The 25th Annual HACR Symposium: The Power of Inclusion™ was held on May 1-2, 2017, at the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit. The sold out event brought together some of the nation’s most influential Hispanic leaders, government officials, and corporate executives to discuss and identify effective strategies and models for achieving greater Hispanic inclusion in the areas of Employment, Procurement, Philanthropy, and Governance. PepsiCo and Target Corporation were this year’s Co-Host Sponsors.
On Monday, participants started the day with a networking breakfast where Cid Wilson, President and CEO of HACR delivered welcome remarks and a presentation about HACR. After breakfast, Deborah Rosado Shaw, Senior Vice President, Chief Global Diversity and Engagement Officer for PepsiCo and Caroline Wanga, Chief Diversity Officer & Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion for Target Corp. delivered sponsor remarks at the Symposium kick off.
Throughout the day, participants had the opportunity to hear from renowned speakers, learn best practices in diversity and inclusion, engage in thoughtful discussions, network with corporate Hispanic leaders, and interact with panelists and speakers. One of the highlights of the day was a fireside chat with Mary Barra, Chairman and CEO of General Motors and HACR’s Cid Wilson. Wilson and Barra discussed diversity and leadership in Corporate America in front of more than 300 attendees.
The second day of the 25th Annual HACR Symposium kicked off with a panel led by Jorge Plasencia, Co- Founder, Chairman, and CEO of República, and featured members of the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD): Linda Akutagawa, President & CEO of the Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc.; Deborah Gillis, President & CEO of Catalyst; Ronald C. Parker, President & CEO of The Executive Leadership Council; and Cid Wilson, President & CEO of HACR. Panelists shared insights from the Missing Pieces Report: The 2016 Board Diversity Census of Women and Minorities on Fortune 500 Boards and discussed corporate governance. To watch his session, click on the video below.
Participants also had the opportunity to attend the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) panel which featured Ray Dempsey, Jr., Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer for BP America; Beatriz Rodriguez, Chief Diversity Officer for The Home Depot; and Deborah Rosado Shaw, Senior Vice President, Chief Global Diversity and Engagement Officer for PepsiCo. After the CDO panel, attendees listened to keynote speaker, The Honorable Henry Cisneros, Executive Chairman, CityView during the Tuesday Symposium Luncheon sponsored by Ford Motor Company and Marriott International.
Also part of the program was HACR’s signature event, the Latina Power Executives panel, which was sponsored by General Motors and featured Cynthia Benjamin, Vice President, International Treasurers for Prudential; Alba Colón, Chevrolet’s Racing Program Manager for NASCAR Cup Series; and Geena Mayback, Senior Vice President and Market Sales Executive for US Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. The conversation was moderated by Dr. Lisette Garcia, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for HACR.
HACR also celebrated the 11th anniversary of its flagship event, the HACR CEO Roundtable, which was sponsored by Ford Motor Company and featured Keith Allman, President & CEO of Masco Corp.; Ralph W. Babb Jr., CEO of Comerica, Inc.; and Mark Fields, Former President & CEO of Ford Motor Company. Once again, Emmy award-winning journalist and anchor for Telemundo, Norma García, moderated the discussion and engaged the CEOs in a candid conversation. To watch his session, click on the video below.
The discussion was centered on each of the participant’s respective companies’ Hispanic inclusion strategies and the role diversity plays at the different levels of their organizations. Finally, the Symposium concluded with the HACR Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers™ Awards & Reception sponsored by Altria and MillerCoors. This year, 34 honorees from HACR Corporate Member and Fortune 500 companies were recognized for their accomplishments, continued success, and commitment to the community.
About the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility
Founded in 1986, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) is the nation’s leading corporate advocacy organizations in the nation representing 14 national Hispanic organizations in the United States and Puerto Rico. Its mission is to advance the inclusion of Hispanics in Corporate America at a level commensurate with our economic contributions. To that end, HACR focuses on four areas of corporate social responsibility and market reciprocity: Employment, Procurement, Philanthropy, and Governance.
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