Tracey Matura
General Counsel
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA), headquartered in Montvale, N.J., is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. In 2005, MBUSA achieved an all-time sales record of 224,421 new vehicles, setting the highest sales volume ever in its history and achieving 12 consecutive years of sales growth.
Tracey Matura, the first female chief legal officer in MBUSA’s history, serves as head of the Legal and Risk Management Departments. As general counsel, she provides legal direction to the company’s executive management team and MBUSA business units. “The Legal Department is one of the most diverse groups at MBUSA,” says Tommy Shi, corporate development and transformation officer, “and this is due largely to Tracey’s influence as department head.” Matura’s small team is proud of its diversity: Twenty-five percent of the attorneys are minorities and 50 percent are women. “I have always believed that everyone should have an equal opportunity to succeed in both our business and personal lives without being hindered by race, religion, sex, or personal circumstance. It is gratifying when those collective efforts are rewarded,” says Matura.
Although the law department program is an informal one, diversity and inclusion are embedded in the department’s day-to-day business. Through Matura’s support, two attorneys have advanced to positions outside the legal department, one to managing MBUSA’s Risk Management Department and another to managing MBUSA’s corporate diversity efforts. The law department culture makes retention a non-issue: In the last 10 years, the only reason lawyers have left the department was when they were promoted within the company.
As part of a company-wide initiative, the Legal Department participates in numerous local and national diversity events, including those in connection with, the National Association of Asian Pacific American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, the Hispanic Bar Association of New Jersey, and the Garden State Bar Association.
MBUSA uses a variety of resources and approaches in recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce. This includes, but is not limited to, campus recruiting at diverse colleges and universities and sponsorship of job fairs. Once onboard, career development opportunities are offered through both internal and external training programs, mentoring opportunities, special assignments, and job rotations.
MBUSA’s signature philanthropic program-DRIVE YOUR FUTURE: The Mercedes-Benz USA Scholarship Program-offers financial support to college-bound high school students who are the first generation in their families to go to college. The program was developed to respond to a critical nationwide need for scholarships to help students offset the costs of postsecondary education and encourage academic achievement.
DRIVE YOUR FUTURE launched in 2004 with 230 scholarships. Through the generous support of MBUSA dealers across the country, the program has grown exponentially; offering even more students greater opportunities. This year, $1.5 million in scholarship support will be awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in the areas of academic performance, leadership, and school and community activities. Through DRIVE YOUR FUTURE, MBUSA strives to aid those in need, to help youth across the country reach their full potential and become the leaders of their generation.
At press time, the N.Y. dinners had not been held. Group photos of the award winners for the northeast region will appear in the Jan./Feb. 2007 issue of Diversity & the Bar®.
From the November/December 2006 issue of Diversity & The Bar®