Jeff Fettig
Chairman & CEO, Whirlpool Corporation
Headquarters: Benton Harbor, Michigan
Education: Bachelor’s degree in finance and an MBA from Indiana University
First Job: Operations Associate at Whirlpool Corporation, 1981
My Philosophy: Luck is the intersection of hard work and opportunity.
Best Advice: Treat people right and do what you say. There is no right way to do a wrong thing.
Leading for the greater good
Whirlpool Corporation has always made integrity, teamwork, respect, diversity with inclusion, and a spirit of winning the core enablers of our current and future success. I’m proud that our workplace policies and culture honor differences and provide an environment where the strengths of diverse thoughts, reflective of a diverse society, bring value to our business.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is not just the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do. A workplace focused on inclusion helps employees develop better solutions for customers and better results for our shareholders.
We have seven employee resource groups focused on projects that support our community, employees, and business. They include the Whirlpool Women’s Network, the Whirlpool Veterans Association, the Whirlpool African American Network, The Pride Network, the Whirlpool Asian Community, the Whirlpool Hispanic Network, and the Young Professionals Network.
Every year, it’s an honor for me to get together with each network to review their progress and celebrate the important contributions they’re making to our workplace and community. Just as gratifying has been the chance to participate with these groups as they take on important social initiatives. For that reason, I was honored to accept the 2013 PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) Straight for Equality in the Workplace Award on behalf of Whirlpool Corporation. The award acknowledges an organization with a demonstrated commitment to achieving equality for LGBT people in the workplace by educating and engaging straight allies to create policy and culture change.
As leaders, our job is to share our voice in support of diversity wherever we can. That extends to men and women who have served our country. Whirlpool Corporation’s Veterans Association helps America’s veterans transition from combat to the business world. Additionally, working with Homes for our Troops, they have secured appliances for newly built homes for severely handicapped veterans returning from the Gulf.
Our commitment to diversity is evident in our people. We develop and advance the careers of women and minorities by providing the experiences and leadership development opportunities they need to be successful. These opportunities accelerate the development of top talent to ensure that the next level of leadership accurately reflects the diversity of our consumers.
Our efforts, through policy changes and corporate culture, are a small part of a bigger movement that offers a workplace environment our employees can be proud of and helps businesses be more effective, as well.
Our industry is in an era of rapid expansion, with innovation happening on a global scale. So we need the best minds focused on creating a connected world for our customers. When diversity is welcomed, it’s a game-changing advantage.
