BLACK ENTERPRISE Presents Second Annual Chief Diversity Officer Summit & Honors June 11

As DEI faces a continuous wave of challenges, the event presents sessions on latest developments for CDOs and a special salute to leading champions of inclusion

NEW YORK, June 7, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BLACK ENTERPRISE, the No. 1 Black digital media brand, will host its second annual Chief Diversity Officer Summit & Honors Tuesday, June 11 at the stunning private event space Guastavino's in New York City. This groundbreaking event will recognize outstanding leaders who drive corporate DEI. It is also designed to offer a forum to spark robust conversations on the status of policies to expand diverse talent at a time when such practices have faced increased opposition on multiple fronts.

The event is sponsored by Fidelity Investments, Merck and The Executive Leadership Council, the preeminent organization comprised of Black senior executives.

"Our Chief Diversity Officer Summit & Honors represents an unprecedented gathering of men and women leading corporate DEI agenda and serves as the perfect venue to celebrate the achievements, leadership and advocacy of exceptional senior executives who have created unfettered access to opportunity for all within and outside their corporations," says BLACK ENTERPRISE CEO Earl "Butch" Graves, Jr.

Among the event highlights, BLACK ENTERPRISE will salute top DEI professionals in the following categories:

• Black Enterprise CDO Changemaker Award – Outstanding chief diversity officers who have demonstrated an unmatched record for the advancement of Diversity Best Practices across all corporate levels and applied their influence among top leadership to drive DEI as a business imperative,

Reginald "Reggie" Willis, Chief Diversity Officer, Ally Financial
Yolanda Friend, Managing Director, North America Inclusion and Diversity, Accenture
Susan Reid, Managing Director, Global Head of Talent, Morgan Stanley

• Black Enterprise Lifetime Diversity Crusader Award– Unwavering, vocal advocates and tireless change agents who have driven the progression of measurable workforce and supplier diversity across major companies and vigorous promotion of equal access to career, management and business opportunities for all.

James H. Lowry, President & Founder, James H. Lowry & Associates and Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group
Jacqueline Glenn, Former Chief Diversity Officer, DellEMC
Ronald Parker, Retired Senior Vice President, Human Resources, Labor Relations and Global Diversity & Inclusion, PepsiCo
Maurice Cox, Retired Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion Development

In addition to the awards ceremony, the Summit will conduct a special CDO Town Hall to review the current challenges confronting corporate DEI as well as explore strategies to preserve the development and implementation of Diversity Best Practices throughout major corporations. Also, attendees will gain the opportunity to hear commentary on a range of DEI-related issues from Black Enterprise CEO Graves and ELC CEO Micheal Hyter in an exclusive fireside chat.

"Our event will bring together corporate diversity leaders to assess the damage from forces that seek to totally dismantle DEI initiatives and have demonstrated outright opposition – through the courts and by other means -- to deny access to opportunities for Black executives and entrepreneurs," says Derek T. Dingle, BLACK ENTERPRISE Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer. "Just as important, we will continue to focus on how CDOs can protect and preserve DEI as a viable means to address ongoing systemic discrimination and racial inequities against Black Americans."

About BLACK ENTERPRISE

Founded in 1970, BLACK ENTERPRISE is a mission-centric publication focused on providing relevant information for success-minded people at every stage of their financial journey. Designed to highlight Black leadership and entrepreneurial journeys, BLACK ENTERPRISE reaches its audience through its events and linear and digital channels. BLACK ENTERPRISE aims to be a fountain of knowledge on how to achieve financial success. To learn more about the company, please visit blackenterprise.com and follow us on social media across Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter), and Facebook.

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