MEI—which stands for merit, excellence, and intelligence—is quickly becoming the preferred acronym among anti-DEI leaders.
In one of my first career assignments in Corporate America, I was excited to be on the hiring committee to bring in Assistant Brand Managers (ABM). The company I worked for was hoping to hire a class of ABMs to place in various brands across various divisions of the business. All of the candidates were students at business schools across the country. And they were all applying for one of the limited, and coveted, spots in our program. In the kick-off meeting, my team and I were handed a giant stack of résumés.