Getting to Know Our Conference Speakers -Stacia Jones

We’re just one week away!

We are so excited to have an amazing line-up of prominent leaders and trailblazers speaking at our 2018 Annual Conference Diversity + Flexibility = Embracing Change next Thursday, September 27.  We have been introducing these dynamic and engaging speakers during the past few months and sharing their diversity and flexibility insights here on our blog. We asked our speakers to answer a few questions about themselves, their approach to their career, and their lives. This week’s “Getting To Know Our Conference Speakers” post highlights Stacia Marie Jones, Esq., Associate General Counsel & Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at
Abercrombie & Fitch.

Diversity & Flexibility Alliance: What’s the most important message you hope attendees will learn from your panel?

Stacia Jones: The most important message is that to effectively and meaningfully push the needle on diversity in law firms, in-house legal teams must first decide that diversity is important and to then work with law firms that share those same values.

DFA: When the next generation learns about the #MeToo movement what do you hope has changed? 

SJ: That there is no longer a need for the movement because this behavior will not be tolerated.

DFA: What was the most meaningful piece of leadership advice you received? 

SJ: Lead with passion and compassion, in a caring manner that does not alienate or disenfranchise others.

DFA: Who has had the most influence on your career?

SJ: I don’t know that I can name one person, as many individuals have had significant, lasting influences on my career.

DFA: How do you recharge? 

SJ: Spending time with my family and getting in some alone time.

DFA: Where and when are you most content?  

SJ: At home and at church.

DFA: What do you know now that you wish you knew then?  

SJ: Most things work out and that overthinking matters causes undue anxiety and stress that usually does not make matters better. 

DFA: How do you pay it forward? 

SJ: Having a positive influence over colleagues on my team and on those who aspire professionally to have a similar career path.  Working with teenagers at church on professional development.

DFA: What can we be doing to create more inclusive organizations?  

SJ: Ensuring that everyone understands the importance of diversity and the positive impact that inclusivity has on employees. By cultivating an inclusive environment, it encourages everyone to be their whole selves.

It’s not too late to register for next week!

Join us next Thursday, September 27th to hear Stacia’s panel “Making Change Happen from the Outside-In: The Power of Client Persuasion.” Stacia will join other leading in-house counsel to discuss the importance of diverse teams and inclusive cultures, both internally and externally, and the role they are playing to make change happen from the outside-in with their law firms and other vendors.

Getting to Know Our Conference Speakers -Traci Schweikert

We are so excited to have an amazing line-up of prominent leaders and trailblazers speaking at our 2018 Annual Conference Diversity + Flexibility = Embracing Change on Thursday, September 27.  We’ll be introducing these dynamic and engaging speakers throughout the summer and sharing their diversity and flexibility insights here on our blog. We’ve asked our speakers to answer a few questions about themselves, their approach to their career, and their lives. This week’s “Getting To Know Our Conference Speakers” post highlights Traci Schweikert, Vice President of Human Resources at Politico.

Diversity & Flexibility Alliance: What’s the most important message you hope attendees will learn from your panel?

Traci Schweikert: Flexibility is a crucial part of creating a more inclusive workplace. If we continue to lean on policies, programs and benefits that were in place when we first entered the workforce years ago, we aren’t moving forward to create a more welcoming environment.

DFA: When the next generation learns about the #MeToo movement what do you hope has changed?

TS: That women and men will insist on the workplace culture we all deserve.  No one should ever suffer thinking that they have to ‘pay their dues’ by accepting uncivil or inappropriate behavior from co-workers or leaders.

DFA: What was the most meaningful piece of leadership advice you received? Who has had the most influence on your career?

TS: I have had the benefit of working for and with many excellent leaders who offered me opportunities to stretch.  Once the Global CFO of an organization I was working for told me to never apologize for the choices I needed to make as a working mom.  She explained that those choices needed to be a normal part of the workday, not the exceptions of a few.

DFA: How do you recharge? Where and when are you most content?

TS: Time to read feels like a luxury.  I am most content sitting on the couch reading while my boys sit close reading as well.

DFA: What do you know now that you wish you knew then?

TS: I spent too many years trying to create true work-life balance.  What I know now is we all find our rhythm. We pick important moments at work and at home and let the smaller moments go.  I have also learned to lean on my many support systems to help maintain that rhythm.

DFA: How do you pay it forward?

TS: As an executive, my job is to remove obstacles that prevent my team’s good ideas from sprouting.  I pay it forward by magnifying their voices and negotiating for the resources and organizational support they need to make those ideas real.

DFA: What can we be doing to create more inclusive organizations?

TS: Inclusion happens when each of us steps outside our familiar and commits to one truly new conversation or experience.  We can’t wait for someone else to provide us with an opportunity for diversity or inclusion.  We need to seek it out.

 

Join us for our Annual Conference on Thursday, September 27th and learn how Traci and her fellow panelists are transforming their organizations’ cultures through diversity and flexibility. Their panel, Making Change Happen from the Inside-Out: Industry Leaders Shaping the Organizational Culture, will run from 2:00 – 3:00 pm.

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Dentons Partner and Client Honored for Success While Working Flexible Schedule

Diversity & Flexibility Alliance to Present 2018 Flex Success® Award at Annual Conference September 27

Washington, DC – September 6, 2018 – The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance has announced that its 2018 Flex Success® Award Honorees will be Lori Mihalich-Levin, Partner at Dentons in Washington, DC, and her client Dr. Cindy Kelley, Vice President of Medical Education at Summa Health. The award recognizes partners at Diversity & Flexibility Alliance member law firms who have achieved success while working a reduced hours schedule as well as a client who has been integral to making workplace flexibility so successful. The Award will be presented on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at the Alliance’s annual conference, Diversity + Flexibility = Embracing Change, in Washington, DC. This conference was originally scheduled for March, but was postponed due to a snowstorm in DC. Conference registration is available here.

“Not only has Lori managed to reach high levels of career success while working a reduced hours schedule, but she is also truly passionate about helping to grow the pipeline of women leaders and supporting other working parents,” said Manar Morales, President and CEO of the Alliance. “With the support of her colleagues at Dentons and her clients, including Summa Health, Lori has grown her personal business and cared for her children while providing top-notch client service,” she added.

Ms. Mihalich-Levin has worked a 60% reduced hours schedule while representing hospitals, academic medical centers, medical schools and health systems as a Partner in Dentons’ Healthcare Practice since August 2015. In just two years, she was able to bring in 20 new clients to the firm and build a premier practice around legal issues related to graduate medical education. Her reduced hours schedule has allowed her to care for her two small children, while also building Mindful Return, LLC, a personal business that assists new parents in their transition back to work from parental leave, and writing a book Back to Work After Baby: How to Plan and Navigate a Mindful Return from Maternity Leave. She is also the Co-Chair of the firm’s Parent Professional Network, where she champions the success of diverse attorneys and has been instrumental in updating the firm’s parental leave policies.

“Ultimately the key to a successful flexible work arrangement is to be flexible and transparent,” explained Ms. Mihalich-Levin. “I am so thankful for the trust, support and encouragement that Cindy has offered me as well as her willingness to accommodate my schedule,” she added referring to her client, Dr. Cindy Kelley, Vice President of Medical Education, Summa Health.

“Lori and her Dentons team were critical to our success in overcoming significant challenges at our organization last year. I am so thankful for people like Lori who have a passion for finding that balance in life that allows them to pursue their careers while raising a family,“ stated Dr. Cindy Kelley. “Summa Health certainly benefited from this passion, as do all organizations that support workplace diversity and flexibility.”

“Dentons is committed to supporting our lawyers and professionals who work on a reduced hours or flexible schedule and applaud the effort of forward-thinking lawyers like Lori Mihalich-Levin,” said Mike McNamara, CEO of Dentons. “We also applaud our client Summa Health for embracing Lori’s flexible work arrangement. We firmly believe that flexibility results in positive changes that benefit the firm, the client, and our lawyers’ careers.”

The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance is a think tank that collaborates with organizations to develop non-stigmatized flexible work policies that promote inclusive work cultures for all and help to advance more women into leadership positions. The Alliance provides practical research-based solutions, training workshops, and strategic advisory services that increase organizational effectiveness through diversity and flexibility.

For more information contact:

Manar Morales

manar@dfalliance.com

202-957-9650

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Diversity & Flexibility Alliance to Recognize Akin Gump Chair Kim Koopersmith For Outstanding Leadership in Advancing Flexibility

Award to be presented at Conference on September 27

Washington, DC – September 6, 2018 – The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance has announced that Kim Koopersmith, chairperson of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, will receive its 2018 Flex Leader Award. The Flex Leader Award recognizes an executive who is moving his or her organization toward a more inclusive workplace through holistic flexibility. The Award will be presented on Thursday, September 27, 2018 at the Alliance’s annual conference, Diversity + Flexibility = Embracing Change, in Washington, DC. This conference was originally scheduled for March, but was postponed due to the snowstorm in DC. Registration is available here.

Ms. Koopersmith is being recognized for her unwavering commitment to the advancement of women, attorneys of color and flexible work options for all. She has been instrumental in the success of Akin Gump’s Reduced Work Schedule and Agile Work Policies, which have consistently adapted to the needs of the firm’s employees and changes in technology, family dynamics, practice models and cultural norms.

“Kim is the perfect example of a leader who is committed to ensuring that flexible work options are available to everyone,” said Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. “She understands the value of flexibility to individuals, as well as to the firm in its recruitment and retention of top diverse talent. She is dedicated to providing outstanding client service while offering forward-thinking policies to employees worldwide,” she added.

“I want to make sure I use my voice and experience as a lawyer, working mother and firm leader to address and advocate for diversity and flexibility,” said Ms. Koopersmith. “I truly believe that our success originates from our talent, and one of the best ways we can support our employees is to provide the flexibility that they require,” she notes. “Equally as important, flexibility allows us to be in sync with our clients who also value diversity and flexibility,” she emphasized.

In her role as chairperson of Akin Gump, Ms. Koopersmith heads the firm’s management committee and has been instrumental in the firm’s continued commitment to diversity, pro bono work and attorney excellence. She is involved in numerous community, civic and charitable activities, including serving on the board of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, the Pro Bono Institute Law Firm Committee and Her Justice, an organization dedicated to assisting victims of domestic violence.

The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance is a think tank that collaborates with organizations to develop non-stigmatized flexible work policies that promote inclusive work cultures and help to advance more women into leadership positions. The Alliance provides practical research-based solutions, training workshops, and strategic advisory services that increase organizational effectiveness through diversity and flexibility.

For more information contact:

Manar Morales

manar@dfalliance.com

202-957-9650

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Groundbreaking Flexibility Initiatives To Be Recognized for Their Impact on Industries

 Awards to be presented at conference on September 27

Washington, DC – September 6, 2018 – The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance has announced that its 2018 Flex Impact Awards will be presented to tech industry giant Dell, and international law firms, Fried, Frank, Harris, Shriver & Jacobson LLP and White & Case LLP.

The awards, which recognize initiatives that are poised to have a significant impact on the culture of workplace flexibility, will be presented at the Alliance’s annual conference Diversity + Flexibility = Embracing Change on Thursday, September 27, 2018 in Washington, DC. This conference was originally scheduled for March, but was postponed due to a snowstorm in DC. Registration information is available here.

“Dell, Fried Frank and White & Case stood out to us this year because of their willingness to take risks, invest in their employees and lead their industries by embracing more progressive approaches to flexible work and leave policies,” stated Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. “Each of these organizations took their commitment to flexibility to new heights by expanding their initiatives to better meet the needs of a new generation of employees, while also positively impacting inclusion, recruitment and retention of top talent,” she explained.

Dell will be honored for its worldwide flexible work initiative, Connected Workplace, that encourages all eligible employees to choose where and when they work. Dell’s Executive Leadership team has led the initiative by working remotely themselves and emphasizing flexibility as a key component of the company’s culture and integral part of its business strategy. The company provides employees with the technology needed for team collaboration, flexibility training and an employee resource group, called Conexus, that helps remote team members connect to share best practices, network and develop camaraderie. Through Connected Workplace, Dell has been able to increase employee engagement and retention, conserve natural resources and energy, cut back on real estate expenses and reduce transportation pollution.

“Embracing and promoting a work flexibility culture just makes sense,” said Mohammed Chahdi, director of Global Human Resources at Dell, who leads Dell’s flexible work program (Connected Workplace). “At its core, this kind of culture is about enabling team members with the right environment and tools to collaborate and deliver their best work, regardless of where, when and how that work occurs.”

Fried Frank will be honored for its full-pay, “on-ramping” policy, which allows employees returning from parental leave to gradually return to full-time over a six-month period. Caregivers are thereby allowed to slowly ease their way back into work after leave by working a 75 percent schedule while receiving full compensation. By committing to a relatively small financial investment in its employees who are new parents, Fried Frank has been able to retain employees who might otherwise have been overwhelmed with the stress of full-time work and parenthood.

“The happiness and success of our attorneys is a top priority at Fried Frank and we recognize that parenthood is a big change,” said David Greenwald, Chairman of Fried Frank. “Our policy aims to alleviate the challenges faced by new parents as they transition back to work, striking the balance between professional success and personal fulfillment. For us, this was a common sense policy change consistent with our commitment to inclusion and retention. We are honored to receive this recognition by the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance,” he added.

White & Case will be honored for its new gender-neutral parental leave policy that eliminates the primary and secondary caregiver designation and is also offered to both attorneys and staff. The firm’s policy allows all parents to take 12 weeks of leave any time within 12 months following the birth, adoption or foster placement of a child. By extending the same benefits to attorneys and staff members, no matter the level or position, White & Case has been able to foster a more inclusive environment and demonstrate its commitment to supporting all of its employees.

“We try to foster an environment of inclusion and support at the firm, and ensuring everyone has the opportunity to spend significant time with their new child is one way that we can do that,” said David Koschik, member of the firm’s Executive Committee. “Everyone at the firm works very hard and deserves time with their families and loved ones. While it’s a departure from how many professional services firms do business, we are committed to the idea that every person at every level at White & Case be able to participate in a program like this one.”

The Diversity and Flexibility Alliance is a think tank that collaborates with organizations to develop non-stigmatized flexible work policies that promote inclusive work cultures and help to advance more women into leadership positions. The Alliance provides practical research-based solutions, training workshops, and strategic advisory services that increase organizational effectiveness through diversity and flexibility.

For more information contact:

Manar Morales

manar@dfalliance.com

202-957-9650

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September 27 Conference to Showcase Innovative Best Practices, Latest Trends, Cutting-edge Research on Diversity & Flexibility

Washington, DC – September 6, 2018 – The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance will hold its highly anticipated Annual Conference, Diversity + Flexibility = Embracing Change, on Thursday, September 27 at the Washington, DC Offices of Jones Day. This interactive, one-day event delivers the latest trends, cutting-edge research and best practices in diversity and flexibility and attracts professionals from all industries. This conference was originally scheduled for March, but was postponed due to a snowstorm in DC. Registration and more information are available here.

The conference is widely known as one of the DC area’s largest gatherings of prominent leaders from around the world committed to strategically addressing the critical issues of Diversity and Flexibility.  Leaders, General Counsel and Chairs from corporations like KPMG, Dell, Intel, Abercrombie & Fitch, EverFi, Fannie Mae, Politico, and countless prominent law firms will share personal experiences and valuable insights into the evolution of their organizations’ diversity and flexibility initiatives.

“Our conference provides a unique opportunity to hear expert insights and first-hand perspectives from top-level executives and those blazing the trail in the advancement of diversity and flexibility,” said Manar Morales, President & CEO of the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance. “In just one day, attendees acquire concrete strategies and critical information that enables them to implement real change in their organizations,” she added.

The Alliance will also present the following awards to individuals, leaders, and organizations that are leading the way in successfully implementing flexible work:

– The 2018 Flex Impact Award, which recognizes initiatives that are poised to have a significant impact on the culture of flexibility, will be presented to: Dell for its highly-successful flexible work initiative; law firm Fried Frank for its full-pay, on-ramping (return from leave) policy; and, law firm White & Case for its gender-neutral leave policy which is extended to both attorneys and staff. (Access detailed press release here.)

– The 2018 Flex Leader Award will be presented to Kim Koopersmith, chairperson of Akin Gump, for her unwavering support of and commitment to providing holistic flexible work options for all. (Access detailed press release here.)

– The 2018 Flex Success Award, acknowledges law firm partners who achieve success while working a reduced hours schedule and their clients who have been integral to making their flexibility a success. This year’s honorees will be Lori Mihalich-Levin, Partner, Dentons, and her client Dr. Cindy Kelley, Vice President, Medical Education, Summa Health. (Access detailed press release here.)

This year’s featured speaker, Vipula Gandhi, of Gallup Inc., will present eye-opening data and analysis on the State of the American Workplace including perspective on employee engagement, organizational culture, and performance management. Other highlights will include: valuable insights and perspective on the results of the Alliance’s Annual Law Firm Flexibility Benchmarking Study; a case study presentation describing the development, implementation and management of KPMG’s highly successful women’s initiative; panel discussions emphasizing the role that clients play in encouraging diversity; and, presentations on leading best practices on flexibility and leave policies.

The Diversity & Flexibility Alliance is a think tank that collaborates with organizations to develop non-stigmatized flexible work policies that promote inclusive work cultures and help to advance more women into leadership positions. The Alliance provides practical research-based solutions, training workshops, and strategic advisory services that increase organizational effectiveness through diversity and flexibility.

 

For more information contact:

Manar Morales

manar@dfalliance.com

202-957-9650