Inclusive Leadership Conference

October 11, 2023

Organizers: Dr. Leanne Atwater and Prof. Alejandro Fernandez
Sponsored by the Inclusive Leadership Institute (No cost to participants)

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White Paper

Unlocking the Power of Inclusive Leadership: A Guide to Building Thriving Organizations

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Conference Recap

Bringing Together Academia & Industry

Inclusive Leadership Institute Holds Successful Inaugural Conference

Published in Latest News on October 20, 2023

The Inclusive Leadership Institute at the University of Houston C. T. Bauer College of Business held its first conference in October, bringing together researchers and business professionals to define best practices and bridge industry and academia.

Housed in the college’s Department of Management & Leadership, the Inclusive Leadership Institute (ILI) focuses on inclusive leadership, family support, health support and social responsibility. The initiative launched at the college seven years ago and has evolved to encompass curricular and extracurricular offerings at both undergraduate and graduate levels, as well as certificates and outreach programs.

The inaugural conference included opening remarks from Dean Paul A. Pavlou, who noted the growth of the institute and its integral role in the overall Bauer College strategy. First Horizon Bank Executive Vice President and Chief DEI Officer Anthony Hood and Houston Methodist Hospital Vice President and Chief DEI Officer Arianne Dowdell each gave keynote speeches, and throughout the day, attendees fostered meaningful interactions through question-and-answer sessions and workshops, allowing for networking and discussion.

“The success of the conference was a testament to the dedication, hard work, and commitment of our entire department,” Department of Management & Leadership Chair Steve Werner said, noting that ILI has evolved under the leadership of many faculty members, including Dusya Vera, Barbara Carlin, Leanne Atwater, Tom George and most recently, current director Alex Fernandez.

He added: “We were thrilled to see an outstanding turnout, with participation of chief diversity officers, human resource directors and business leaders from various companies, with practitioners’ perspectives enhanced by academic points of view. We had very strong participation from Bauer College and the UH Department of Psychology and Hilton College, along with representatives from other universities, such as the Ivey Business School and Williams Wood University.”

Company attendees included First Horizon Bank, ROKU Inc., Chevron, SLB, Methodist Hospital, Deloitte, Brenntag, Greystone, Cy-Fair Fire Department, Phillips66, Amegy Bank, Dashiell Corporation's, Mantis Innovation, Fluor, JPMorgan Chase, TDECU, DHR Health, HP Enterprise, SCI Shared Resources, LLC, Fluor, CITGO Petroleum Corp and Rakuten Inc.

“The momentum generated by this conference has opened doors to exciting opportunities for further collaboration, growth and innovation,” Werner said.

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Attendees

30 invited directors and above from Houston-area companies that advance inclusive leadership.

 

Outcomes:

The conference aims to:

• Define inclusive leadership best practices.
• Outline Inclusive leadership research agenda moving forward.
• Establish a model for developing inclusive leaders (programs, experiences, courses, etc.).
• Enhance research exchange between Industry and Academia.

Conference Model

Sharing Experiences

• Arianne Dowdell, Vice President & Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Houston Methodist Hospital
• Dr. Anthony Hood, Executive VP & CDEIO, First Horizon Bank

 

Exchanging Knowledge

• Research presentations: Dr. Derek Avery, Professor & C. T. Bauer Chair of Inclusive Leadership, and Dr. Enrica N. Ruggs, Associate Professor, Department of Management & Leadership, C. T. Bauer College of Business
• Research Fair: University of Houston Faculty & Ph.D.'s

 

Brainstorming Ideas & Concepts

• Industry Panel
• Facilitated Group Discussion
• Small Group Discussions

 

Summarizing and Concluding

• Presentations to Large Group
• Conclusion
• White Paper

 

Industry Panel: Best Practices in Developing an Inclusive Leadership Culture

Facilitator: Dr. Barbara Carlin, Instructional Associate Professor, C. T. Bauer College of Business

Panelists:

• Jerry Guerrero, Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader, ROKU
• Chereese Johnson, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy Lead Americas, Chevron
• Stephen Metoyer, Principal, Former CDEIO, Deloitte
• Carlos Sarmiento, Diversity & Inclusion Director, SLB

 

Facilitated Group Discussion: Developing an Inclusive Leader

Facilitator: Dr. Dusya Vera, Executive Director, Ian O. Ihnatowycz Institute for Leadership

Panelists:

• Dr. Tony Andenoro, VP & Chief Advancement Officer, William Woods University
• Ala’a Boulos, Chief Purpose & DEI Officer for Deloitte Tax, Deloitte
• Dr. Sandy Frieden, Principal, Sandy Frieden Consulting

 

Research Presentations:

Facilitators: Dr. Derek Avery, Professor & C. T. Bauer Chair of Inclusive Leadership, and Dr. Enrica N. Ruggs, Associate Professor, Department of Management & Leadership, C. T. Bauer College of Business

Participants:

• Faculty, University of Houston

 

Tentative Agenda

 

Summary & Conclusion:

 

• The conference will be recorded and summarized to address the following:
  • Inclusive leadership best practices
  • Inclusive leadership research agenda moving forward
  • Model for developing inclusive leaders (programs, courses, etc.)
• The summary will be shared with the Conference advisory board and the ILI Board.
• Meet with the Conference advisory board and the ILI board to receive their feedback and suggestions about the summary.
• A white paper will be drafted and shared with the Conference advisory board for their review and comment.
• White paper will be distributed to all conference attendees and available to the public.