Pinnacle Financial Partners

Rating Overview

Pinnacle Financial Partners is Lower Risk.

Pinnacle Financial Partners is Lower Risk. The company does not yield to political activism in shaping corporate governance, preventing initiatives that potentially alienate consumers, divide employees, and harm shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. Overall, Pinnacle Financial Partners does not embrace corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues. This approach protects free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Lower Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Pinnacle Financial Partners has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (1)(2).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Pinnacle Financial Partners does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. Its charitable giving focus areas are: education, health and human services, the arts, economic development, and underserved communities (1)(2).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Pinnacle Financial Partners requires its employees to take Intentional Inclusion bias, Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action training (1). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its promotions and leadership composition. From its 2023 Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Report: “Continued the process of intentionally developing more diverse associates for future leadership roles” (2). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Pinnacle Financial Partners supports DEI within its business practices, employing a DEI Officer (1). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its webpage: “Pinnacle leaders strive to create a great place to work for all team members, ensuring they feel supported, safe and like they belong.” (2). Pinnacle Financial Partners has committed to “assess the risk to its firm posed by climate change and the transition to a zero-carbon economy, and identify and capitalize on opportunities to help businesses transition to lower-impact environmental practices and produce viable forms of alternative energy” (3). The company was named as a “Standout Commercial Bank for Demonstrated Commitment to ESG Principles and Values” by the International market research firm Coalition Greenwich (4). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Pinnacle Financial Partners using its reputation to advance ideological causes or policies (5).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Pinnacle Financial Partners has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Pinnacle Financial Partners has not used its PAC donations for ideological purposes and does not report on its lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).