Research shows benefits to having dedicated DEI leaders

CEO applies hospitality lessons to Under Armour goals | Hearts & Science's Woubie Bekele on her career | How supporting rookie managers can reduce attrition Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( September 20, 2023 [WFF Leadership SmartBrief]( Advancing and Empowering Women Leaders [SIGN UP]( ⋅ [SHARE]( ADVERTISEMENT A Leader's Edge [] [CEO applies hospitality lessons to Under Armour goals]( Customer connection is at the heart of the activewear industry, as it is in hospitality, says Stephanie Linnartz, who became CEO of Under Armour in February after 25 years with Marriott International. Linnartz is leveraging Marriott's lessons in empathy, excellence and grit to further Under Armour's goals of expanding "better" and "best" products and women's apparel, recapturing "brand heat" in the US, and hiring executives. Full Story: [Women's Wear Daily]( (9/19) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Exceptional Taste, Texture & Performance Idahoan® honors the integrity of the potato through a one-touch cooking method, delivering scratch-like taste and performance. The result? A Fresh-Dried™ potato that can be easily and consistently prepared time and again. Taste the difference - [request your FREE sample today!]( ADVERTISEMENT: [] Career Progression: Developing Leaders [] [Hearts & Science's Woubie Bekele on her career]( Woubie Bekele, associate media director at Hearts & Science, talks about how she got into advertising, how creativity is part of the media landscape and the importance of inclusion in media planning and buying. Bekele also offers advice to Black women entering advertising, stressing the positive effects of mentorship and joining networking groups. Full Story: [Muse by Clio]( (9/13) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [How supporting rookie managers can reduce attrition]( Studies show that companies that hire first-time managers without offering leadership training, coaching or mentorship experience higher attrition from female employees and make less progress in closing their gender gap. One study highlights how companies can help rookie managers improve leadership skills, including conflict management, decision-making under pressure and providing quality feedback. Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (9/17) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] - [How Hill House Home founder built a company and a family in a pandemic]( Women's Wear Daily (9/19) How will AI impact your industry now – and in the future? The virtual SmartBrief AI Impact Summit, Sept. 27 & 28, features globally renowned AI experts, including a live keynote from Zack Kass, Futurist with OpenAI, creator of ChatGPT. Also on the agenda: experts from Nasdaq, Deloitte, Togal.AI, Teladoc Health, GitHub and other industry-leading organizations. [Register Now]( ADVERTISEMENT [] Read the latest from SmartBrief [] - [How plant-based food brands are riding the next wave]( SmartBrief/Food (9/15) [] - [Paving the way for a more inclusive wine industry]( SmartBrief/Food (8/28) [] - [The evolution of grocery brand loyalty]( SmartBrief/Food (8/24) Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our sponsors - [The Communication Process: Skills to achieve desired outcomes]( - [Microsoft Excel: Unlocking the Power of Spreadsheets]( - [The Top 75 Leadership Quotes of 2023 - Part 1]( - [ChatGPT Newbie: Your Essential Handbook for Navigating ChatGPT]( - [The Visual You - Why Body Language Matters When You Speak]( [] Diversity and Inclusion [] [Davidson Hospitality expands its diversity initiatives]( Davidson Hospitality Group is continuing to support and grow its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts by offering learning and development programs for staffers, partnering with the National Society of Minorities in Hospitality and bolstering its Women in Leadership Development (WILD) program. The company has also appointed Kenny Imafidon, vice president of operational excellence, as head of the internal council, a committee that advises from a diverse perspective on issues such as community outreach, recruitment and training. Full Story: [Hotel Business (tiered subscription model)]( (9/14) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Research shows benefits to having dedicated DEI leaders]( Companies with an executive at the helm of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives scored better on an assessment of corporate effectiveness that includes categories such as customer satisfaction, employee engagement and innovation, write Rick Wartzman and Kelly Tang, who are executives at Bendable Labs and senior research fellows at Claremont Graduate University. "Indeed, the firms that scored, on average, the highest in every category of our rankings, including financial strength, don't just have someone carrying a DEI title; they boast a dedicated diversity executive in the C-suite," they write. Full Story: [The Wall Street Journal]( (9/17) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Exec: How Ulta, Mediahub commit to diversity]( Ulta Beauty's commitment to diversity, innovation and culture -- backed by $25 million in media spending -- has fostered strong creative work, Mediahub New York executive Alejandro Clabiorne writes. Clabiorne discusses how Ulta and Mediahub have collaborated on inclusive media plans, with an emphasis on the Hispanic community, that have yielded sales and traffic increases. Full Story: [Ad Age (tiered subscription model)]( (9/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Sky D&I lead talks culture change, DEIB accountability]( In an exclusive interview with UNLEASH, Claudia Osei-Nsafoah, Sky's Group D&I lead and UK&I CPO, discussed the company's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging and the ways in which it holds itself accountable. Osei-Nsafoah highlights the necessity of cultural change and the pitfalls of developing targets for targets' sake. "It is about ensuring we're driving a step change in behaviors and culture", Osei-Nsafoah told UNLEASH. Full Story: [UNLEASH News]( (9/4) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] Women and Innovation in the Workforce [] [Women make strides in supply chain leadership]( Women have made strong gains in supply chain workforce leadership this year, holding 26% of C-suite and executive roles and 74.6% of HR and talent-management roles, according to separate studies by Gartner and the Women in Trucking Association. The Women in Supply Chain awards this year honored 341 winners for their achievements, including Tiffany Mensen, director of national accounts for CHEP, who was named the overall winner for food logistics. Full Story: [Food Logistics]( (9/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [How home cooking offers women an entrepreneurship path]( Operating a home kitchen can open up the path to entrepreneurship for women, people of color, immigrants and others for whom access to startup capital for brick-and-mortar restaurants is limited, allowing them to test concepts and manage personal caregiving responsibilities, writes Carolina Martinez, CEO of CAMEO, a micro-business network in California. California and Utah have legalized home-cooking businesses, while other states are considering such legislation, but Martinez notes that "home cooking has a long way to go until it is embraced fully and supported by the community and politicians." Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (9/18) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [] If you stand up for social justice or something that is right, people will stand up and fight for you, and they will help you try to reach your goals. [Sylvia Mendez](, civil rights activist, nurse National Hispanic Heritage Month is Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( LEARN MORE ABOUT the WFF: [About the WFF]( | [Join the WFF]( | [WFF Programs]( SmartBrief publishes more than 200 free industry newsletters - [Browse our portfolio]( [Sign Up]( | [Update Profile]( | [Advertise with SmartBrief]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy policy]( CONTACT US: [FEEDBACK](mailto:wff@smartbrief.com) | [ADVERTISE](mailto:cwarne@smartbrief.com) SmartBrief, a division of Future US LLC © Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY, 10036