Gucci was serious when it announced plans to improve diversity. The
Italian luxury brand has appointed Renée E. Tirado as its first global
director of diversity and inclusion. She will lead international
efforts to position Gucci as a diverse, multi-cultural brand.
Tirado’s first plan of action will be the design, development and
implementation of a global strategy to create a more inclusive and
equitable workplace, according to a press statement emailed to
FashionUnited. This strategy will continue to impact the company’s
recruitment approaches, along with initiatives to to review and
promote talents internally. Her work will intertwine values of
diversity, equity and inclusion throughout all levels of Gucci’s
organization.
She will be based in New York, reporting directly to president and
CEO Marco Bizzarri.
“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,” Tirado
said. “I am honored 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.”
While her appointment with Gucci will be her first foray into the
fashion industry, Tirado has held directorial roles in diversity and
inclusion throughout her career. Most recently, Tirado was chief
diversity and inclusion officer for Major League Baseball for three
and a half years, according to her LinkedIn profile. Prior to this,
she served in similar positions with AIG and the United States Tennis
Association.
Gucci’s long-term plan for global inclusion
Gucci announced in February that it would bring about long-term
strategies to improve its diversity initiatives following a
controversial design for which creative director Alessandro Michele
accepted blame. The Kering-owned company had begun its search for a
global director for diversity and inclusion at this time.
In March, the brand launched Gucci Changemakers, a global
scholarship to support industry change and unity through community
action. Gucci also launched a Cultural Awareness Learning Program
program to educate its 18,000 international employees to “increase
awareness of unconscious cultural bias.”
“[Tirado’s] appointment is a fundamental building block to further
our commitment and support the initiatives already in place,” Bizzarri
stated. “As a learning organization, we have challenged ourselves over
the last few months to accelerate our vision to develop a stronger
organization. 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.”
As Gucci’s director of diversity and inclusion, Tirado will now
oversee the Cultural Awareness Learning Program for all global
employees and serve as a member of the Gucci Changemakers Council.
She will also oversee Gucci’s Global Multicultural Design Fellowship
Program, the Internal Global Exchange Program and Employee Resource
Groups.
“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 prioritization it has placed on
it as a part of the overall business,” Tirado said.
Photo: Gucci
