CGI has a deep appreciation for the sacrifices made by military veterans and their families. We also value veterans' experience, leadership, dedication and above-and-beyond work ethic. For these reasons, we're committed to supporting veterans through various hiring and charitable initiatives to tap into their talents for the benefit of our clients and to improve the quality of their lives as they transition from the military.

CGI's Veterans Council

In the U.S., CGI supports a wide range of defense and intelligence agencies, including all four military branches. Based on our commitment to those who serve, including veterans, reservists and active-duty service personnel, we established a Veterans Council made up of key CGI leaders, including veterans from multiple military services.

The council's mandate is to identify and implement initiatives to achieve the following goals:

• Attract and retain veteran talent
• Provide mentorship and assistance to members transitioning from the military
• Advocate on behalf of members who are disabled veterans
• Work with veteran interest groups
• Since its establishment in 2012, the council has launched a number of initiatives. You can read more about them below.

Attracting, retaining and mentoring veteran talent

CGI has a long history of veteran and reservist hiring. Our efforts include a strong and growing partnership with 100,000 Jobs Mission, an organization that helps service members transition from military service back into civilian life. CGI's work with 100,000 Jobs Mission includes organizing hiring events, at which we're able to meet with veterans and recruit qualified candidates.

In addition, at our onshore IT services delivery center in Belton, Texas, CGI has a team that is organizing pilot outreach programs for the large veteran and military population in and around nearby Fort Hood. CGI's military-related hiring rate for Belton is currently more than 50 percent.

The center is attracting marquee clients like AT&T, which value the skills our veterans bring to the table. We were thrilled to have AT&T join our ribbon cutting ceremony for the new 40,000 square foot facility in Belton.

At that ceremony, Paul Rosenbaum, senior vice president, AT&T Managed Services, said, "AT&T is committed to serving transitioning military and their families by connecting them to new job opportunities in their region. The location of the CGI center near Fort Hood was an important consideration in AT&T's decision to use the center to support the delivery of AT&T's Managed Network Services."

We are also pleased to note that the Workforce Solutions of Central Texas named CGI its 2012 Business of the Year in large part due to our focus on hiring veterans and military family members.

Meeting the life needs of military personnel and their families

In addition to our extensive hiring efforts, CGI supports a wide range of charitable causes to help meet the life needs of service members and their families, including the following:

• Operation Care for the Troops
• Operation Homefront
• Wounded Warrior Project
• Army Marathon
• Russell County (VA) Veterans Memorial Park
• Soldiers' Angels Tank Support Program

In 2013, we launched a new partnership with Team Fisher House (TFH), becoming an official sponsor. TFH is the fundraising arm of the Fisher House Foundation, a non-profit organization established more than 20 years ago to provide a "home away from home" for our nation's heroes during a personal medical crisis.

Fisher House is an essential resource for many deserving military families. CGI members are participating in local road running races and other volunteer activities to help raise funds for this worthy program.

CGI business units and their members are also involved at the local level in various causes to support our military heroes and their families.

Our commitment to veterans extends from the top down, and we'll continue to look for ways to expand our support as we grow our business.