The Board’s Role in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Announcing commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) can be easy. A press release does it. Delivering on those commitments can be hard. This panel will address the difficult, pragmatic challenges of living up to the various DEI demands facing corporations from the boardroom to the factory floor, particularly in light of expected changes in the law around affirmative action. The panel will explore strategies for diversifying the larger workforce and building an inclusive culture, including how to measure progress and hold management accountable. In addition, some institutional investors are asking companies to engage third parties to conduct racial justice audits to assess how systemic racism affects the company’s policies and business practices, including review of human capital management, the companies’ products and services, and its philanthropic and political contributions. The panelists will discuss these controversial issues and grapple with the best practices available to directors facing these challenges.