Thread by @BusinessInsider

In the wake of George Floyd's death, companies pledged new diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Much of the work required falls to DEI executives.

Insider spoke with 8 DEI execs, many of whom are at risk of burning out long before equity is reached.👇
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Doris Quintanilla’s inbox has been flooded with requests from corporate and nonprofit leaders. They want change, and they want it fast. But at the same time, she felt many were not respecting her.
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Business leaders have yelled at Quintanilla, sent her demeaning emails, and even questioned the existence of racism in corporate spaces, despite her expertise and her lived experience as a disabled Latina.
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Some executives said they would implement Quintanilla's recommendations, which are based on employee feedback, but refused once they saw the amount of change she recommended.

On top of helping to oversee a rollout of new initiatives within Mastercard to increase diversity and inclusion, Randall Tucker had to struggle with his grief and anxiety in the aftermath of Floyd's death.
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There’s much work to be done. Mastercard's most recent diversity data from 2019 showed that 69% of its executives were white.
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It’s clear that there’s an emerging trend: Company leaders are genuinely interested in championing diversity, but they don't understand that all areas of their business may need overhaul. And conversations around DEI can be hard to navigate, with some leaders getting defensive.

To read more DEI executives thoughts on burning out and equity, subscribe to Insider:
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