Squire Patton Boggs names first African-American woman to global board
12 January 2021
Washington DC-based partner Alethia Nancoo is one of two new board appointments Squire Patton Boggs has appointed its first African-American woman to its global board as the firm continues to increase the diversity of its leadership team. Washington DC-based partner Alethia Nancoo – who is also co-chair of the firm’s global inclusion and diversity committee – is joined on the global board by Tokyo office managing partner Ken Kurosu, replacing outgoing members Traci Martinez in Columbus and Thomas Wilson in Abu Dhabi who have completed their four-year terms. Nancoo’s appointment means seven of the 12 board members are considered diverse by the firm.
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Though some scientists have argued diversity training doesn t actually drive meaningful change, professor Ivuoma Onyeador and her coauthors believe that trainings can and will continue to be effective resources.
She says most organizations come up with lofty, unattainable diversity goals instead of using a multipronged approach to improving culture.
To help participants identify and reduce bias, Onyeador recommends equipping them with two to three strategies, hosting a series of workshops, and continuously following up for maximized accountability.
Many companies resort to implicit bias trainings to avoid confrontational discussions, but she argues it s important to address defensiveness and hear from victims who ve been negatively affected to build empathy.