Winter 2002 Vol. 11 No. 1

Illuminating the Talent

Growing up in a small town didn't stop Sandi Bowe from having large dreams of world travel-and business and personal success. Her dreams also included the commitment to "give back" by providing opportunities for all people. Today, with her new job at DuPont corporate headquarters in Wilmington, Del., all those dreams have come to life.

Bowe began her DuPont career as a chemist, spending her first 15 years advancing through planned job assignments in the Research and Development group. Her plan also required that she transition into manufacturing operations and business management, where she further developed her people skills and talents.

"I care about illuminating diversity at DuPont because I believe that we can accomplish so much when we unleash people's creativity and show respect for their ideas. I believe we must capitalize on the whole person," Bowe says. "People have a breadth of experiences you can tap into when you build a holistic relationship that allows individuals to grow and express themselves. And that can't happen without respect."

I care about illuminating diversity at DuPont because I believe we can accomplish so much more when we unleash people's creativity and show respect for their ideas. We must capitalize on the whole person. -Sandi Bowe

In her role overseeing diversity from a corporate perspective, Bowe firmly believes that the emphasis on respect for individual people-honoring their differences and distinctive ideas-has positive impact on the bottom line in every company business. When every employee can expect respect, everyone understands that helping others will lead to greater success for the business-and for everyone in it. When people are motivated, included, and valued for growth, she says, creative and innovative things happen. Technology is essential to much of DuPont's work, but people are at the heart of every successful business. "We're upgrading some diversity training programs, changing the emphasis from earn respect to 'Expect RespectT,' for example," Bowe says. "In addition, we're benchmarking our performance, comparing how well we attract, energize and retain a diverse workforce compared to other industries. DuPont managers are also held accountable for diversity on their teams. How well they do this is reflected in annual performance reviews, and can affect their compensation. "People looking for satisfying jobs seek work that truly makes a difference, an atmosphere of collaboration, opportunities for growth, and a balance of work and life," Bowe says, "because those are qualities that underscore business as well as individual success."

Luis Quiñones, a corporate Network Leader

Hispanic Network Provides Opportunity

"I believe DuPont networks do a wonderful job of communicating issues and sharing success stories among network members and with senior management," says Luis Quiñones, global finance manager for DuPontTM Terathane® Products. Quiñones also serves as a leader in the Hispanic network at DuPont. After four years at DuPont Puerto Rico, Quiñones transferred to an assignment in Wilmington, Del. Bringing their sense of pride in their cultural heritage and identity, he and his family relocated to the U.S. Unlike American-born Hispanics, the experience of belonging to a minority added to their challenges of adapting to a new culture, and a new community. The emphasis DuPont places on respecting others and the support of the Hispanic network impresses Quiñones. "Contributing your best can only happen in a welcoming and nurturing environment."