Photo on left: WISTA USA presented Crowley with the Corporate Diversity Award at the August Florida Chapter meeting in Jacksonville. (L-R): Christina Liviakis, President, WISTA USA; Parker Harrison, Chief Legal and Risk Officer, Crowley; Shandee Bowman, VP, Culture & Inclusion, Crowley; Sarah Brennan, Board Member, WISTA USA. On right: Crowley employees gathered together to support and celebrate diversity and inclusion during Women’s History Month.
Crowley, recently honored with the WISTA USA Corporate Diversity Award, focuses on being deeply committed to its employees and advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace. As a U.S.-owned and -operated maritime, energy and logistics solutions company, it steadfastly supports more than 7,000 employees and, in 2022, took a significant step by formalizing its DE&I strategic plan, including a representation strategy and goals for women, LGBTQ+ and Black and African American employees.
“At Crowley, we value the unique perspectives, talents, and ideas of our employees and believe they are what set our organization apart. We know that promoting an inclusive environment helps our people and our business succeed,” said Parker Harrison, Crowley’s chief legal and risk officer.
As part of its DE&I strategy, Crowley has taken steps to assess, measure and enhance diversity within its organization to be a leader in its industries. In 2022, the company conducted a cultural assessment, resulting in a new leadership model to embrace and encourage collaboration and employee development. At the same time, the company reevaluated its compensation program to better align with values and strategic business goals and performance, specifically taking into account DE&I, sustainability and safety performance.
To involve its diverse employees in leadership and decision-making, Crowley created an Inclusion, Diversity and Equity in Action (IDEA) Council, led by employees, to spearhead initiatives that foster an inclusive and supportive environment for team members. Additionally, the company integrated these groups into strategic planning. For example, in 2023, the Women Empowered BRG celebrated Women’s History Month under the “Embrace Equity” theme, where both women and allies came together to openly discuss Crowley’s goals to increase women’s representation in the organization and ways to support their leadership. Beyond employees, Crowley has continued to advocate for diversity within the industry, making an effort to partner with maritime academies to enhance the diversity of talent pools for the maritime workforce.
Employee work has produced measurable results. Through appointments to key positions, Crowley has achieved 37% female representation in C-Suite leadership. Revamping its cadet shipping program has significantly increased the number of female cadet recipients of the Thomas B. Crowley Sr. Memorial Scholarship Program.
“We will continue our efforts to foster a workplace that our employees are proud of and feel empowered to drive change within the organization and our industry,” said Harrison,
This includes integrating DE&I’s commitment with the company’s philanthropic and volunteer work in its corporate citizenship program and increasing procurement with diverse suppliers and small businesses.
Written by Torey Vogel, Sr. Specialist, Corporate Communications, Crowley. Crowley is a Corporate Sponsor of WISTA USA.
