‘We are also living and walking through it’: Black diversity execs weigh in on changing DE&I leadership, intersectionality

You have to do your work at home before you can go out and prescribe to others, says Tahlisha Williams. 

It’s a philosophy she has carried with her into her new role as chief inclusion, equity and diversity officer for Wunderman Thompson’s North American division. Williams took the job last September on the heels of George Floyd’s murder, calls for racial equality and industry-wide diversity pledges. 

She’s not alone. As more agencies like R/GA, Dentsu and Wunderman Thompson move to follow through on their diversity initiatives, they’ve hired more diversity, equity and inclusion leadership roles to move the needle and keep them accountable. And seemingly, BIPOC like Williams, and other marginalized communities, are at the helm of these initiatives. 

“As a Black woman, when I think about myself in this role, there’s so many intersections that I bring that I feel that I’m uniquely equipped to be able to respond to the demand of it with the level of understanding and validated experience that I’ve had from a personal place,” she said. 

Earlier this year, job recruiting site Indeed reported a surge in DE&I roles, including those for chief diversity officer, with a 123% uptick in job postings between May and September. Before the pandemic leveled jobs, DE&I job postings rose nearly 57%, from 140 jobs per million to 219, between September 2019 and September 2020, per Indeed’s research. 

Last August, Christena Pyle stepped into the role as chief equity officer for Dentsu Americas — a new role that Pyle is the first to hold. And last October, R/GA’s Jai Tedeschi took on a newly created vp and global executive director of culture and operations role. In both new positions, these executives now report to CEO/COOs instead of human resources departments, empowering these roles from the top down. Previously, DE&I execs would typically report to HR, a power structure that critics of the industry’s legacy DE&I structure have lamented.

For Marla Kaplowitz, president and CEO of the 4A’s, the recent hirings point to agencies beginning to deliver on promises they made following last year’s protests. 

“The real issue is race, ethnicity. This industry has not made progress and we have to be intentional,” Kaplowitz said. “These organizations have to signal change and they have to deliver action. That’s why you see the real shift in a good way in this past year.”

Agencies have taken big swings at diversifying talent, releasing annual workforce statistics and admitting where there’s work to be done. Each swing is vital and necessary to better reflect who this industry serves, said Kaplowitz. 

“This country is composed of diverse people and backgrounds, and that’s what we should be embracing,” she said. “If you are in this business, you are meant to not only shape and influence culture, but to mirror it. And if you don’t actually have the people in your organization that can reflect society, then you’re not able to do that.” 

It’s not unusual to see people of color heading up diversity positions, according to the new executives directors. For example, ADCOLOR founder Tiffany Warren’s work in the DE&I space dates back to the mid-2000s. But in light of 2020, the role is changing and becoming more nuanced, making intersectionality and understanding different perspectives increasingly important.

“With a heightened focus on intersectionality, it’s no coincidence that you are seeing Black women rise to lead this work and excel in all aspects of business,” Dentsu’s Pyle said. “Because they can balance all the different nuances of their identity.” 

Prior to Dentsu Americas, Pyle worked as director of ADCOLOR and executive director of advertising for TIME’S UP. She forms together her prior professional work with her own lived experiences, trauma and triumphs to inform the way she works, and practices DE&I in the workplace, she said.

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