We recently wrapped up our first-ever DEI Board Meeting in Washington, D.C.
40 senior leaders of diversity, equity, and inclusion from 35 billion-dollar companies (and zero vendors) came together for two days of nowhere-else leadership conversations.
One member shared how the Board Meeting provided real-time benchmarking.
“The Board Meeting was a great open-forum opportunity to ask questions, suggest topics, and follow up in real time. It was superbly executed on all parts.”
Brittany Carty, Director of Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and HR Communications at Volvo Group
Here’s what we covered:
Show & Tell Talks
- Transgender & Non-Binary equity: Awareness to action – presented by Brooke Cartus, Hard Rock International
- Inclusion through intervention: Moving from compliance to culture – presented by Rahsaan Coefield, Lockheed Martin
- Subaru of America’s DEIB journey – presented by Ashley Estes, Subaru of America
- Harnessing DEI data to drive action and outcomes – presented by Tanya Spencer, GE Vernova
- Creating an equitable and inclusive culture at a global company – presented by Evelyn Espinal, Unilever
Member-Led Discussions
- Navigating fear and resistance around DEI – led by Destinee Thompson at Panera Bread Company
- Retaining underrepresented leaders – led by Flavia Moreira at Mars
- Embedding DEI across your enterprise – led by Vanessa Youngs at Moody’s
- Making the most of your DEI council – led by Tom Ashworth at CVS Health
Unconference Topics
- Affirmative Action: Corporate impact and reviewing existing programs/protocol
- Making the case for DEI statistical analysis with legal
- Engagement best practices: Disengaged, mid-level management, and hourly workforce
- Sustaining as a DEI practitioner: How do you prioritize mental health and well-being?
- Native American education for employees in the U.S.: Is there anything out there?
- DEI becoming political and a company necessity is to be risk adverse
- Psychological safety: Framework, programs, and communication
- DEI staff for global organizations: Resources, budgets, support
- DEI metrics: setting goals and objectives and evaluating performance
- Biggest headwinds/barriers to advancing DEI and what are you doing about it
- Benchmarking realistic expectations on workforce representation goals: What should we expect every year?
- Passion for DEI with poor performance and driving the work in the business
Here’s who attended:
Senior DEI leaders from Amtrak, Bread Financial, Brown-Forman, Burlington Stores, CDW, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Cigna, Citizens Financial Group, Cognizant Technology Solutions, CVS Health, Danfoss, Equitable, Exelon, General Electric, Hard Rock International, Hormel Foods, JCPenney, LexisNexis, Lockheed Martin, Macy’s, Mars, McCain Foods, Moody’s, Panera Bread Company, Prologis, San Diego Gas & Electric, Securian Financial, Shimadzu, Subaru, TechnipFMC, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Unilever, Volvo Group, Wawa, and WESCO International.
And if you couldn’t make it — we missed you, but fear not. DEI Board members have in-depth conversations like this daily in our confidential community.
