Today on the show, Julien and Bill Hawthorne discuss the evolution of diversity, equity, and inclusion in America and in the workplace. In recent years, the rise of the #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, #StopAAPIHate movements have forced Americans to reflect on the persistent social injustices in our country. The harsh and bitter truths of these inequities have repercussions in the corporate sphere. Companies are scrambling to implement effective DEI strategies and programming because employees and customers are demanding that companies abide by their stated values. Once considered to be a function of the human resources or talent departments, DEI has evolved into a core and strategic business function in which both large and small businesses are investing heavily.
We’re excited to welcome to the show Bill Hawthorne, the former Senior Vice President (SVP) and Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) for Macy’s, Inc., where he led a national and multi-functional team that created and operationalized a comprehensive diversity strategy for the company way back in 2006. He also served as Chief Equity Officer for the City of Atlanta in the Cabinet of the Mayor. Bill is also the co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Inclusent.
Bill Hawthorne is a nationally recognized C-suite level Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion thought leader. With over 15 years of successful experience developing and operationalizing effective strategies for the private and public sectors, his mission is to partner with organizations committed to achieving optimal success in the workplace and marketplace through Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
Today we discuss:
- The birth and evolution of DEI work in corporate America.
- Setting up and positioning Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) for success.
- What gets us excited about the future of DEI work.
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