Verizon’s adfellows initiative shows how to build a diverse, inclusive talent pipeline

Verizon, the telecoms giant, has developed a fellowship program that can nurture a new generation of young diverse talent.

Four years ago, Diego Scotti, Verizon’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer, called for the creation of “adfellows”, an immersive, eight-month fellowship that would rotate young, multicultural and diverse talent through a rich mix of marketing specialties.

The idea for the US advertising industry’s first and (still) only fellowship program was that college graduates would experience different disciplines at Verizon, as well as the agencies that the telecommunications giant works with.

The long-term goal was simple: Scotti wanted the brand, and its partners, to have a workforce that looked like the American population. With the eight-month rotations for each...

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