Resilience Amidst the Backlash: Navigating Current Challenges Facing DEIA Initiatives

Date and Time

March 6, 2024
1:00 pm-2:00 pm EST

Location

Webinar

Event Resources

Recording Presentation

In the aftermath of the recent Supreme Court ruling on affirmative action and a notable increase in legal actions against diversity programs, companies are encountering opposition to DEIA initiatives, making it more difficult to uphold their commitments to equitable and inclusive business practices.  

Join us for a webinar featuring insights from the leads of BSR’s Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (EIJ) team and business leaders. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the latest legal and legislative developments, insights into what might be coming next, and discover effective strategies for navigating these challenges.  

This event will explore how companies can harness the courage of professional and moral leadership. It will also examine the implications for professionals across various corporate functions that touch on equity issues. 

Scheduled Speakers

• Yusuf Zakir, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP
• Alicin Reidy Williamson, Chief Diversity and Culture Officer, Yahoo!
• Laura Gitman, Chief Impact Officer, BSR
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Laura Gitman
Chief Impact Officer, BSR
New York
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Laura is a global expert on corporate sustainability, with two decades of experience in strategy consulting and has advised senior executives at global companies across a range of industry sectors and sustainability issues.
As Chief Impact Officer (CIO), the first in the organization’s 30-year history, Laura focuses on maximizing the impact of BSR’s work with its network of over 300 members, both through direct engagement on project work and as a mentor for teams throughout the organization. She also oversees BSR’s collaborative initiatives and the Center for Business and Social Justice, and a recognized thought leader and innovator in strategic business.
She has been an instrumental leader in BSR’s organizational growth and impact. She launched BSR’s financial services practice and New York office, and she served as Chief Operating Officer for five years, leveraging her strengths in strategy, organizational change, and people management. Laura works with leading global companies to develop and enhance their sustainability strategies to maximize value for business and society, and she is sought after to facilitate senior-level strategy workshops and multi-stakeholder collaborations.
She previously worked for Deloitte Consulting, where she acquired extensive strategy experience advising multinational financial services companies. She also worked on several community and economic development projects in Latin America.
Laura holds a MBA from Stanford University and a BS in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. She is an adjunct professor in the Bard MBA in Sustainability program, a Senior Fellow at the Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship (CASE) at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and a member of the UN Global Compact Expert Network.
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Recent Insights From Laura Gitman
• Sustainability Goal Setting: A New Chapter / January 21, 2025 / Insights+
• CSOs Are All Business: The Role of the CSO in a New Context / January 9, 2025 / Blog
• Racing Past the Crossroads: How Sustainability Leaders Can Reassert Ambition / October 31, 2024 / Blog
• Frankly Speaking #59, Laura Gitman: Which Future for Sustainability Leadership in the Company? / October 30, 2024 / News
• The CSO at a Crossroads: Three Paths Forward for Sustainability Leaders / October 17, 2024 / Reports
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