For further information: Yvonne Burnside (212) 339-0233

Diversity experts and business leaders form pace-setting companies will meet in New York in May and in June in Chicago to discuss diversity practices, leadership, and organizational effectiveness.

The Conference Board’s 2005 Annual Diversity Conference – The Diversity Performance Factor: Next Practices for Building Organizational and Leadership Competence for Results- will be held May 10-11 at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York and June 8-9 at the Westin River North in Chicago. The meeting is sponsored by IBM, General Motors and MasterCard International.

Frans Johannson, Author of: The Medici Effect (New York & Chicago) will be presenting a keynote address on Innovation and Diversity.

The opening session will be an executive dialogue featuring: Kevin  L. Clayton, Vice President, Diversity, Russell Corporation, (New York & Chicago); Bernie Milano, President, KPMG Foundation, Founder, The Ph.d. Project, (New York & Chicago) and Ed Meehan, Vice President, Operations, Lockheed Martin, Enterprise Information Systems (Chicago).

“The Multicultural Marketplace: Latest Research, Practice, and Implications” will be addressed by Bob McNeil, President and Chief Executive Officer, IMAGES USA (Chicago); Rodney A. Gingerich, Manager, Diversity and Work-Life, Human Resources, MasterCard International (Chicago); Tammy Edwards, Director of Global Diversity, Sprint (New York & Chicago); Kevin Williams, Vice President, Strategic Marketing and New Business Development, IMAGES USA, (New York), and Sheila M. Boyd, Manager, Global Diversity & Work-Life, MasterCard International (New York).

“Succession Planning and Leadership Competence: What Companies are Doing to Develop

Tomorrow’s Leadership Today” will be examined by John Berry IV, Leader, Global Diversity, Nortel

Networks; Joseph Douglas Harris, The Kaleidoscope Group, L.L.C. (New York and Chicago) and Equilla

Wainwright, Director, Workforce Diversity, Johnson Controls Inc. (Chicago).

“Strategy Development: There’s No Right Answer of Is There?” will be addressed by Demetrai Mitchell, Director, Diversity, Battelle (New York & Chicago); Tony Jenkins, Vice President, Diversity Strategy and Development, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (New York & Chicago); Janice Fenn, Senior Director, Diversity, Kraft Foods (New York), and Karen DeCuir-DiNicola, Manager, Diversity Initiatives, General Motors Corporation (New York).

 “Pre-Employment Recruitment and Development Strategies: Tapping into Tomorrow’s Workforce and Building the Nation’s Skills and Competencies” will be explored by Margaret Gibson, Director, Workplace Diversity, Cendant Mobility (New York); Terry McGuire, Program Director, The Conference Board (New York);  Laura Brief, National Director of Career Programs, The Posse Foundation, Inc. ( New York & Chicago); Clyde Jones, National Director, Diversity, KPMG, (New York).

The luncheon keynote speaker will be Roderick Gillum, Vice President, Corporate Responsibility & Diversity, General Motors Corporation (New York).

“Global Diversity and Inclusion: Latest Research, Facts, Myths and Effective Strategies” will feature Michael L. Wheeler, Conference Program Director, The Conference Board (New York); Sharon Carpenter, Manager, Corporate HR and Diversity, Johnson Controls, Inc., (Chicago); Michael Stuber, President, European Diversity; Pamela Leri, Director, Global Teams, Meridian Global, (New York); Alma Virgo-Morales, Director, Global Diversity, Agilent Technologies (Chicago), and Anita Zanchettin, Director, Global Diversity, Meridian Resources Associates (Chicago).

 “Generational Differences: Real Issues, Real Implications, Real Opportunities” will be addressed by Jeanne Arellano, Director, Strategic Employment and Compliance, Alliant Energy Corporation, (New York); Lisa Novotny, Vice President, Corporate Diversity & Staffing, General Mills, Inc. (New York); Marian Stoltz-Loike, CEO, SeniorThinking (New York); Cynthia Owyoung, Diversity Project Leader, Intuit (New York); Maia Davis-Singleton, Director, Diversity, HSBC (Chicago), and Kjirsten Mickesh, Senior Manager, Corporate Diversity, General Mills (Chicago).

“People With Disabilities: What This Too Often Untapped Workforce Can Do for You” will be examined by Carolyn Cartwright, Senior Vice President, Director of Diversity Initiatives, SunTrust Bank ( New York); Katherine McCary, Vice President, SunTrust Bank (New York & Chicago), and Maria Cebreco, Intern, Diversity Initiatives, General Motors Corporation (New York & Chicago).

“GLBT in the Workplace: Strategic Partnerships and Other Strategies for Addressing This Tough Topic” Kathleen P. Marvel, Chief Diversity, McKinsey & Company, Inc. (Chicago); Ron Schlittler, Deputy Executive Director, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) (New York & Chicago); Barbara Stern, Director of Diversity, McKinsey & Company (Chicago).

“Measuring Diversity for Cultural Change” will be examined by Peter Linkow, President, WFD Consulting (New York & Chicago); Tina Rasmussen, Principal, Enteleky Associates and Author of upcoming book: The Complete Diversity Champion’s Tool Kit (Chicago),and Nay Howell, Diversity Specialty Consultant, YMCA USA (Chicago).

“Workplace Flexibility and Effectiveness: New Findings and Next Practices” will be addressed by Bea Fitzpatrick, President and Chief Executive Officer, The BOLD Initiative (New York & Chicago); Harvey A. Thompson, Senior Consultant, The BOLD Initiative (New York & Chicago). 

“Innovating with Teams: Research and Practice” will feature Amy J. George, VP Global Diversity and Inclusion, PepsiCola, Inc. (New York & Chicago).

“The Middle Manager: Freeing up the ‘Frozen Middle’ ” will be examined by Margaret A. Regan, President & CEO, The FutureWork Institute, (New York & Chicago); David P. Tulin, President, Tulin DiversiTema Associates (New York & Chicago).

 “Accountability for Performance Enhancement” will be addressed by Peter Bye, President, MDB Group, (New York ); Anne Erni, Managing Director and Chief Diversity Officer, Global Diversity & Inclusion, Lehman Brothers (New York & Chicago), and Kevin Anthony Carter, Vice President, Diversity, Safeco Corporation (New York).

 “Engaging the Workforce: Focusing on Critical Leverage Points to Drive Employee Engagement” will be examined by Douglas A. Klein, President, Sirota Consulting (New York & Chicago), and Eduardo Salaz, Senior Human Resources Manager, Diversity & Quality of Work Life Initiatives, Intuit, Inc. (New York).

Media are invited to attend the conference free of charge and can register by calling Yvonne Burnside at (212) 339-0233. A copy of the program is available on The Conference Board’s website at www.tcb.org.