Ellen Lambert
Chief Diversity Officer, PSEG
Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)
Headquarters: Newark, New Jersey
Business: Energy
CEO: Ralph Izzo
Employees: 12,700
Website: www.pseg.com
ENERGY LEADER UTILIZING D&I VALUES AS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE
As a leader in the energy industry, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG) understands the competitive advantage of making diversity an integral part of its day-to-day business.
“Diversity and inclusion is a business imperative here at PSEG,” said Chief Diversity Officer Ellen Lambert. “We strive to reflect and leverage the diversity around us, to not only secure a strong pipeline of talented employees, but also to establish community partnerships where we can demonstrate our commitment to do good in the communities where we live and work,” she added.
Under Lambert’s leadership, the company’s D&I goals are culturally focused around attitudes, beliefs, behaviors and processes. “Diversity and inclusion are not just words on paper, but values and principles that employees can feel and experience,” Lambert said.
TRUST – KNOWLEDGE – RESPECT – AUTHENTICITY
She identifies four key values the company is building upon as trust, respect, knowledge and authenticity. “We believe that these are values that define who we are as a company and serve as a fundamental cornerstone of the PSEG culture,” she explained.
Elaborating on the values, Lambert says PSEG’s executives and employees are committed to advancing D&I initiatives and goals by continually building upon them. “We trust each other’s opinions and decisions and proactively address diversity and inclusion opportunities and challenges,” she said.
She further emphasized the company approaches each day with the “determination to demonstrate dignity and respect for ourselves, coworkers, stakeholders and the communities we serve.” Regarding knowledge, she said, “We become effective allies for others by learning about cultures, traditions, and life experiences different from our own.” And lastly, she identified authenticity as playing a significant role in fulfilling the corporate D&I commitment. “We communicate in a clear, open and honest manner. We have the courage and conviction to speak up and we don’t look the other way when something is wrong,” Lambert said.
EBRG’S AND DIVERSITY PARTNERSHIPS
PSEG has a corporate Diversity and Inclusion Council as well as sub diversity and inclusion councils and teams throughout the organization. “They help ensure that the work done on a corporate level reaches employees at our subsidiaries, such as PSEG Long Island and PSEG Nuclear” Lambert said.
The company has more than a dozen employee business resource groups, including PSEG Vets, Adelante, American Association of Blacks in Energy, Enabling Abilities, GaLA – Gay & Lesbian Alliances at PSEG, NA-YGN (North American Young Generation in Nuclear), Women’s Network, Women in Nuclear, and TYPP (The Young Professionals of PSEG).
The company also recently introduced its Allies for Inclusion training as a means of further cultivating an inclusive work environment. The two-hour employee training presents real-life scenarios that help employees talk through and better understand how to respond to workplace dynamics.
“We’ve made significant progress through efforts that have promoted a diverse and inclusive culture,” Lambert said. An example she shared is a partnership with the 100 People Foundation that profiled the PSEG 100. It’s an initiative that identified and recognized 100 diverse employees, whose individual stories collectively help portray the role the company plays in providing safe and reliable service to New Jersey.
PARTNERING WITH DIVERSE SUPPLIERS
In its quest to be a world class energy organization for diversity, PSEG maintains a strong focus on diverse suppliers and hosts an annual Supplier Diversity Procurement Fair, connecting New Jersey’s diverse business community with state regulated utilities for potential buying opportunities.
PSEG has an expansive presence through diversity partnerships, allowing for access to a broad array of diverse professionals, and ensuring an ongoing pipeline of talent. Its partnerships include the National Black MBA Association, National Association of Women MBAs, National Society of Hispanic MBAs, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, and the National Society of Black Engineers.
HIGHLIGHTS OF PSEG’S RECENT D&I RECOGNITION INCLUDE:
- Profiles in Diversity Journal – Diversity Leader Award
- Electric Light & Power – Utility of the Year
- G.I. Jobs and Military Spouse – Top 100 Military-Friendly Employers
- Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve -The Seven Seals Award
- FORBES – America’s Best Employers
- DiveristyBusiness.com – America’s Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business
- Pac Ellevate Global Women’s Index Fund
