Why Companies Should Focus on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion?

Rodney Johnson is the divisional vice president of culture and inclusion for Gallagher. Rodney is responsible for partnering with Gallagher United States leaders to drive culture & inclusion programs across the U.S. as well as support enterprise-wide initiatives. These efforts are linked to U.S. business strategies and includes developing, implementing, measuring and reinforcing programs designed to advance a culture of inclusion through strategic partnerships, diverse business development, attracting and retaining a diverse workforce, supplier diversity and promoting culture, diversity and inclusion efforts across the country and throughout the insurance industry.

Rodney joined Gallagher in 2015, and was responsible for developing regional diverse business strategies, and assisting public entity and construction clients with their risk management and insurance needs. Before Gallagher, Rodney was a regional vice president at Chubb where he was responsible for product innovation, underwriting, sales/marketing and team leadership for five offices. Additional, Rodney initiated Chubb’s inaugural diverse business development program, MWOW, which focused on partnering and appointing diverse insurance agents and aligning Chubb’s strategies to connect with the growing diverse business segment. He also led Chubb’s Management Liability team for seven years where he worked closely with the top Fortune 500 companies to best protect their personal and professional assets.

Rodney has been a strong supporter and very active with several philanthropic organizations that supports and drives success within our urban communities and delivers access to free healthcare and educational resources.  He currently sits on the board of Cancer Support Community, Catholic Inner City Education and the Life Support Organization where he’s passionate about creating real impact within underserved populations. Rodney has a bachelor’s degree from Northern Illinois University and is a Licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Producer.

Larry Phillips serves as the Assistant Vice President of Culture and Inclusion at Gallagher and co-leads the Gallagher Connect Partners, a network of 50+ diverse certified firms in the insurance sector. Larry was introduced to the insurance industry as a Gallagher intern in 2011, and became a Property/Casualty producer specializing in public housing authorities, higher education and K-12 schools. In 2017, Larry promoted to co-lead Gallagher’s Inclusion and Diversity strategies. As a leader in Gallagher Connect Partners, Larry is dedicated to establishing meaningful, deliberate and inclusive relationships with our diverse partners to increase business opportunities. He also supports Gallagher’s diverse recruiting strategies and internal diversity and inclusion efforts. Larry graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison Business School with a Bachelor of Arts in Risk Management and Insurance.

Dr. Jeanne J. Holmes is the Director of Employment Practice Consulting for RiskVersity, a risk management firm headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. In addition, she serves as an adjunct professor in Human Resource Management at North Carolina Central  University and will join the MBA program at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business as an adjunct in the Spring 2021 semester.

Jeanne’s professional career began as an HR professional within the banking and insurance industries before expanding to other arenas. In addition to her corporate HR experience, she is a former Research Fellow for the U.S. Department of Defense where she served the Ft. Jackson element (South Carolina). Dr. Holmes is also a certified mediator in the North Carolina criminal and family court system before starting a career as an HR consultant.

Jeanne’s unique blend of practical, corporate HR experience and academic rigor fuel her passion for helping organization with evidence-based interventions. Jeanne has facilitated workshops on various HR issues across the country and Canada, and serves her community as an active board member for nonprofit organizations in North Carolina & Ohio.

Dr. Holmes earned her bachelor’s degree in management from Miami University (Ohio), a master’s degree in organizational communication from North Carolina State University, and doctorate in business administration from the Darla Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina. Jeanne enjoys facilitating workshops with her husband, Chris, and is a student of martial arts with her son, Christopher. Jeanne has earned a 2nd degree black belt in Taekwondo & Hapkido and is a proud sci-fi geek.

Trevor Gandy is President and Owner of TréGan Consulting LLC. In this role, he works closely with executives and their teams to ensure their companies are viewed by their employees, customers and partners worldwide as an inclusive organization that promotes and leverages the business value of diversity and inclusion.

He previously served as Principal, Diversity & Inclusion at Amazon. Prior to that he was the Senior Vice President, Deputy Chief Culture Officer at Chubb Insurance. Prior to ACE’s acquisition of Chubb in January 2016, Mr. Gandy was Senior Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer for Chubb.

Mr. Gandy received his Bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University and has completed an Executive Education Program for Senior Human Resources Executives at Stanford University. He further completed the Human Resources Leadership Academy development program sponsored by the Corporate Executive Board and Boston College Carroll School of Management Corporate Responsibility Management program.

He currently sits on the Board of Trustees of the Tri-County Scholarship Fund, the Montclair Film Festival and on the Board of Directors of the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW).

He has been featured in articles published by the Chicago Tribune, Catalyst, Business Insurance Magazine, TheGlassHammer.com and DiversityInc Magazine. He has served as Executive Committee Chair of The Conference Board Council of U.S. Diversity & Inclusion Executives. Additionally, he has served as a Co-Chair of the Center for Talent Innovation Task Force and Catalyst Expert Community.