Our speaker, Andrés Tapia, is the Strategy and Management Leader for Diversity at Korn-Ferry, a global organizational consulting firm. He has spent the last 20 years being on the forefront of this strategy, having created and implemented those policies at Hewitt and Associates. It is expected companies will think of diverse employees by way of a value statement, a code of ethics. Such things are only good when they are practiced. That application has to come from the top by developing the structure and implementation. Think of it as: diversity is the mix - inclusion is making the mix work - that is unlocking the power of diversity. Andrés reported that businesses that don't think differently are losing out in sales - much of the money spent on products are those of minorities. This begins with a system of inclusion through sourcing, hiring, developing and promoting . These minorities have expanded beyond race and religion, now include age, those with disabilities, and the LGBTQ community. He reminded us that in a time of great disruption, there is great opportunity. Andrés grew up in a culturally diverse home. His mother is American and his father, a Peruvian cardiologist. He grew up in Peru but did visit his American grandparents often. He came to the United States to complete his education at Northwestern University. He is a member of the Ravinia Board. In addition to his work at Korn Ferry, he is the author of several books, "The 5 Principles of Inclusive Leaders: Unleashing the Power of All of Us", and "the Inclusion Paradox: The Obama Era and the Transformation of Global Diversity". He is often engaged in public speaking, including a TEDtalks on this very subject. His presentation can easily be applied to all in many aspects of life besides business. |