Celeste Warren is Vice President, Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence. As the leader for Merck’s Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence, she is responsible for working with Merck’s global leaders to advance and embed diversity and inclusion throughout the organization to enhance the employee experience and maximize business performance.

Ms. Warren joined Merck in 1997 and has held numerous positions of increasing responsibility within the organization.

Prior to joining Merck in 1997, Celeste worked for nine years at Kraft Foods, Inc. and General Foods.

She has been honored with many awards, including:
• Black Enterprise’s “Top Executives in Global Diversity and Inclusion”
• Savoy Magazine’s “Most Influential Women in Corporate America”
• Women’s eNews’ “21 Leaders for the 21st Century”
• Diversity Global Magazine’s “Influential Women in Global Diversity”
• Diversity Woman Magazine’s: “Elite100” List

She serves on the boards of RWJBarnabas Health Systems and “All In Together” and Merck’s Political Action Committee. She is also a member of CNBC’s Workforce Executive Council and World 50’s Inclusion and Diversity Impact Community.

Celeste’s articles on diversity, equity, and inclusion have been featured in numerous national and global publications and she has had the opportunity to speak at various events across the world.

Celeste attended the University of Kentucky where she earned her B.S. degree. She received her master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University.

She is the wife of John Warren and the mother of two children, Christina-Celeste and John Steven, Jr.

Jörg Schmitz is a business anthropologist and managing director of the Inclusive Leadership Institute. He brings 30-year experience in helping clients worldwide navigate cultural and leadership challenges in global organizations. He works with individual leaders and leadership teams, guides cultural development initiatives, and architects learning-, talent-, and leadership solutions that deliver measurable impact. Frequently these solutions focus on enhancing international/global effectiveness, aligning culture and business strategy, advancing Diversity, Equity & Inclusiveness (DEI) through inclusive leadership as a critical performance enabler. In this work, he applies anthropological perspectives and methodologies to deliver value – from boards and C-suites to the frontline.

Jörg has served a cross-industry segment of global organizations, including: 1Worldsync, Air Products, American Express, Allegis/Aerotek, BASF, Bell Labs, Benesse, Berlex, Berlitz International, BP, Chase, Citigroup, Daimler, DLA Piper, Dow Jones, EY, Hitachi, IBM, Indiana University Health, Japan Travel Bureau, Janssen, Lucent Technologies, Major Lindsey and Africa (MLA), Mastercard, Molex, Northrup Grumman, Novartis, Pepsico, Pfizer, PPG, Roche, SAP NS2, Schering AG, Skanska, Solvay, Tata Consulting, Young & Rubicam/WPP, Vertex, Volvo, and Wunderman.

Jörg is a recognized thought leader and innovator in the areas of globalization, culture change, global diversity, intercultural competence, and inclusive leadership. In addition to his client work, he has developed and/or co-developed tools, approaches, and methodologies, including:

• The Cultural Orientations Indicator™, Cultural Navigator®, and Cultural Orientations Approach to intercultural skill building.
• Quantum Negotiation™ - an advanced application to advance their skills and effectiveness in overt and implicit negotiations based on intercultural effectiveness, neuroscience and inclusiveness.
• TL Teamscape and Inclusive Behavior Assessment – individual and group level assessments to leverage a diversity of styles and develop inclusive behaviors.
• The Cultural Conversations Approach™ - a highly effective way to describe and analyze the current state of an organization’s culture through an inclusive application of ethnographic principles.
• The DEI Culture Transformation Roadmap – a DEI focused change model that has powered and anchored progress in DEI in a number of global organizations

He is the author/co-author of several books and papers on inclusive leadership and cross-cultural management practices, including Doing Business Internationally, The Cultural Orientations Guide, The Guide for Inclusive Leaders, Quantum Negotiation, The Cross-cultural Management Textbook, and Leading in English. He has also served as a Fellow in the Human Capital Practice of The Conference Board (United States), adjunct faculty at the Graduate Centre of the University of Bremen (Germany), and the Global Leadership Programme of International Christian University (Japan).

Alexis Kantor is Target’s VP of Owned Brand Technical Development and Quality.

She leads multiple teams around the globe, focused on modernization, engineering, digital product creation, raw material development, and product safety and quality assurance.

Through collaboration with cross functional teams across the enterprise and continuous innovations in technology, materials, body studies, and standards, these teams focus on ensuring quality, fit, function, safety and value for the guest.

Prior to joining Target, Alexis worked for Victoria’s Secret in all aspects of product development. Alexis graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in Women’s Studies.

As a leader of people, Alexis strives to maintain an environment where challenge is expected and risk is rewarded, where personal and professional growth is encouraged, and learning and achievements are celebrated. Anything is possible if we all have a seat at the table and bring our unique lived experiences, purpose and passions to our work.

In addition, she was a sponsor for the Pride+ Business Council for several years and continues to be involved by advocating and supporting all Business Councils at Target.

Alexis is very active with various local community organizations. She is currently serving as Board Chair for Family Equality and is very involved with Avenues for Youth, a local non-profit with national recognition. Her family has participated as a Host Home for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness for many years.

Christine Cadena is Vice President, Diversity and Inclusion at The Walt Disney Company. In her role, she is responsible for advancing inclusive marketplace practices, growth across diverse consumer segments, and building community partnerships.

Over the past 30 years, she has held progressive roles within Disney, including Merchandising, Product Development, Feature Film Marketing, and Franchise Development. In her current role, she has lead companywide initiatives focused on the Hispanic Audience, Black Consumers, Disability Inclusion, and Narrative Change.

Prior to coming to Disney, she began her career as a buyer and product development executive for Nordstrom and currently serves on the board of ASCEND and RespectAbility. Of Japanese and Mexican heritage, Christine was raised in Los Angeles and is a graduate of UCLA.

Eloiza Domingo is the Chief Inclusive Diversity and Equity Officer for Allstate. Eloiza brings nearly 20 years of experience across multiple industries—including Healthcare, Academia, and Law Enforcement. Her passion, expertise, and life-long commitment to advancing the Inclusive Diversity & Equity agenda is the catalyst that drives her continued success.

Throughout the course of her career, she has led transformative business improvements, people strategies, and culture change within global and complex systems. Most recently she was recognized by the National Diversity & Leadership Conference as one of its 2022 Top 100 Diversity Officers.

She has also been noted as one of the 100 Most Influential Filipina Women in the World by the Filipina Women’s Network and recognized as a Female Disruptor by Medium.

Wendy John is the head of global diversity and inclusion for Fidelity Investments. Wendy assumed her current position in 2020 and leads the effort to ensure that Fidelity is a workplace and service provider where everyone can fully be themselves. She is responsible for creating and attracting a more diverse workforce, tapping into the power of our differences to develop and retain talent, creating a culture of inclusion, and showcasing Fidelity’s reputation and brand as an inclusive employer and service provider.

Wendy is a 25-year Fidelity veteran who has served in several key leadership roles across Relationship Management, Client Services/Operations, Global Workforce Strategy, Program Management, Implementation and Benefits Consulting. Most recently, she served as the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) of Fidelity Charitable, an independent 501(c)(3) public charity. In that role, she was responsible for overall risk, compliance, external communications, legislative policy, government relations and associate engagement.

Wendy is a global “road warrior” who has lived in 3 countries and racked up millions of airline miles for work and personal travel. Born in Trinidad & Tobago, she moved to Canada after high school to attend the University of Waterloo to study actuarial science. Wendy also received a Masters of Science in Investment Management from Boston University. She lives in Durham NC and enjoys reading, sports, and the arts.

With great passion for exploring and understand new cultures, Federico’s work brings him to share the Italian lifestyle, healthiness, and passion for Italian food in new markets of Asia, Africa, and Australasia.

Understanding diversity is a key element to get closer to the people Barilla serves, and embracing inclusion is the key way forward to engage people with Mediterranean food culture and the purpose of making every day healthier, tastier, and with lower impact on the planet.

Italian born and raised, Federico lived most of his professional life outside of Italy between Belgium, France, Switzerland, and Singapore. He started his career as a Finance Professional in Procter and Gamble and then at Barilla with increased responsibilities. He moved to Business Management in 2015 as President of Region Asia, Africa, and Australia at Barilla, based in Singapore: the team has the mission to grow business in this new environment for Barilla, including Route to Market, products and business models; this opportunity is a great catalyst to bring collective understanding of diversity, inclusion and equity to a broader level and make it a successful element of Barilla’s business, professional, and personal growth.

Daniel Cox is the director of the Survey Center on American Life and a research fellow in polling and public opinion at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), where he specializes in survey research, politics, youth culture and identity, and religion.

Before joining AEI, he was the research director at PRRI (Public Religion Research Institute), which he cofounded and where he led the organization’s qualitative and quantitative research program.

He is also the coauthor of numerous academic book chapters, journal articles, and conference papers on topics relating to religious polarization, anti-Muslim attitudes in the US, religious tolerance of atheists, and new methods for measuring social class and religious belief.

Jonathan Evans is a research associate at Pew Research Center, where he contributes to international polling projects focused on religion and national identity. Jonathan received his master’s degree from Georgetown University and holds a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University.

He is a contributing author to Pew Research Center reports including “Being Christian in Western Europe” and “Religious Belief and National Belonging in Central and Eastern Europe”.

Nancy Di Dia brings 25+ years of change and social experience in overall management, leadership and cultural transformation in the corporate world, spanning financial services and healthcare. Nancy is an (ICF) International credentialed and certified PCC Executive Coach with a focus on impactful ways to engage the brain in sustainable insights and change.

At Boehringer Ingelheim, Nancy leads a culture of belonging, inclusion equity and diversity within the animal health, human pharma and biopharma U.S. businesses for our family-owned company. Over the past ten years, Nancy has been the proud recipient of numerous awards for her work in Diversity, Culture, Belonging & Inclusion as well as her industry wide efforts to improve diversity in clinical trials.

She was recently appointed to the Governor’s council on Girls and Women in STEAM for the state of Connecticut and continues to act on the PhRMA chief diversity officer council to improve diversity in clinical studies.

Nancy is fluent in Italian, an avid exerciser, rower, and enjoys gardening, cooking, and seeking out fine wines from around the world. Follow her on Twitter: @njdidia.

Timothy Ceaser is a Senior Immunization Specialist at GlaxoSmithKline. He has been with GSK for 22 years. He is also the field lead for the AXIS ERG, formerly known as The Multi-Faith Employee Network.

Tim resides in Merrillville, IN and has a wife and three daughters. He attends New Mount Moriah Missionary Baptist Church where he serves on the Deacon Board, Male Chorus, and teaches Sunday School.

He is also on the Executive Board of the Gary, IN Branch of the NAACP and serves in several other community service organizations. He enjoys walking, reading, and watching sports.

Wael serves as the Global Co - Lead of the Interfaith EBRG since 2018. His journey started by setting the 1st Interfaith EBRG Chapter Ex – US in Dubai since 2016. His passion revolves around supporting employees coming from diverse religious, spiritual, and cultural backgrounds bring their whole self to work. Wael leads the organization efforts in supporting this crucial area of our evolving workplace.

Over the years, Wael supported the expansion of Interfaith Organization within Merck & MSD across the globe, mentored many D&I leaders, and consulted many Fortune 100 companies set up Interfaith EBRGs within their D&I efforts.

Wael holds B.Sc. Pharmaceutical Sciences from Alexandria University Egypt & MBA from the American University in Dubai. He leads key transformational projects within MSD in Asia Pacific Region and is based in Melbourne – Australia.

Russell Shaffer is Senior Director – Global Culture, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (CDEI) at Walmart, and along with his team has responsibility for enterprise strategy; brand identity; external relations; benchmarking; and associate engagement related to the company’s global CDEI initiatives. He rejoined Walmart in 2006 and has held roles managing global internal communications and benefits communications. In a previous role as Senior Manager – Constituent Relations, Russell managed Walmart’s corporate strategy and stakeholder outreach for the people with disabilities and aging constituencies.

His 20-year professional career includes roles in advertising, corporate communications, marketing, print journalism and public relations. Russell has held positions at May Department Stores, The Timken Company, and The Ohio Optometric Association, and began his work experience as a teenager paying his way through college as an hourly associate at Walmart and Sam’s Club locations in Michigan and Ohio.

Russell served as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) from November 2017 – November 2019 after joining the AFB Board in October 2015. AFB also named him its 2015 Stephen Garff Marriott award recipient in recognition of his professional achievement and service as a person who is blind or low vision. He has previously served two terms as Chair of Walmart’s inABLE Associate Resource Group, and has been a board member of Sources for Community Independent Living in Fayetteville, Arkansas since 2012. His service has included positions on the Disability:IN Corporate Advisory Board, the Disability Equality Index (DEI) Advisory Committee, and the National Council on Independent Living’s (NCIL) Corporate Development Council. In April 2018, Russell travelled to China as a private sector disability employment expert as part of a U.S. State Department delegation engaging in bilateral discussions with the China Disabled Persons Federation. In July 2019, Disability:IN honored Russell as the annual recipient of the prestigious John D. Kemp Leadership Award in recognition of his commitment to advance disability inclusion inside Corporate America.

He is a member of the Tulsa chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC), and has earned multiple IABC Bronze Quill awards for his work in strategic communications planning and messaging. Russell is an honors graduate of Malone University in Canton, Ohio, and holds dual bachelor of arts degrees in business administration and communication arts.

He resides in Rogers, Arkansas with his wife, Jessica, and their children, Sophia and Brady. His perspectives on disability advocacy and inclusion are informed by his experiences with retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic, degenerative eye disease that was diagnosed when Russell was 10 years old and led to his legal blindness by his late 20s.

Ramy Youssef is a Golden Globe-winning Egyptian-American creator, actor, producer, director, and comedian who brings his unique voice and perspective to his storytelling. He won the 2020 Golden Globe Award® on behalf of “Ramy” in the category of ‘Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy.’ Youssef created, produced and stars in the hit Hulu show, which is inspired by his own experiences centering around a first-generation Egyptian-American Muslim on a spiritual journey in his politically divided New Jersey neighborhood.

In 2020, the Television Academy nominated Youssef for two Emmy Awards® in the categories of “Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series” and “Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series” on behalf of the second season of “Ramy.” Youssef was also nominated for a Critics’ Choice Award and a Writers Guild Award for his one-hour HBO comedy special “Ramy Yossef: Feelings” produced by A24.

Currently, Youssef is working on the third season of “Ramy”, as well as creating and developing subsequent projects. The first show will star “Ramy” series regular Steve Way in a story illustrating the perspective and experience of a disabled person and their family in a real way. Youssef will executive produce both this series and a number of other projects with A24 and his new production company, Cairo Cowboy.