Thomas P. Dale
General Counsel
Rolls-Royce North America Inc. operates in four global markets: civil aerospace, defense aerospace, marine, and energy. Rolls-Royce engines power over 30 civil aircraft types and approximately 25 percent of the world’s military fleet. More than 2,000 commercial marine customers use Rolls-Royce’s propulsion systems and products. The company has energy customers in nearly 120 countries and employs roughly 35,000 people worldwide. This figure includes 8,000 workers in North America—up from only 180 in 1990. Diversity is a company-wide goal, and all senior leaders are measured on their diversity performance.
(L to R): Veta Richardson, MCCA; Thomas P. Dale, Rolls-Royce North America Inc.; and John Huerta, The Smithsonian Institution
Executive Vice President and General Counsel Thomas P. Dale was the only Rolls-Royce attorney in North America when he joined the company 15 years ago. Today, the legal department consists of 22 people—54 percent of whom are women and 14 percent minorities. The department is also geographically diverse, with its attorneys scattered throughout the United States and Canada. Despite the varied locations, Dale makes accessibility and flexibility the cornerstones of the department’s retention efforts. He personally meets with each attorney twice a year for a formal review, and informally encourages his staff to approach him to discuss career development. As a result, the department is able to tailor advancement opportunities and flexible work arrangements to the diverse needs, outlooks, and ambitions of its attorneys. The department also helps its diverse attorneys shine, arranging opportunities for them to meet with the company’s executive leadership. “We strive to make everyone feel valued for who they are and to have the opportunity to succeed,” says Dale.
When recruiting new attorneys, the law department will not make a hiring decision until it has seen a full range of qualified attorneys. The department has chosen to leave slots open for extended periods of time, rather than fill a vacancy without looking at a diverse slate of candidates. The law department also targets women and minorities from the Washington, DC area for summer internships. Rolls-Royce encourages its attorneys to promote diversity through active participation in groups such as Charting Your Own Course (CYOC), the American Bar Association Committee on Diversity, and MCCA®. Rolls-Royce hosts a semi-annual Global Council to discuss international business issues and, this year, held its first Women in Leadership Conference.
Rolls-Royce stresses diversity throughout the company, and the law department leads the way. It heads the company’s ethics program, with department attorneys helping other employees understand the policies and relevant law. In addition, attorneys coach non-lawyer colleagues on making decisions on their own that are aligned with the company’s ethics policies.
From the November/December 2005 issue of Diversity & The Bar®