Cecilia Ogude is the Senior Vice President and Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at IRI. In this role, Cecilia works with leadership to facilitate the development, implementation, and continuous evolution of IRI’s DEI strategy, initiatives, programs, tools, and resources. She previously held roles at JPMorgan Chase & Co. and McKinsey & Co. where she worked to drive intersectional and inclusive experiences for employees and senior leaders. Cecilia currently lives in New York and is an active volunteer with several organizations there.

Dr. Johné Battle is the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for Dollar General Corporation and oversees the strategy for diversity, equity, and inclusion for over 157,000 associates. Within this role, he works across the organization to make data-based decisions using tools such as belonging indexes, talent-flow analysis, and inclusive leader assessments. Dr. Johné Battle is recognized by the National Diversity & Leadership council as one of the Top 100 Diversity Officers in 2021 and is renowned as a Global Business Executive and thought leader who brings the powerful combination of skillful talent development and human capital expertise.

Guillermo Gutierrez and Deanna Singh have quite a lot in common, including their drive to travel across the globe, investing themselves into communities, and sharing that with others. In this conversation, Guillermo and I discuss how important their experiences with travel have impacted their DEI journeys and have helped them exercise empathy and understanding, which we carry with us in our day-to-day.

Sheilina Henry is the Senior Vice President of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at Bloomin’ Brands, Inc. She's responsible for cultivating an environment that celebrates diverse backgrounds while providing equitable access to opportunity. Sheilina has had a variety of roles within the company, but is now leading their diversity, equity and inclusion work. She is working to help make sure that everybody, whether you're coming into the dining space or whether you're on the team, is having a wonderful and inclusive experience. The restaurant industry is no stranger to diversity. However, Sheilina shares that the past 18-months have revealed diversity gaps within the industry, disparities, and lack of resources. She also details some of her personal experiences that have shaped the way she approaches both DEI work and work that she does within the food industry, and how important it is to share these experiences to build trust and safe spaces with others. To connect with Sheilina, you can find her on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilina-henry-07036617

Asif Sadiq has had a long and rich career in the equity and inclusion space with senior executive roles at Adidas, the Telegraph and EY Financial Services. He's been listed as one of the Most Influential Global D&I Leaders by Hive Learning, CIPD’s Top 20 Power List, and was honored with an MBE in 2017 by the Queen. As the Senior Vice President of Equity and Inclusion at WarnerMedia International, Asif works on globally driving the agenda around diversity.

Sheri Crosby Wheeler is the Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion for Fossil Group Inc, a global design marketing, distribution, and innovation company with distinctive watches, accessories, and wearables that are all created from some of the greatest brands in the world. She is a diversity leader, employment lawyer, and an avid community volunteer. She's also a member of the state bar of Texas. In our conversation, we really dive into DEI work within corporations, and the importance of both the individual and the structural levels, how to accomplish both, and why both are equally important.

Debra Ruh is the Founder and CEO of Ruh Global IMPACT, a social enterprise set out to help empower clients to be global problem solvers and leaders of social change. Debra is also a global disability inclusion strategist, keynote speaker, and a published author. She also is the host of The Human Potential At Work podcast, which shares inspirational stories and tips for bringing out the best in everyone.

Jenn Zephirin is the Vice President and Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Match Group, whose mission is to spark meaningful connections for every single person worldwide. In her role, she is responsible for developing and implementing programs to achieve Match Group’s diversity goals. Prior to her current position with Match Group, she worked as the diversity and inclusion business partner for technology at Uber technologies and served as a private DEI consultant for brands like Unilever and the Levo Institute.

Kobena-Marcus J. Collins is the diversity and inclusion advisor for Kohl’s Corporate offices and serves as the diversity recruitment consultant for Bridge-Builder Professional Staffing. He has a passion for diversity and inclusion work, as well as helping candidates to get clear on what it is they are looking for, and to help them to find a great fit with an organization. His travels and multicultural background have given him personal insight into the importance of diversity and inclusion, and he brings that to the work he does every day.

Heather Holland is the founder and Chief People Officer of Holland Energy Consulting, and in her role, she raises awareness around diversity, equity, and inclusion work within the energy, manufacturing, education, and transportation industries. In our conversation, we discuss the lack of diversity within these industries and we respond to the argument that a diverse workforce just isn’t out there for positions in these industries. We also talk about how companies should examine where they fall when it comes to whether they lead the pack with DEI, if they simply follow trends, or if they lag behind, and some tactics of how they can do better. To learn more about Holland Energy Consulting, go to: https://www.hollandenergyconsulting.com/