TOP 100 DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS OF 2005, THE

I was in college and saw a flier for a vacancy. I stayed because of the diverse opportunities. We tend to move around quite a bit, and that keeps the job interesting. As soon as you feel you need a change, you can change. I have progressively moved up and been challenged further. Now I advise the director on diversity issues. The director sees diversity as an integral part of the success of the CIA. He believes that diversity is key to remedying past intelligence failures. Bringing in people from other cultures and with various skill sets is how we fix weaknesses.

Why do you think minority students nave ranked the CIA as a top employer?

Students are more aware of what we do now. There is a plethora of opportunities here. The CIA is a microcosm of the world. We have doctors, lawyers, scientists, engineers - you name it, they work at the CIA. Whatever you do in the world you can do at the CIA.

What role Joes diversity play in the success of the CIA?

It is the determining factor. We are a world organization BO we need to have a world view. To achieve that, we have to have people from different cultures with different skill sets. When we bring all those perspectives in-house we are better able to gather the information we need and to analyze that information.

Are there certain diversity initiatives you would like to highlight?

We have a host of affinity groups and networking circles. The Middle Eastern group is the newest one. These groups give employees an immediate connection to the organization. They walk in the door and see people just like them. When you feel connected you get engaged and engaged people produce better products.

DELOITTE

A global powerhouse succeeds through diversity. By Catrine Johansson

ALLEN S. THOMAS JR.

Title: National Managing Partner, HR and Partner Matters

Education: BS in Agricultural Economics from Cornell University. MBA in Accounting/Finance from Columbia University.

With Company Since: Started out of graduate school 23 years ago.

Advice for new graduates: Keep an open mind. Even if you are focused on one specific career when you graduate, it will probably change in the next five to 10 years. Also, make sure you have good mentors.

Deloitte & Touche USA IIP (the "Deloitte U.S. Entities"), one of the nation's leading professional services firms, provides audit, tax, consulting, and financial advisory services through nearly 30,000 people in more than 80 U.S. cities. Known as an employer of choice for innovative human resources programs, the firm is dedicated to helping its clients and its people excel. Deloitte is the U.S. member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

EMPLOYEES: The more diverse our people's backgrounds and expertise, the better. With more than 100,000 professionals worldwide, sharing their unique perspectives across our functions, we are uniquely positioned in the global marketplace to understand our clients' complex needs and exceed their expectations. Deloitte & Touche USA LLP and its subsidiaries (the "Deloitte US Entities") are equal opportunity firms. Each of the Deloitte US Entities recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes without regard to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, or veteran status or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.