Question: “Over this past year, what has been the most significant or successful action your company has taken in regard to DEI?”
Scott Gruwell
President and CEO
Courtesy Automotive Group
Sector: Retail
Since 1955, Courtesy Automotive Group has grown as a family-owned business, digging deep into the communities we serve, hiring and promoting employees from nearby neighborhoods and high schools because they mirror and shape our customer base. Our 750-plus employees are a melting pot that is highly inclusive of Hispanics, females and veterans. Our finance directors across stores are all female and many are bilingual.
As the labor market has contracted, we’ve placed heavy emphasis on expanding our entry-level positions, hiring for attitude and aptitude. Through our “Courtesy Way” formal corporate training, each new hire and the existing staff sees a transparent career path because we want to unleash their tremendous potential. The Courtesy Way demonstrates our commitment to our people, teaches them how we treat our customers and how we gain their lifetime loyalty. Our inclusive and diverse approach is cyclical, with many new hires coming on because a family member or a friend used to work for us. They know we’ve been here; we live the Courtesy Way and we will help them succeed.
Scott Gruwell is president and CEO of Courtesy Automotive Group. Gruwell started at Courtesy as a retail salesperson learning the foundation of the business, rising through the ranks to assistant used car manager, director, gm and president. He has grown the business into six stores with revenue of more than $920 million. Gruwell is active in the Scottsdale Charros and serves on several professional boards.
Percy Kirk
Senior VP and Region Manager
Cox Communications’ Southwest Region
Sector: Utilities
At Cox, going beyond words and taking concrete, multi-pronged actions is at the heart of our work to ensure that inclusion, diversity and equity remain at the core of our company’s values. Thanks to our Actions Speak committee established in 2020, we have established diversity best practices around inclusion and have measurable goals that will enrich our people, business and community. Most importantly, it has given us a critical platform to really listen to our employees.
In the past year, we established the Center for Inclusion that drives diversity strategies, curriculum and workshops that thousands of employees across our company’s divisions have completed. Cox also continues to increase our spending with diverse and small suppliers, with a goal of a $1 billion spend by 2026. We know it takes our entire team to reflect the communities we serve. Our nine employee resource groups provide diverse team members opportunities to share their perspectives, build connections, grow professionally and influence Cox’s DEI focus and successes.
Percy Kirk is the senior vice president and region manager for Cox Communications’ Southwest markets, leading operations in Phoenix, Southern Arizona and Las Vegas. Kirk has spent more than 35 years in the cable telecommunications industry across the country. He holds a degree from Wichita State and a master’s from Friends University and serves on the boards of the Arizona Chamber and Greater Phoenix Leadership.
Lauri Leadley
President and Co-Founder
Valley Sleep Center
Sector: Healthcare
One of the most important things to me as a female business owner is ensuring I have a diversified workforce, including my board of directors. I’ve learned how to accommodate different religious beliefs, extending past religious holidays. I’ve had employees tell me they were unable to accept a Christmas bonus because they do not celebrate that specific holiday, so I made sure to change the language to be inclusive.
I’ve also provided incentive programs for my employees to make sure their work is recognized. In addition to the many international holidays (such as Nurses Day), we established a STARS program that highlights attitude, accuracy and attendance. Employees are nominated to receive bonuses based on the three “A”s.
Having survived cancer twice, I understand the need for physical and mental health breaks. My team has access to private areas to relax when needed, to ensure they are well-rested and prepared for productivity.
It is my goal to make sure my employees feel welcomed and safe when they come into the office. This allows for better ideas and processes, increased productivity, different perspectives and overall cultural awareness.
Lauri Leadley is a clinical sleep educator and president and co-founder of Valley Sleep Center. She is a 27-year, two-time cancer survivor, having beat Burkitt’s lymphoma and breast cancer during her career.
