Southern Company: Energy to Lead

For decades, Southern Company has been a role model among companies forging opportunities for women across all areas of its businesses. The company’s diversity, equity and inclusion eff orts help ensure all groups, and especially historically underrepresented groups, are well represented, included and fairly treated at all levels.

Southern Company has focused its energy on cultivating and promoting an inclusive work environment where all employees feel welcomed, valued, respected and engaged  so everyone can contribute and reach their full potential.

A leading energy company providing clean safe, reliable and affordable energy to more than 9 million customers throughout the U.S., Southern Company provides the energy communities depend on to work and play through electric utilities in three states (Georgia, Mississippi and Alabama), natural gas distribution companies in four states (Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia), a competitive generation company serving wholesale customers across America, a leading distributed energy infrastructure company, a fiber optics network and telecommunications services.

As important as keeping the lights on and the natural gas flowing is, Southern Company employees know that
how they work is just as vital. The company’s uncompromising values help ensure employees place the needs of the
customers they serve at the center of everything they do and govern the business to the benefit of everyone.

The company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion begins with the board of directors. The company’s board believes a variety of viewpoints contribute to a more effective decision-making process and helps drive long-term value.
The Southern Company board of directors has included a female member every year since 1984 – nearly four full decades. Of the four new independent directors named to the board since March 2018, two are women of color. Currently, three women – Dr. Janaki Akella, Juanita Powell Baranco and Colette D. Honorable – sit on the board governing Southern Company and overseeing the organization’s strategy. Their distinguished backgrounds include expertise in the fields of engineering, digital transformation, business operations, and energy regulation and policy.

     “The experience and expertise Juanita, Janaki and Colette contribute to our board is further evidence of the importance we place upon corporate governance, risk oversight, board refreshment, diversity, and transparency,” Southern Company Chairman, President and CEO Tomas A. Fanning said.

Beyond the board, women hold leadership positions across Southern Company. Kimberly S. Greene is the chairman, president and CEO of Southern Company Gas, a leading natural gas company in the industry and a subsidiary of Southern Company. Women serve on the boards of the various operating companies within Southern Company and women populate executive roles at the parent company and subsidiaries.

In fact, women work in every function of the business at every level across the Southern Company system.
Additionally, the company’s corporate culture and hiring practices have been recognized nationally for excellence
in diversity, engagement, inclusion, equality and overall excellence by many organizations and publications.

Southern Company is committed to an equitable and inclusive workplace that mirrors the diverse communities
it serves. Its ongoing aim is to increase and improve outreach, recruitment, hiring and retention of diverse groups
at all levels of the workforce; ensure equity in leadership development programs; and seek diverse candidate slates
for management roles.

Its people make Southern Company one of America’s premiere energy companies. A commitment to developing
talent and helping employees succeed in every phase of their careers is a long-held practice that Southern Company seeks to continue.

Attracting, developing and retaining women is more important than ever as companies modernize their businesses
and become more efficient. Southern Company is working to increase and improve outreach, recruitment, hiring and
retention of diverse groups at all levels of the workforce. The deliberate and intentional development strategy will
help ensure the company has the breadth of skills needed today and for the future.