The Inaugural BLACK ENTERPRISE Chief Diversity Officer Summit & Honors is heading to New York. The event is founded in the belief that diversity, equity, and inclusion are vital to the business world. Some companies shy away from the difficult work of building diverse, equitable, and inclusive spaces. BE is not one of those companies. BE will honor the leaders of DEI initiatives across multiple industries for their contributions to creating fair opportunity and work-spaces,
The event will take place Wednesday, June 28 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the spectacular Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
A few years ago, companies rallied to start DEI initiatives to pacify workers during a time of racial strife in America. Since then, many have abandoned those pledges and walked-back talk of DEI initiatives, favoring the status quo. The Chief Diversity Officer Summit & Honors will examine how neglect of DEI best practices by some companies can affect all.
BE executive vice president and chief content officer, Derrick Dingle, said, “Our event will bring together corporate diversity leaders to assess the damage from forces that seek to water down DEI initiatives or have demonstrated outright opposition to the continued advancement of Black executives and increased procurement spend for Black suppliers.”
Examining the abandonment of DEI best practices will, hopefully, lead to a newfound commitment from those in the industry as a whole. Panel discussion surrounding “Growing Backlash Against DEI,” with informed guests, Wendy John, Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion for Fidelity Investments and Celeste Warren, Vice President, Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence of Merck, will break down diminishing diversity efforts and its effects on companies.
BE’s own vice president and deputy chief content officer Alisa Gumbs, will discuss “How Measurement Tools and CEO Engagement Make DEI a Priority,” with Geraldine White, Chief Diversity Officer, Publicis Groupe.
Along with panel discussions, BE will also honor those who stand at the forefront and champion those same DEI practices. Among the honorees are Michelle Gadsden-Williams, Black Rock; Cynthia Bowman, Bank of America; and Joy Fitzgerald, UnitedHealth Group. All have shown an unwavering dedication to racial equity. For this commitment they will receive the BLACK ENTERPRISE CDO Changemaker Award and Lifetime Diversity Crusader Award.
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