Diversity Yields Corporate Excellence A diverse workplace is integral to our ability to make Office Depot a more compelling place to work, shop and invest. In 2001, we introduced a six-point program to help us fulfill our commitment to fostering diversity in our management and our workforce, as well as in our relationships with suppliers, vendors and customers. Our efforts included creating a new post of Vice President for Diversity; implementing diversity training for our U.S. employees; and establishing a career advancement program that fosters mentoring relationships between employees and successful Office Depot professionals. We formed a Diversity Council to promote diversity internally and among our vendors and suppliers. We also extended our internship programs to recruit more minority M.B.A. candidates, and we enhanced our job posting programs to develop a more diverse candidate pool. These efforts, combined with our sponsorship of such organizations as the Urban League and the National Newspaper Publishers Association, have already advanced Office Depot’s commitment to building a welcoming, diverse and harmonious workplace.