BRIDGE Expands its Board of Directors as Eleven More Top Brands, Agencies and Media/Tech Companies Double Down on Activating DEI

Learn More About the Latest Organizations Powering BRIDGE's Mission to Tackle the Structures in Place that Contribute to the Gap in Belonging, Representation, Inclusion, Diversity and Equity and What's Next

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BRIDGE, the first purpose-driven DEI trade organization to serve the global marketing industry, today announced that it has added eleven new members to its board, including:

• Elise James-DeCruise, Chief Equity Officer, AdCouncil
• Jessica Ricaurte, Chief Revenue Officer, Adsmovil
• Tony Chen, CEO and Founder, Channel Factory
• Emile Khader, Senior Vice President, Marketing Strategy, Chief of Staff to Global CMO, Condé Nast
• Michele Laven, Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Diversity Officer at iHeartMedia
• Jennifer Warren, VP, Global Brand and Marketing Communications, Indeed
• Kareem Cook, Chief Marketing Officer, Owner, Naturade/VeganSmart
• Sandra Sims-Williams, Chief Diversity Officer, Nielsen
• Charles Cantu, Founder, Reset Digital
• Deborah Yeh, Global Chief Purpose Officer and Chief Marketing Officer, Sephora Americas
• Judy Jackson, Former Global Head of Culture, WPP

With the addition of the new board members, twenty-four of BRIDGE's twenty-eight board seats are now filled.

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 and untapped 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 fundamental for marketing and business leaders to incorporate DEI as core to our growth strategies and to build a culture of inclusion at both the brand and company levels," said Emile Khader, Senior Vice President, Marketing Strategy, Chief of Staff to Global CMO, Condé Nast. "I am thrilled to join BRIDGE's Board of Directors to accelerate the work it is leading to do just that."

"The increased power, knowledge and commitment our new board members bring forward in support of BRIDGE's mssion to drive an equitable culture in our industry is game changing," said BRIDGE founder and CEO Sheryl Daija. "With the unique convergence of diversity and business leaders, we are building the foundations to help companies drive systemic change as part of both a moral and business imperative."

"Our new board members-in-arms could not have signed on at a better time as BRIDGE is about to show the industry what we are made of, as we roll out our first action-based programs," said Jonita Wilson, Chief Diversity Officer, Discover Financial and Chair of the BRIDGE board.

Key initiatives BRIDGE is preparing to roll out in Q4 2022 and early 2023, include: 

• Voices of Inclusion Research and the Inclusive Brand Project — A pioneering research study led by an academic team that is deliberately designed to advance the understanding, management and measurement of inclusion in marketing.
  
  
• BRIDGE SmartBrief: Launching early Q4 2022, the BRIDGE SmartBrief will be the first of its kind weekly newsletter for the media, marketing and advertising industry that aggregates leading DEI stories, providing those who care about DEI news and issues with one place to go to get their fix. To sign up click here.
  
  
• BRIDGE's Leadership and Learning — A comprehensive DEI framework to help companies identify, deconstruct and rethink their own structural gaps that contribute to inequities. This agenda includes multiple layers of standards, best practices and interactive workshop sessions.
  
  
• BRIDGE 2023 Inaugural Event: Pioneering DEI Next Practices — BRIDGE's inaugural executive retreat is programmed specifically for Chief Diversity Officers, Chief Marketing Officers, other C-Suite and Business Leaders as well as rising stars. Throughout this interactive program, participants will discover how to commit more fully to all aspects of DEI as integral to a brand's ethos and a company's bottom line as well as help set the industry agenda as we begin to define the future of DEI. Please request an invitation to join April 23-25, 2023 here.

"BRIDGE and the board will double down on driving positive sustainable change across our industry," said Sandra Sims-Williams, Chief Diversity Officer, Nielsen. "Positioning diversity, equity and inclusion at the center of your business, beyond HR or culture, sets you up for long-term business success. Companies that prioritize DE&I and put it into practice are winning savvy job seekers and consumers."

In addition to the incredible work BRIDGE's board has been doing to get these initiatives off the ground, the organization has also established a strategic relationship with The CMO Club to ensure those members who are interested in DEI have easy access to BRIDGE's innovative research, thought leadership and resources.

For more information about BRIDGE's new board, please visit http://www.wearebridge.com or contact us at [email protected].

Launched in 2022, BRIDGE is a member-driven 501C6. We help companies bridge the gaps that have created inequities for under-represented and untapped communities in the workplace, workforce and marketplace. With the variety of programs that BRIDGE offers including proprietary research, storytelling workshops, best practices, events and more, we identify and dismantle the structures in place to drive systemic change in belonging, representation, inclusion, diversity and equity (BRIDGE is an acronym for these constructs). 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: Linzy Meija, [email protected]

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