DE&I strategies that work – Episode 1: Michelle Gadsden-Williams

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Innovative business leaders recognize that in order to stay competitive, they must diversify their organizations and make them more inclusive.

Our limited podcast series features Greenhouse CEO Daniel Chait, along with fellow industry innovators, as they discuss how building a strong DE&I foundation enables companies to reach the next level of business success. Hear from cutting-edge DE&I thought leaders at Knac, BlackRock, Checkr, X (the moonshot factory), Okta, Inc., JPMorgan Chase & Co. and HubSpot as they share diversity hiring metrics to improve recruiting and onboarding, as well as forward-thinking processes to action immediately within your own organization.

In this episode, Daniel invites Michelle Gadsden-Williams, Managing Director & Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at BlackRock, to share her impactful approach to DE&I.

With more than 25 years of cross-industry experience, Michelle explains why companies should see DE&I strategies as catalysts for improving performance, productivity and innovation. She believes that a commitment to DE&I helps develop talent and drive cultural transformation within an organization.

Stay tuned to the end of the episode for practical tips on improving diversity hiring practices with Ariel Lopez, Founder and CEO of Knac.



In this episode, you'll learn:

  • How Michelle’s unique and broad perspective on DE&I enables her to share the most common stumbling blocks companies face (and how to avoid them)
  • That diverse candidate referral programs are possible when coupled with a consistent commitment to DE&I
  • Why some companies claim it’s challenging to recruit diverse hires and how to navigate around those challenges

This is not about us versus them or Black versus white or men versus women – this is a critical business imperative.”

Michelle Gadsden-Williams

Managing Director & Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Michelle Gadsden-Williams

About Michelle Gadsden-Williams

Michelle is the Managing Director and Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at BlackRock. She is an award-winning global diversity executive, author, activist, producer and philanthropist with more than 25 years of experience as an advocate for equality within corporate America and a thought leader around diversity and inclusion.

She earned a B.S. in Marketing, a B.A. in Communications from Kean College of New Jersey and an M.S. in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. Michelle serves on several boards including the Jackie Robinson Foundation, The Art Center in Pasadena, CA and a member of the Women’s Leadership Board of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

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