Stellantis has built a brand that celebrates continued diversity and inclusion beyond the news headlines, from their corporate teams to their dealers, many of which we’ve featured right here on CBT News.
On today’s show, we’re tapping into Stellantis’ corporate culture of diversity. We’re pleased to welcome Lottie Holland, the Director of Diversity, Inclusion, Engagement, and EEO Compliance for Stellantis North America to talk to us about some of their initiatives and we’ll also get into recruitment.
Speaking with Jim, Lottie mentions that the goal at Stellantis is “cultivating an environment where all people feel safe and feel that they belong, and that we’re ensuring we have a diverse pipeline of talent to meet the needs of our customers.”
Black Leaders Advancement Collective (BLAC) and Leaders Embracing All Diversity (LEAD) are two programs based on another female-centric program that’s been met with great success. These initiatives develop talent and leadership skills among diverse groups, aiming “to put them on the path to advancement”.
According to Lottie, establishing these programs is with the intent to weave diversity and inclusion into the fabric of the company at Stellantis. The goal is to have some of the program participants assigned to roles and building an internal pipeline for advancement.
The programs have proven success among the participants in the female leadership initiatives already over the course of the past three years. A number of women have participated in specific assignments and resource groups, and moving up into leadership positions. For the BLAC and LEAD programs, the target is similar.
Lottie explains that the development among minorities isn’t just focused within the company either, but also looks to be implemented in recruitment from external sources.
Another DEI initiative at Stellantis that Lottie mentions include the National Black Supplier Program. She says, “We understand that if black suppliers are successful, then that spills over into their communities. That spills over to affording equal opportunities for education, for health.”
As a corporation, Stellantis seeks to be a company that is about economic empowerment, not just a carmaker. The focus is on more than immediate results but on development in the areas of diversity over the next 10 to 15 years. “It’s definitely critical to start now to have the long-term success that we expect to have.”
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