Events

LJD Week 2021 | Race in the Workplace: Innovative Approaches to Foster Inclusivity

November 11, 2021

Virtual | Live Broadcast & Recorded

MULTIMEDIA

A session co-organized with the World Bank Group Anti-Racism Task Force

The journey to becoming an anti-racist organization is a relatively new direction of travel for many organizations. Long recognized as a political and social imperative, the social movements of the last two years have pushed the issue of race to the forefront of the diversity, equity and inclusion agenda for employers everywhere. For those organizations and corporations, with a global footprint and a multicultural or international workforce, the call to action has been even louder.

Fostering racial equity and tackling racism and racial discrimination have become strategic objectives for leadership. If talking about race—unpacking and understanding the issues--is the first step, then designing innovative programs and interventions should be the next step, supported by policies, practices and systems that are intentionally and continually revisited and revised.

Becoming an anti-racist organization is not an end-goal: it is an ongoing practice, and practitioners working in this area will need to explore innovative approaches and encourage investment in this area (such as specialist training, surveys). They will also need to clearly articulate and link the business rationale (and, in some cases, the potential business outcomes) for organizations to embark on a racial equity journey. Like all diversity indicators, addressing workplace challenges in the area of race will entail sensitivity and an inclusive strategy of engagement.

The session will explore:

Challenges and opportunities to identifying race;
Innovative approaches to gauge the climate for racial equity;
Moving from analysis to sustainable action;
Giving space to race: conflicting diversity priorities;
Stakeholder engagement and fostering allyship; and
Linking racial equity to organizational values and business outcomes.

SPEAKERS

Speakers

Monica Oldham

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager, World Bank Group
Monica Oldham is the manager of the Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Office in the World Bank Group. Within the D&I Office, she leads the preparation and implementation of D&I programs, including learning and outreach, in order to promote the Bank Group’s D&I agenda; works closely with Bank Group management and Human Resources colleagues to ensure that D&I agendas are successfully implemented and are in line with business objectives; and provides leadership, guidance and support to the D&I team on approaches and initiatives that help drive impact. Before joining the World Bank Group in 2010, Monica Oldham was a Director with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Washington D.C., where she led a practice responsible for delivering D&I strategy and talent management services to global clients and served on the National Team for PwC's Office of Diversity. Prior to this work, she led the human capital practice for PwC's public sector advisory services. Before joining PwC, Monica Oldham held key positions with other professional services firms, a global information technology firm, and as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. She holds a PhD in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health, an MS in International Relations from Troy University, and a BS in Math and Philosophy from the University of Pittsburgh.

Rani Meerabi Pooran

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager, International Finance Corporation
Rani Meerabi Pooran joined IFC in June 2021 as its first DEI Program Manager. With 15 years of experience globally, she has managed cross-functional strategic and regulatory programs in professional and financial services in the UK and Canada. Several of these programs involved collaborations with not-for-profit and international organizations such as: Catalyst, Plan International Canada, The Diversity Project, the United Way, and the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). Former chair of the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) working group on gender equality. Past Not-for-Profit Board Director (VP) at a mental health agency.

Duncan Kiara

Chief Counsel, World Bank and Vice-Chair, World Bank Group Anti-Racism Task Force
Duncan Kiara leads a team of dedicated legal professionals at the World Bank who provide legal, policy and operational advice and support to internal and external clients and other stakeholders on a wide ranging variety of resource mobilization and innovative financing platforms. He joined the World Bank in 2005 after working for several years for regional international financial institutions headquartered in Africa, a securities exchange and a law practice in Nairobi, Kenya. His areas of expertise include corporate finance, derivatives, securities regulation and tax law. Duncan Kiara is an alumnus of the University of Nairobi, the University of Cambridge and the Columbia University Law School. He is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a member of the New York Bar. He is also an Adjunct Professor at the American University Washington School of Law.

Erin Brown

Interim Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator, USAID
Erin Brown is the United States Agency for International Development’s Interim Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator where she works collaboratively across the Agency to advance DEIA across the Agency’s people, policy, practices, programs, and partnerships. A strategy and organizational transformation subject matter expert with 22 years of experience in the public and private sectors, Erin Brown joined the United States Agency for International Development in 2012 as a Franklin Fellow after 13 years in the private sector where she led medium and large-scale strategic planning, business process improvement, and organizational change management initiatives for defense and civilian government agencies. Prior to joining USAID, Erin Brown was a Senior Principal at the Hay Group, a global management consulting firm, where she led the Building Effective Organizations Practice in the Federal Sector. Since joining USAID, Erin Brown has served in both the Office of the Administrator and the Bureau for Management where she focused on achieving organizational excellence through operational performance improvement. Erin Brown has also been a dedicated champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion at USAID since joining the Agency, as proven by her service as a collateral duty equal employment opportunity (EEO) Counselor, four years as Chapter President of the USAID Chapter of Blacks in Government (BIG), an Agency employee resource group, and facilitation of an employee-led effort to develop the Agency’s 2020 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan.

Randall Tucker

Chief Inclusion Officer, Mastercard
Randall Tucker is chief inclusion officer for Mastercard, where he is responsible for aligning the company’s global diversity and inclusion initiatives with the corporate business strategy to ensure that every employee has the opportunity to reach their greatest potential. Before joining Mastercard, Randall Tucker served as the senior director of inclusion and diversity at Darden Restaurants Inc., where he led the development of a company-wide inclusion strategy to more closely align to the business and support an inclusive environment. Prior to joining Darden, he led the transformation of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s diversity and inclusion strategy from a U.S.-focused model to a global model. During his tenure, he led the development of the organization’s first global initiative to enhance career opportunities for women at senior levels. Earlier in his career, he served in various sales and human resource roles at Marriott International. Randall Tucker holds a Bachelor of Arts from James Madison University. He has been a guest lecturer at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies and is a Six Sigma Black Belt. Randall Tucker lives in New York City with his husband.

Ahmed Reid

Senior Race Expert, International Monetary Fund
Ahmed Reid comes to the Fund with 13 years experience in higher education. He was also a member (and chairperson) of the United Nations Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, where he studied the problems of racial discrimination faced by people of African descent and submit recommendations to the UN General Assembly and the Human Rights Council on the design, implementation, and enforcement of effective measures to eliminate racial discrimination and related intolerances. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Hull, England. Ahmed Reid's research interests, and publications covers the areas of Diversity and Equity. When not working, Ahmed Reid spends his time watching football (soccer), old movies, and introducing his friends to Jamaican cuisine.
@DrAhmedReid1

Rachel McColgan (moderator)

Head of Secretariat, World Bank Group Anti-Racism Task Force
Rachel McColgan is Head of the Secretariat for the World Bank Group’s Anti-Racism Task Force, a role she assumed following a 27-year career as World Bank staff following a number of years working in the private sector in the UK and in Sudan. Her World Bank career spanned roles in operations and communications in three regions, Chair of the Staff Association, and Human Resources. Rachel McColgan has a Masters in Public Policy and Management from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.