Tony Gladney

Friday, Sept. 25, 2009 | 4:50 p.m.

Occupation: Vice President, National Diversity Relations, Harrah’s Entertainment Inc.

Making diversity a priority:

Tony Gladney helps implement Harrah’s diversity initiative. He also is a local liaison for the gaming company’s strategic partner relations on a local, regional and national level. In 2008, he received a medal of excellence from the Nevada Minority Supplier Development Council for his contributions to his employer’s diversity efforts. Gladney is a board member of the Urban Chamber of Commerce, serves on the board of the Cultural Diversity Foundation and is an active member of the Latin and Asian chambers of commerce. Also in 2008, the Organization of Chinese Americans Las Vegas Chapter awarded Gladney with its community service award.

What are the key ingredients to a successful diversity initiative?

At Harrah’s, we continually grow and improve through diversity and inclusion by keeping diversity relevant. We approach diversity and inclusion in parallel paths, through traditional, representational diversity and through cognitive diversity. Cognitive diversity allows us to leverage the contributions of everyone to produce better business outcomes.

Explain the importance of having a diverse work force in your industry.

In the past, the diversity conversation has been focused primarily on the protected classes of race, gender, sexual orientation, age and disability. While incorporating individuals from these various groups is crucial in developing a diverse work force, diversity and inclusion is taken much further at Harrah’s through cognitive diversity. Cognitive diversity celebrates and leverages contributions from individuals with different backgrounds, different cognitive processes and genetic wiring to produce better business outcomes.

How has the recession impacted diversity efforts?

When you consider the Harrah’s diversity and inclusion model, having a diverse and thoughtful team of thinkers will provide better business outcomes. In this recession or “new economy,” challenging and, quite simply, diverse teams produce better business outcomes and that, quite honestly, is a result all businesses need to leverage.

Who is your mentor or hero?

Although I have numerous heroes who have influenced my life at various times, the one person who has had the greatest impact during the course of my entire life is my mother.