He serves on a handful of boards. For instance, Ware's corporate experience in Africa likely will be a major advantage for Chevron, which has an extensive business network in Africa. People are becoming much more aware of it. Legal matters On the other hand, demonstrating a disregard or disrespect for minorities can negatively affect a company's bottom line through decreased sales or expensive lawsuits. For example, Shackelford worked as a consultant to Denny's restaurant chain, when it was accused of racist treatment of customers a few years ago.
Image is important, especially to companies that sell goods and services to the public.
That person can be an ambassador and represent the board and give it more credibility in a crisis situation. Atlanta companies such as Georgia Power Co., Coca-Cola and Waffle House Inc. recently have faced racial discrimination lawsuits. Experts agree that legal action often brings about more diversity, but some experts caution that it's better for companies to act proactively in racial matters. It's a big change and it should be done proactively. Having a black board member also can be advantageous internally, Staes said.