McDonald’s president and CEO Don Thompson announcing the restaurant’s London Olympics sponsorship in January. Image: Kerstin Joensson/AP Images for McDonald’s

Last night, the New York Stock Exchange and FedEx hosted an event honoring “Black Enterprise’s 100 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America.” The list appears in Black Enterprise’s September issue and the outlet has a recap of last night’s event here. The list has been published four times since 1988.

Among those honored are McDonald’s president and CEO Don Thompson; Derek Lewis, SVP and GM of PepsiCo North American Field Operations; William Harvey, head of DuPont’s packaging and industrial polymers division; and Lisa Jeffries Caldwell, EVP and chief HR officer for tobacco company, Reynolds American.

“We know that only the best and brightest can excel in the C-suites of the nation’s largest corporations, and that highlighting the achievements of African American executives who not only set, but are raising the bar of excellence, will inspire others, including younger African Americans, to aspire and dream to be you, just as you were once inspired to pursue your career paths,” said Black Enterprise CEO Earl “Butch” Graves, Jr.

For more about last night’s event, visit BlackEnterprise.com.

Image: Hermera

A recent meeting with female employees of the New York Stock Exchange found that the ladies room situation is a major inconvenience. While the guys have facilities that are right near the trading floor, the ladies literally need a map to get to the restroom.

The meeting was conducted as a result of the NYSE’s participation in the Moving the Needle campaign, which seeks to increase diversity at U.S. companies. That includes the executive level, in recruiting positions, on committees, and in other positions. Moving the Needle is brought to us by Corporate Board Member, an education provider for publicly traded companies. The NYSE is its parent company.

“It’s hard to believe that the location of a bathroom could have anything to do with getting more women in the boardroom, but actually it does,” says The Grindstone. A little surprising, but maybe not so much. The ladies room — its upkeep, its location, the wait time — are all topics of conversation for women. And the situation at the NYSE sounds extreme.

In our experience, small things can make a big difference. And really, the restroom isn’t a small thing. Providing lactation spaces, complimentary tampons, and other services specifically for women are ways to attract them as staffers. Moreover, they’ll talk up that company as a good place to work.

And it’s not just the women that benefit. A study conducted by the Credit Suisse Research Institute found that companies with at least one woman on the board do considerably better, from an economic standpoint, than those companies with all-male boards.