AT&T.
2012
Pitney Bowes co-founds Catalyst India, launched in Bangalore, India.
2012
Pitney Bowes was recognized by the Department of Health and Human Services in conjunction with the White House Business Council and the National Business Group on Health, for the Company's collaboration with UnitedHealthcare to reduce health care disparities in the workplace and support a diverse workforce.
