2023
Chief Diversity Officer/Corporate Group Director
INTERNATIONAL
AWARD
Robert L. Johnson
Senior managers need to do their DEI homework to attract and support the next generation of leaders
Education: JD, Seton Hall University School of Law; BA, Rice University Company Name: Gibbons P.C.
Today’s leaders can support the next generation of black business leaders by fully embracing the understanding that DEI initiatives are business initiatives and not simply corporate social responsibility initiatives. Diversity should not be treated as a social project outside of core business operations. Real diversity within an organization means that there is a great variety of perspectives, personalities, and philosophies. Diverse viewpoints bring greater critical thinking, systems thinking, strategic thinking, empathy, courage, and innovation. Today’s leaders must view diversity as part of their greater business strategy and cultivate diversity as a tool to support business outcomes. When DEI initiatives become part of the economic and business focus of a corporation, such initiatives won’t become subject to trends.
Industry: Legal Company CEO: Peter J. Torcicollo, Managing Director Company Headquarters Location: Newark, NJ
Today’s leaders must view diversity as part of their greater business strategy and cultivate diversity as a tool to support business outcomes.
Number of Employees: 290+ Words you live by: “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” – James Baldwin, “As Much Truth as One Can Bear,” published Jan. 14, 1962, in The New York Times. Who is your personal hero? James Baldwin What book are you reading? Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America by James Allen What was your first job? Sanitation disposal at Hillcrest Hospital in Waco, Texas Favorite charity: Defend the Dream Foundation Interests/Hobbies: Going to the gym, traveling, cinema, and spending time with family Family: Debra Johnson (mother), Misti Johnson (sister), Alice Johnson (daughter), Louis Johnson (son)
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2023 Fourth Quarter
Today’s leaders must also intentionally create a path for future black business leaders by way of a black and diverse leadership pipeline. They must seek out overlooked or nontraditional strengths demonstrated by diverse and black team members. They must educate themselves about diverse cultures and backgrounds to understand how certain strengths manifest themselves in different ways and nurture those strengths in order to provide the next generation of black business leaders with the opportunity for growth. They must become curious about how to develop the next generation of black business leaders and learn about what works for their development so that they can remove any barriers to such development. By removing these barriers, today’s leaders create an opening for the next generation of black business leaders and corporate professionals. Today’s leaders must also educate themselves in order to better understand what diversity means to their individual organizations. They must engage groups among their company’s shareholders, employees, customer base, suppliers, and community. By being proactive, today’s leaders can start asking broader strategic questions and begin building the foundation for a truly diverse organization that will provide the next generation of black business leaders with more opportunities in the years to come.
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