A More Effective Vision for Corporate DE&I Initiatives

In the past 18 months, corporations have announced bold commitments to increase the leadership ranks for people of color, among other initiatives to level the playing field and advance social justice.  Stakeholders, including investors, regulators, customers and employees applauded these announcements and expect them to bear fruit -- adding to the “bottom line” nature of DE&I. The question C-Suite executives are now wrestling with is exactly how to achieve these well-intentioned goals. Demand and corporate actions to publicly release workforce diversity data are keeping the spotlight on progress. Multiple initiatives have been tried that research and results show do not work. There are reasons for failure and pathways to success. Valerie Rainford, CEO of Elloree Talent Strategies; Jamal Simmons, policy and political analyst; and Lisa R. Davis, Co-Chair of Teneo’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) advisory join Kevin Kajiwara, Co-President of Political Risk Advisory, for an honest conversation about the current state of play and drivers of success for achieving equity in the workplace.