CRAIN’S CHICAGO BUSINESS • June 28, 2021 21
Directors of DEI are a new breed. They hail from the world of human resources, but many have been recruited from other disciplines. The importance of these 39 specialists grew last year following the growing stature of the Black Lives Matter movement, the murder of George Floyd and the recognition of systemic racism. A number of them report directly to their company’s president or CEO. Many DEI managers opened channels to hear the grievances of Black and Latino employees. They launched speaker series and expanded resource groups. They added inclusion initia-
tives or established more concrete goals in recruiting and advancing minority staff along with metrics to measure progress. In some cases, job descriptions were rewritten to mitigate bias, and interview processes were reviewed. Some managers launched training for senior management to spotlight unconscious bias. The next years will show whether Chicago companies are willing and able to reform long-established practices that have hindered diversity and inclusion. By Judith Crown and Lisa Bertagnoli
CRYSTAL ANDREWS BANKS Director, diversity and inclusion Ulta Beauty
At the beauty products retailer based in Bolingbrook, Crystal Andrews Banks launched diversity and inclusion initiatives, including the company’s first Diversity Week and Race Matters Series, a mandatory leadership training program. Following the murder of George Floyd, Andrews Banks and her team provided leaders with resources to engage with employees and hear their concerns. Efforts led to the recruiting of actor Tracee Ellis Ross as an adviser. Andrews Banks joined Ulta in 2019 from Johnson Controls, where she was global manager of diversity and inclusion. Since 2015, she’s been an ambassador at the One Young World Summit, which convenes global talent to share DEI experiences. Andrews Banks is chair of the Retail Industry Leaders Association’s Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council and is on the board of Girls in the Game.
JOAN ARCHIE Executive director, construction compliance UChicago Medicine
Joan Archie runs a program at UChicago Medicine that provides a pathway for certified minority- and women-owned firms to participate in medical center construction and renovation projects. While at the Chicago Urban League, she developed the Construction Compliance Initiative for UChicago Medicine to benefit minority- and women-owned construction and construction-related firms. The program opened opportunities for minority firms, expanded their technical capacity and better positioned them to bid on and win other projects. Archie led the diversity effort on the construction of the Center for Care & Discovery, which was completed in 2013 and was the largest construction project in the history of the university and medical center. Before joining UChicago Medicine in 2007, Archie was director of the economic development department at the Urban League.
EKPEDEME “PAMAY” M. BASSEY Chief learning and diversity officer Kraft Heinz
Ekpedeme “Pamay” M. Bassey implements diversity and inclusion strategies at Kraft Heinz. She launched the WE Network, a leadership accelerator for women at the associate director level. Bassey also started a speaker series for all employees that features experts from diverse backgrounds. She’s a charter member of the Global Inclusion Council and through that group garnered support for the company to join the Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act. Following the murder of George Floyd, Bassey was a voice for Black employees before board members and top leadership. Bassey joined the food giant in 2018 from BlackRock, where she was global head of learning and professional development. She’s the author of My 52 Weeks of Worship, describing her visits to a variety of sacred spaces.
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METHODOLOGY: The honorees did not pay to be included. Their profiles were drawn from nomination materials submitted. This list is not comprehensive. It includes only executives for whom nominations were submitted and accepted after an editorial review. The honorees demonstrated that they made an impact in advancing DEI at their companies and in the workplace.
NATALIE BODUS
PAMYLA BROWN
Senior director, inclusion and diversity and employer brand Zebra Technologies
Community and citizenship director Turner Construction
In the past 18 months, Natalie Bodus led the launch of employee networks to enable Lincolnshire-based Zebra to progress toward its goal of a more inclusive workplace. Bodus’ team established goals for managers with guidance on how all employees can further inclusion and diversity. The team also launched KPIs—key performance indicators—that are reviewed quarterly with senior leadership to ensure progress is measured. Other efforts include an executive-sponsored inclusion and diversity council and partnerships with outreach organizations to provide access to talent from diverse backgrounds. To remove barriers to entry and advancement, Bodus has worked to revise job descriptions and interview guides. She joined Zebra in 2017 from Medline Industries, where she was global HR manager. Earlier, she held HR positions at Baxalta and Baxter.
At Turner Construction, Pamyla Brown oversees DEI programs for Turner-Chicago projects. She leads on-the-ground efforts for the development and execution of economic-impact programs for the Obama Presidential Center, or OPC, and the O’Hare 21 Project. In addition, Brown oversees the OPC Resource Center, which, prior to COVID, hosted information sessions for individuals interested in a construction career and one-on-one meetings for interested vendors and contractors. Following the murder of George Floyd, Brown assisted senior leadership in hosting a series of calls to highlight the company’s stance against racism. Brown is responsible for planning at the Turner School of Construction Management, a series of free workshops for entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds interested in construction management. She is on the boards of Chicago Women in Trades and Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago.