Gucci announces first Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Gucci has announced the appointment of Renée E. Tirado to the newly created role of Global Head of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The appointment follows recent consumer backlash as a result of insensitive designs. 

Earlier this year, the fashion house was forced to withdraw a balaclava knit (part of its autumn/winter 2018 collection), which critics said resembled blackface. Then in May, Gucci faced further criticism for a headpiece that resembled a turban – a sacred religious article of the Sikh faith. The fashion house has since been strengthening and heavily investing in its long-term diversity and inclusion initiatives, which we covered back in March.

The newly created appointment is also part of the company’s continued mission for a positive corporate culture and long-term diversity and inclusion plan that was announced earlier this year. Tirado will be based in New York and she will report directly to Gucci President and CEO, Marco Bizzarri.

PROGRESSIVE OUTLOOK

Commenting on her appointment, Tirado stated: “Diversity is on the agenda of many companies, but Gucci has now assumed a leadership role in the industry through the breadth of initiatives it is undertaking and the prioritisation it has placed on it as a part of the overall business.”

“I am in the business of making human connections that start with the foundations of inclusivity, respect, and diversity to ensure Gucci remains culturally relevant and economically competitive. I am honoured to join a company that puts these non-negotiable values at the forefront of their business model, not as ‘a nice to have’ but as a key component of its business strategy,” she added. 

According to the fashion house, Tirado will design, develop and implement a global strategy to create a more inclusive and equitable workplace, and increase workforce diversity as it relates to Gucci’s business initiatives. She will ensure diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) are implemented across all regions by hiring and leading a global team of DE&I advocates. Tirado’s strategy will progressively impact its current recruitment approaches as well as how it review sand promotes talent internally. 

CREATING MEANINGFUL CHANGE

Building upon Gucci’s existing corporate culture initiatives, Tirado will also oversee the Cultural Awareness Learning Programme for all global employees, the Global Multicultural Design Fellowship Programme, the Internal Global Exchange Programme and Employee Resource Groups, while aligning with parent company Kering’s overall DE&I vision.

According to Bizzarri,“This appointment is a fundamental building block to further our commitment and support the initiatives already in place. As a learning organisation, we have challenged ourselves over the last few months to accelerate our vision to develop a stronger organisation. I am confident that Renée will help us create the meaningful change we want to see not only in our company but in the fashion industry.” 

At a grassroots level, Tirado will ‘weave the existing core values of DE&I into the fabric of Gucci’s organisation touching all levels, positions and regions’, reveals the fashion house. She will also advance the many initiatives the brand has launched over the last few years, from supporting the LGBTQIA community to gender equality.

EXTRA RESPONSIBILITIES

Tirado’s other responsibilities will include becoming a member of the Gucci Changemakers Council, an external collective of community leaders and social change experts committed to the advancement of diversity and inclusivity through actionable change. She will partner closely with Antoine Phillips, the recently appointed Vice President of Brand and Culture Engagement at Gucci America, and his team in their efforts to strengthen local social impact activities through the Changemakers initiatives. Given Tirado’s extensive work for women’s equality, she will also join the Chime For Change Advisory Board. Chime For Change was founded by Gucci in 2013 to convene, unite and strengthen the voices speaking out for gender equality globally.

“Renée believes that diversity and equity should be a daily way of being. She understands that this mission is something that needs to be shared by all within the company as an essential foundation of our Culture of Purpose,” Bizzarri added. “It is this deep commitment paired with her unique experience that made her the natural choice for this leadership role.”

PAST ACHIEVEMENTS

Prior to joining Gucci, Tirado most recently served as the Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer at Major League Baseball (MLB) where she developed and led the D&I strategy for the entire league and its thirty Club markets. In that role, her accomplishments include establishing industry business resource groups, overseeing the Diversity Pipeline Programme which placed women, people of colour and LGBTQ candidates in positions in baseball operations departments across the league, and leading a women in baseball strategy that led to development programmes such as the Katy Feeney Leadership Symposium, Take the Field Programme and a league-wide mentorship initiative. 

Prior to her position at MLB, Tirado held D&I leadership roles at AIG and the United States Tennis Association.