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The responsibility falls on everyone to contribute to an inclusive culture and when each workplace function collaborates and has a defined role, we see greater overall impact on the ability of all to thrive.”

– Anna Brown, Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer

Part 1: Insights From Global Compliance Leaders

As diversity and inclusion (D&I) has risen to the forefront of corporate agendas globally, pressure for organizations to accelerate progress around this space has been further intensified by recent social movements, rising stakeholder pressure and the disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on communities of color and women.

But amid the imperative for change, disconnects between organizational functions and unclear roles in corporate D&I strategies threaten to hinder progress. Our Mind the Gap Series looks to explore the role that each function has in creating a culture of inclusion and how collaboration across leadership, HR, compliance and others will be key.

In the first iteration of this series, we examine the role that compliance leaders, in particular, have to play. This report, in collaboration with Howlett Brown, looks at the connection between diversity, inclusion and compliance and is based on key findings and insights from a survey of more than 600 compliance leaders.

In this report, we explore:

  • the compliance function as a critical component of D&I success
  • the four key gaps preventing greater connectivity between compliance teams and corporate D&I strategies
  • how organizations can strengthen their approach to D&I, support change and manage risk
Laptop with Mind the Gap series report on screen

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Author

Yindi is a partner in the Baker McKenzie Dispute Resolution team based in London, and a member of the Compliance and Investigations group. Yindi’s practice includes a broad spectrum of complex and high-value international and domestic commercial litigation for multinational clients, with specialist expertise in anti-bribery and corruption investigations, compliance and trust disputes.

Author

Monica Kurnatowska is a partner in the Firm's London office. She focuses on employment law and has been recognised by Chambers UK as a leading lawyer in her field. Monica is a regular speaker at internal and external seminars and workshops, and has written for a number of external publications on bonus issues, atypical workers, TUPE and outsourcing.

Author

Anna Brown is a Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer in Baker McKenzie, New York office.

Author

Susan Eandi is the head of Baker McKenzie's Global Employment and Labor Law practice group for North America, and chair of the California Labor & Employment practice group. She speaks regularly for organizations including ACC, Bloomberg, and M&A Counsel. Susan has been published extensively in various external legal publications in addition to handbooks/magazines published by the Firm. Susan has been recognized as a leader in employment law by The Daily Journal, Legal 500 PLC and is a Chambers ranked attorney.

Author

Kurt Haegeman is the global chair of Baker McKenzie's Consumer Goods and Retail Industry Group and a partner in Baker McKenzie’s Brussels office. Kurt is also a member of the Firm's Global Cartel Task Force and European Competition Law Practice Group.

Author

Krissy Katzenstein is a partner in the Employment & Compensation Practice Group in Baker McKenzie’s New York office. Krissy represents employers in a wide range of employment disputes, with a focus on class and collective actions involving systemic discrimination as well as federal and state agency investigations of systemic discrimination and harassment claims. Krissy was named a “Rising Star” in Employment Law by Law360 in 2019.

Author

Joanna Ludlam is a partner in the Dispute Resolution team in Baker McKenzie's London office, where she leads the market-leading Regulatory, Public & Media law team and also co-leads the office's Compliance & Investigations Practice Group. At an international level, she co-chairs the Firm's Global Compliance & Investigations Steering Committee. In 2016, Joanna was named as one of The Lawyer’s “Hot 100” for her practice, and is recognised by Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners.

Author

Jessica is a partner in our San Francisco and Palo Alto offices. For more than two decades, she has been deeply involved in defending a range of preeminent government enforcement cases in the tech industry in California and beyond. Jess has helped a number of well-known public and private companies navigate high-profile crisis situations involving cutting-edge government enforcement and compliance issues. She has handled dozens of internal investigations for tech companies and has defended executives, employees, and groups of witnesses as "pool counsel" in cases at the forefront of evolving government enforcement including trade secrets and economic espionage, crypto-currencies, blockchain, and financial technology. Clients appreciate Jess for her practicality, complex strategic thinking, and deft ability to assemble effective defense teams domestically and across the globe.

Author

Cecilia Pastor is highly knowledgeable in the areas of mergers, acquisitions and pharmaceutical law. She is a lecturer at ICADE on international agreements for the university’s Masters in Law degree program. Ms. Pastor is a regular contributor to the Spanish chapters of Promoting Medical Products in Europe & North America, Pharmaceutical Advertising, and other publications. She is a member of the Madrid Bar Association.

Author

Julia Wilson is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Employment & Compensation team in London. She advises senior legal and HR stakeholders on a range of employment and data protection matters. A member of the Firm's Pro Bono Committee, she plays a lead role in the Firm's pro bono relationship with Save the Children International. She also collaborates with Law Works to deliver employment law training to solicitors who provide pro bono advice to individuals. Julia regularly presents at external and internal client seminars on a range of topics, and is often quoted in mainstream media. She authored precedent policies for the UK's Practical Law Company and co-wrote the common concepts chapter of the Tolley's Discrimination Handbook.

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