Companies doing business with the federal government are obligated to make efforts to do business with “diversity firms,” those owned primarily by minorities, women and veterans. Some companies have a commitment to this goal simply because they believe it is the right thing to do. To complicate matters, these firms may call on CFOs, diversity officers, or procurement executives, in addition to treasury, to make their case.
Treasury may be actively looking for “qualified” diversity players to support the company’s diversity goals. But in the area of financial services, the pickin’s can be slim when trying to find service providers that meet counterparty requirements and have a quality offering. However, members of The NeuGroup’s Assistant Treasurers’ Group of Thirty (AT30), which recently took the issue at recent meeting, agreed on one key point, that any awards of business are not to be handouts, but must be earned and warranted.
One takeaway was how to incorporate into their investment policies. This is one way to avoid a backlash or a hit to the reputation. They must be aware that certain individuals and organizations make it a practice to follow market activity and review which companies have done large transactions and not included diversity companies. The tactic involves calling the CEO or CFO of the firm and giving them grief for not being socially responsible.
But companies are getting ahead of the curve and creating formal policies to use minority firms. For instance, earlier this year Apple sold $6.5 billion in bonds and in the process tapped two minority financial services firms to take part in the debt offering. In that case, Apple used Williams Capital and Ramirez & Co.
Other companies have widened the net, too, when it comes to suppliers. One member of the AT30 said he didn’t have a formal policy in treasury, but does receive a dollar target from purchasing to spend on diversity firms. “It is up to treasury to figure out how to allocate it,” the member said.
In financings, the external manager or lead arranger can help, too. Unless you have a specific goal or company you want to include in a debt syndication, the most efficient approach to accomplish your goal is to simply ask your lead banks to ensure they include diversity firms in the deal. Many banks do this automatically anyway. Citi was recognized by members of the group as being very strong in this area.
But before you diversify, verify. Companies need to remember they are just that, a company and not a charity. Make sure the firm engaged is actually doing the work. Some AT30 members admitted to treating awards to diversity players more as charity, but most agreed they need to be worthy of the business and earn it. Or they aren’t taking advantage of their position either. One member said that she had used the above-mentioned Williams Capital for CP issuance and their pricing was comparable to traditional providers. Members also noted that most of the employees with diversity firms are usually from large institutions and have strong experience, so you are not necessarily compromising the quality of the representatives.
Engaging diversity companies is another trend that is not likely to go away anytime soon. A number of members are grappling with the best approach. Establishing a policy to guide usage (and non-usage) of diversity firms and working with your lead banks on appropriate inclusion are good places to start for properly setting this foundation.