Mr. John Wallacereports

CALDWELL LAUNCHES DIVERSITY & INCLUSION ADVISORY COUNCIL, FURTHER EXPANDING AGILE TALENT SOLUTIONS

As part of the firm's strategic initiative to position clients ahead of critical emerging technologies and trends, Caldwell Partners International Inc. has launched a diversity and inclusion advisory council, aimed at providing strategic insight, external accountability and expert guidance to Caldwell clients in developing diversity and inclusion (D&I) strategy and programs, and aligning goals, people and processes.

"Countless studies and statistics have been published showing the positive impact that diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace have with respect to performance, creativity and innovation, and superior financial results," said Chris Beck, chief operating officer of Caldwell. "Yet, even in this age of increased awareness, not all companies know how to approach diversity and inclusion programs effectively. There is also a shortage of executives with real-world experience leading initiatives in this rapidly evolving space, making it easy to see why so many companies are seeking strategic support on their D&I programs."

Mr. Beck continued: "Caldwell fully understands the transformative power of great talent and its ability to turn potential into success. To meet the growing need for experience and advice, we have created Caldwell advisory councils, a solution that partners exceptional advisers from our broad network of executives and experts with client companies looking for strategic and tactical support on an as-needed basis."

Caldwell D&I councils leverage Caldwell's relationships with established sitting executives and renowned thought leaders to deliver bespoke councils tailored to each client's unique culture and goals. The firm combines multiple advisers with complementary niche expertise to deliver evolving solutions.

New and relevant advisers can be rotated on a client's council as their program grows and needs change. Available capabilities within diversity and inclusion include D&I strategy and implementation guidance, organizational design, talent acquisition, workplace advancement programs, employee/business resource groups (ERGs/BRGs), global work force and public policy, coaching and mentoring (CDO/CHRO/management), legal landscape and advice, and education and training programs.

D&I advisory councils take on different roles and responsibilities, depending on the client's needs. From mentoring a high-potential employee promoted into their first chief diversity officer role to consulting with a company who is not ready to commit to a full-time D&I role but in need of a D&I strategy roadmap, Caldwell can put together a bespoke council to support the organization's unique needs.

Caldwell welcomes three pioneering leaders in the diversity and inclusion space to a steering committee to oversee the offering and advisory network, and contribute to the advancement of D&I and its connection to your unique business.

Subha Barry, president, Working Mother Media -- Ms. Barry oversees Working Mother magazine, the Working Mother website, Diversity Best Practices and the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE). Prior, she was senior vice-president and chief diversity officer at Freddie Mac and MD and global head of D&I at Merrill Lynch. Ms. Barry additionally serves on select boards aligned with her passions -- education, cancer research and the advancement of women and girls.

Dionysia Johnson-Massie, shareholder, Littler Mendelson -- With over 1,500 attorneys in 80 offices, Littler has the world's largest employment and labour law practice representing management. Ms. Johnson-Massie is a founding member and past co-chair of Littler's award-winning diversity and inclusion council, founding co-chair of its Women's Leadership Initiative, and strategic contributor to its diversity and inclusion practice group. She focuses on federal and international employment discrimination litigation and matters, and also strategic compliance issues, including diversity and inclusion strategies with executives and boards.

Todd Sears, founder and principal, Out Leadership, the global lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-plus business network trusted by chief executive officers and multinational companies to drive Return on Equality. Mr. Sears began his career as an investment banker before moving to Merrill Lynch to become a financial adviser, where he created the first team of financial advisers on Wall Street to focus on the LGBT-plus community and brought $1.5-billion of new assets to the firm. Mr. Sears then moved into diversity leadership, pioneering equality initiatives first at Merrill Lynch and then at Credit Suisse.

"Providing clients the ability to access diversity and inclusion strategy and implementation support from experts such as Subha, Dionysia and Todd, as well as our broader network of domain-specific experts, offers the ability to craft tailored world-class programs, appropriate to a specific client's size, needs and desired outcomes," Mr. Beck concluded.

"We are focused on our primary purpose, which is to enable organizations to thrive and succeed by helping them identify, recruit and retain their best people," said John Wallace, chief executive officer of Caldwell. "Businesses in every area of the economy are rethinking how best to use talent and leverage it in different ways to create tangible financial value, and Caldwell is on the forefront of this changing dynamic. We believe this expansion of our capabilities will help deliver long-term value by providing strategic insight, external accountability and expert guidance in helping our clients to develop strategy and programs, and align goals, people and processes."

About The Caldwell Partners International Inc.

Caldwell believes that talent transforms. As a leading provider of executive talent, the company enables its clients to thrive and succeed by helping them identify, recruit and retain their best people. Caldwell's reputation -- nearly 50 years in the making -- has been built on transformative searches across functions and geographies at the very highest levels of management and operations. The company leverages its skills and networks to also provide agile talent in the form of flexible and on-demand advisory solutions for companies looking for support in strategy and operations.