Diversity and Globalization

Diversity and Globalization: Achieving more diverse teams, consumer communication, and leadership culture in global corporations

Professor Stephen Kanlian, Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management, Graduate Studies

This proposal was to have a diversity conference at FIT based on the 2012 MPS: Cosmetics and Fragrance Marketing and Management Capstone entitled Innovation through Diversity in the Beauty Industry. The theme of the Capstone was set by L'Oréal USA, whose corporate diversity programs were celebrating their 10th Anniversary. This would be the first time that the students research would go beyond the capstone presentations. The conference  took place in Fall 2012, and was aimed at diversity practice professionals, corporate executives, human resource professionals in the industries served by FIT, and FIT faculty and students. The conference was free and served as a public forum on the value of incorporating the principles of the students research into all aspects of corporate organizations: talent development and corporate leadership, effective teams, consumer communication and product innovation. The half-day conference began with a notable diversity expert keynote speaker, followed by two breakout sessions with panels that would be moderated by the graduate students who worked on the diversity-related capstone projects. Panelists included best practice leaders in corporate diversity from Johnson and Johnson, Deloitte, JPMorgan, Mastercard, Pepsi, Univision, Proctor and Gamble, and L'Oréal USA.