My D&I Journey with:
Loris Vivien,
Global DE&I Lead,
Jacobs Douwe Egberts
My D&I Journey with:1. What was your journey into diversity and inclusion?
My journey into DE&I wasn’t an obvious one. Having a food engineering degree, I spent 7 years of my career in R&D and Operations roles. Along the way, I got a flavor of what DE&I is through Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). This was an eye opener for me as I realized I just wanted to do this work all day, although I had no idea this could actually become a reality at some point. Owning my true self has been quite a journey, and I decided I must take action to make others, from my community and beyond, feel they can be themselves in the workplace.
2. How would you describe a typical day in your role?
My experience is that there is no such thing as a typical day in my role, and this is what I really enjoy about it. Some days, I will be brainstorming with my sponsors to find the best ways to approach a certain activation. Other days I will onboard, support and connect with our Change Makers from all over the world. I might run a session to engage our senior leaders, or prepare and present an important business update to our internal stakeholders on the progress made. I might also be checking trends, listening to podcasts, reading or learning from many other DE&I professionals I cross paths with.
3. What is the best part of your job?
The best part of my job is to witness DE&I initiatives flourishing throughout the business, in and outside of HR and also driven by change makers and ERGs. For me this is very gratifying to see our people lead by example as they dare to challenge the status quo. I also love to feel the passion behind those actions, because this is also where it all started for me as a DE&I Champion. Leading this agenda in an organization can feel lonely at times as a single contributor, so sharing this passion with others is truly the best feeling and what fuels me in my everyday job.
4. What advice would you give to someone looking to move into D&I?
There’s a quote that I love which says “Opportunity dances with the ones who are already on the dance floor”. My advice would be to invest time in learning the theory but also the practice from leading companies. Then in your organization, put yourself out there. Reach out to the decision makers, make yourself known. If there’s no DE&I team yet, build proposals and plans proactively even if no one approached you for it. Truth is, even if you don’t feel like an expert, it’s likely that no one knows better this topic than you in the whole organization. This is your opportunity, make sure to seize it!
5. What are the main challenges faced by D&I professionals at the moment?
I think the current context makes that expectations on DE&I are rising (even more so as ESG becomes increasingly a priority for many organizations) though DE&I teams remain lean. Most of us are driven by our passion for this agenda which means we put our whole heart into it. There can be quite some pressure on us which we also tend to put on ourselves because we feel a great sense of responsibility. It’s in those moments that we need to be mindful of our personal boundaries so we can take care of our mental health.
6. Name three skills that support you to succeed in D&I
1. Business acumen: as a global leader, deploying DE&I strategies requires a deep understanding of the business you work in. There’s no one size fits all so you’ll need to figure out what works best for your organization.
2. Public speaking: Being comfortable speaking to leaders and large audiences is crucial in being able to engage everyone in this journey in an authentic way.
3. Influencing: many people will come to you with brilliant ideas about what needs to be done. However, resources are often limited and it is key to influence others in such a way that they take ownership and don’t solely rely on you to take the lead.
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The Foundations to Being an Effective D&I Leader
Online Training Workshops
600+ DE&I and HR professionals have now attended our ‘The Foundations to Being an Effective D&I Leader’ CPD Accredited online training series.
- Level 1 is for professionals looking to move into a D&I role, or those who have been in a D&I leader role for less than 12 months.
- Level 2 is for professionals who have been in a D&I role for between 1 to 3 years, and are looking to enhance their knowledge and skills.
- Level 3 is for professionals who have been in a D&I role for 3+ years, and are looking to enhance their capabilities and embed a whole organisation approach to D&I.
Each CPD Accredited level offers a unique opportunity to learn from three experienced D&I practitioners:
Gamiel Yafai; Fiona Daniel and Toby Mildon.
Tickets at each online workshop cost £499+VAT per person (£399+VAT for non-profit orgs). Spaces limited to 24 attendees to enable the day to be as interactive as possible. Workshops take place live on Zoom.