Executives from Campbells, Discover, NBCUniversal, IBM, Salesforce, UM Worldwide, Unilever and Others Lock Arms to Tackle the Structures in Place that Contribute to the Gap in Belonging, Representation, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity.
SAN DIEGO, April 19, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- BRIDGE, the first purpose-driven DEI trade organization to serve the global marketing industry, launched this morning. Founded by former MMA Global Chief Strategy Officer Sheryl Daija, BRIDGE's mission is to provide its member companies with the knowledge and resources to bridge the gaps that have created inequities for under-represented communities in the workplace, workforce and marketplace. BRIDGE's action-oriented philosophy is positioned to help companies and the industry drive meaningful, accountable and measurable change.
"It is both a business and moral imperative that we shift from talk to action to create an equitable culture in our industry. DEI should not simply be a line item in an operating agenda, it needs to permeate through all aspects of a business - from the C-Suite through product development to customer service — internally and externally," said Daija. "By uniting DEI and marketing leaders with the industry at large, we will accelerate the rate of much-needed change. We are humbled and honored at the level of commitment from our founding board members and our advisors."
Filling a giant void in the industry, BRIDGE has quickly built an exceptional community including the inaugural Board of Directors:
- Jonita Wilson, Chief Diversity Officer, Discover Financial (Chair)
- Christine Escribano, SVP, Head of One Platform Marketing, NBCUniversal Media (Vice-Chair)
- Tish Archie Oliver, Head of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, Unilever
- Trixie Ferguson Gray, President, The Newsette
- Louis Jones, Media & Marketing Consultant, BSO in Residence, Brand Safety Institute
- Rebecca Messina, Senior Advisor, McKinsey & Co.
- Lukeisha Paul, Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, GroupM
- Yin Rani, CEO/CMO, MilkPEP
- Deidre Smalls-Landau, US CMO & EVP, Global Business Equity, UMWW
- Randi Stipes, Chief Marketing Officer, IBM Watson Advertising
- Jon Suarez-Davis, SVP, Marketing Strategy & Innovation, Salesforce
- Leslie Waller, Vice President of Marketing, Campbells
BRIDGE's chair and vice-chair reflect this convergence of DEI and business, as Jonita Wilson, Chief Diversity Officer at Discover Financial Services, the first-ever Chief Diversity Officer and woman of color to chair a key marketing industry trade group, steps forward. Christine Escribano, SVP, Head of One Platform Marketing, NBCUniversal Media assumes the position as vice-chair.
"I am incredibly excited and honored to be named as the chair of BRIDGE," said Wilson, "We have big plans for our first year – to bring together the marketing and DEI leaders most committed to transforming today's gaps into universal inclusion and to deliver proprietary and unique programs focused on driving change to the industry."
BRIDGE has already hit the ground running with several programs, including its Voices of Inclusion Research, which guides leaders on what actions and practices are needed in their specific market to make real progress towards sustainable equity. In addition, BRIDGE's storytelling workshop series are interactive sessions that address various topics by replacing the clinical aspect of training with a more human-to-human approach.
"To paraphrase Einstein, we can't solve problems with the same thinking that created them," said Jon Suarez-Davis, SVP, Marketing Strategy & Innovation, Salesforce. "BRIDGE's leadership and its members understand this, and we are reshaping the approach, dialogue and actions to support the industry in this overdue cultural shift."
"Our long term goal is to create a comprehensive BRIDGE agenda for all companies and to subsequently certify against its implementation and measure its impact," added Daija. "We invite everyone to join us on this journey."
In addition to the Founding Board, others who have joined BRIDGE in support as contributors include: Andrea Bibbs, Vice President, Ad Sales, Marketing and Studio Operations, Warner Media; Clayton Benn, Award Winning Creative Producer and Director, DEI Advocate; Kevin Bradshaw, Vice President, Executive Director, City Year; Wiley Davi, PhD, Professor of English & Media Studies, Bentley University; Kim Gnatt, President, Kim Digital; Kat Krieger, CMO, Together for Safer Roads; Jeff Marshall, Chief Diversity Officer, Head of Diversity, Equity and Belonging, UM Worldwide; Lana McGilvray, CEO, Purpose Worldwide; Nancy Newman, Teaching Associate, Brown University, Marketing Consultant; Omar Rodriguez Vila, PhD, Associate Professor in the Practice of Marketing, Emory University; Ronalee Zarate-Bayani, Former CMO, Los Angeles Rams and more.
BRIDGE and its members are connected by a common purpose to elevate the role of under-represented communities and people with different lived experiences in our industry. As part of this commitment, each company that joins BRIDGE selects a start up run by BIPOC/LGBTQIA2+ or others to gain full access as a BRIDGE member.
How to join BRIDGE and learn more: For more information on how to join BRIDGE please visit http://www.wearebridge.com or contact us at [email protected]. To speak or interview the best member of the BRIDGE team, email [email protected].
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About BRIDGE
Founded in 2021, BRIDGE is a member-driven 501C6. BRIDGE's mission is to create a cultural shift in companies where DEI becomes an umbrella DNA to all facets of business from product development through customer service. With the variety of programs that BRIDGE offers including proprietary research, storytelling workshops, events and more, we identify and dismantle the structures in place that currently contribute to the gap in belonging, representation, inclusion, diversity and equity (BRIDGE is an acronym for these facets). Our long term goal is to create a comprehensive BRIDGE agenda for companies and certify against its implementation and impact. BRIDGE is an inclusive organization that welcomes support and participation from all companies in the global marketing industry as well as like-minded academics and DEI champions. We are stronger together. Visit BRIDGE to learn more and join (http://www.wearebridge.com).
Media Contact
Lana McGilvray
Founder and CEO, Purpose Worldwide
[email protected]
512.970.8310
Media Contact
Lana McGilvray, BRIDGE, 1 512.970.8310, [email protected]
Sheryl Daija, BRIDGE, 9172876140, [email protected]
SOURCE BRIDGE
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