BRIDGE ANNOUNCES SANDRA SIMS-WILLIAMS, CHIEF BUSINESS INCLUSION, IMPACT & BELONGING OFFICER OF NIELSEN AS NEW BOARD CHAIR

DEI, Marketing, and Business Leaders from Amazon Web Services, Campbell's, E.W. Scripps Company, iHeartMedia, Michelin and Saucony also Elected to the Board

SAN DIEGO, July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- BRIDGE, the only independent DEI trade organization to serve the global marketing industry, today announced the appointment of Sandra Sims-Williams, Chief Business Inclusion, Impact and Belonging Officer of Nielsen, as Chair of its Board of Directors. Sims-Williams succeeds Jonita Wilson, former Chief Diversity Officer of Discover Financial, who served as BRIDGE's founding Chair for the past two years. Wilson will assume the role of Chair Emeritus.

"I am humbled that our very own OG and industry change agent, Sandra Sims-Williams, has agreed to take the helm, especially at this pivotal cultural and political moment for our country," said Sheryl Daija, founder and CEO of BRIDGE. "Sandra's 30 years of combined business and DEI experience is exactly the gravitas we need to help companies understand that Inclusion is not a philosophy but the next big growth opportunity. Equally, the Board and I are eternally grateful for Jonita's leadership, vision, and friendship over the past two years. Her commitment to the BRIDGE mission is unwavering, and she unequivocally helped solidify BRIDGE's role as a trusted trade group for the industry."

"I look forward to working with Sheryl, our vice-chair, Yin Woon Rani, and the rest of the Board to carry the torch Jonita lit in service to BRIDGE's critical work to build a more inclusive global marketing industry," said Sims-Williams. "There is so much to be done to create productive, inclusive environments where all people can thrive. It's always people first, no matter where we are. Despite the overt attacks on our work, we will not be weary. We will continue to do what's right and help companies operationalize Inclusion and build equity for future generations to come."

BRIDGE also announced an expansion of the Board of Directors adding six new members:

• Amy Horn, Customer Experience Evangelist, AWS
• Shibani Potnis, VP Enterprise Marketing Excellence, Campbell's
• Tony Coles, President, Black Information Network, iHeartMedia
• Tiffane Davis, Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Michelin
• Joy Allen-Altimare, Global CMO, Saucony
• Danyelle Wright, VP, Chief Diversity Officer, The E.W. Scripps Company

Daija added, "We are extremely proud to add these great leaders and companies to the Board. The expansion reflects BRIDGE's growing reach, the recognition by seasoned executives of Inclusion as an untapped growth engine for companies, and the importance of building core capabilities to increase their Inclusion maturity." 

About BRIDGE
Founded in 2022, BRIDGE is a DEI, action-oriented, member-driven 501c6 trade group for the global marketing industry. Our mission is to move the narrative of DEI from philosophy to operationalizing Inclusion as a business practice for growth. Members are comprised of brand marketers, agencies, media platforms and technology companies working at the intersection of DEI, marketing and business. BRIDGE is an acronym for Belonging, Representation, Inclusion, Diversity, the G is for the Growth that results and E is for Equity which is our ultimate goal.

We help companies bridge the gaps that have created inequities for historically under-recognized communities in the workplace, workforce, and marketplace. We accomplish this with our revolutionary and proprietary IMAX tool. IMAX, a framework for Inclusion Maturity Assessment and Capability Building, allows brands and companies, for the very first time, to measure their inclusion maturity for their organization across 80+ practices and 5 pillars including organization, marketing management, product development, communications and advocacy. BRIDGE is an inclusive organization that welcomes support and participation from all companies in the global marketing industry, as well as like-minded academics and Inclusion champions. We are stronger together!

For more information about BRIDGE, please visit http://www.wearebridge.com or contact us at [email protected].

SOURCE BRIDGE