Special Workshop: Diversity in action: creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, a place for all to belong
-
Speakers
Speaker 1: Ashley Dartnell, Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Director, Boston Consulting Group, London, UK
Biography: Ashley is responsible for driving the strategy and execution of BCG’s Global DE&I agenda. Across gender, LGBTQ+, (dis)ability, and ethnic/cultural/socioeconomic groups she works with BCG leadership to define the firm’s aspirations, track and report on progress, increase leadership accountability and design and support programs to foster an equitable and inclusive environment for all BCG employees. She leads a team that has developed groundbreaking DE&I thought leadership, including an external DE&I survey of over 25,000 employees in 16 countries. She regularly participates in client discussions as a DE&I expert and has coauthored a number of articles about LGBTQ+ employees, inclusion, women in tech, and caregivers.
Speaker 2: Robert Sewell, Head of Academic Affairs, ICFO, Spain & SPIE@ICFO Chair for Diversity in the Photonic Sciences
Biography: Prof. Sewell is Head of Academic Affairs at ICFO, responsible for oversight of the ICFO PhD program and training of students and researchers, including programs such as the Summer Fellows program, Maria Yzuel Fellowship Awards, and the Frontiers of Light summer schools. He completed a dual arts/science undergraduate degree at the University of Melbourne, and received his PhD in Physics from Imperial College London in 2009. He joined ICFO in 2009 as a Marie Curie Research Postdoctoral Fellow, and became Staff Scientist and Coordinator of Academic Programs in 2015. In 2020 he was appointed SPIE@ICFO Chair for Diversity in Photonic Sciences. He is Co-Director of the Master of Multidisciplinary Research in Experimental Sciences offered by the Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, and sits on the coordinating committee of the inter-university Master of Quantum Science and Technology.
Speaker 3: Janet S. Wong, CPA, NACD.DC, Independent Board Director Lumentum Holdings, Inc, USA
Biography: Janet S. Wong is an experienced business executive. Currently, she serves as an independent corporate board director for Lumentum (Nasdaq: LITE), a leading technology company; Lucid Group (Nasdaq: LCID), an electric vehicle manufacturer and Enviva Inc (NYSE: EVA), a global energy company. She served as a senior partner with KPMG, a global professional services organization, where she spent the majority of her career based in the San Francisco and Silicon Valley offices providing her industry experience in technology, manufacturing, services and consumer products. She is an established thought leader and speaker on issues facing global companies today including diversity, Environmental Social & Governance (ESG), and leadership development. Janet is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and a National Association of Corporate Directors Certified® Director. She earned her Master of Professional Accountancy from Louisiana Tech University and Master of Taxation from Golden Gate University.
Speaker 4: Dalma Novak, Vice President of Engineering, Octane Wireless, USA
Biography: Dalma Novak is VP of Engineering at Octane Wireless. Previously she was a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at The University of Melbourne and also led cross-disciplinary R&D teams developing WDM hardware for long-haul transmission systems at Dorsál Networks and Corvis Corporation. Dr. Novak received the degrees of Bachelor of Engineering and PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Queensland. She is a Fellow of the IEEE and recognized internationally in the areas of microwave and millimeter-wave photonics. In 2018 she received the IEEE Photonics Society Engineering Achievement Award. Dr. Novak is the current Chair of the IEEE TAB Committee on Diversity and Inclusion and Vice-Chair of the IEEE Committee on Diversity and Inclusion.
Panel Chair: Grace Lee, Executive Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer, Lumentum Holdings Inc, USA
Biography: Grace Lee is senior vice president, chief human resources officer at Lumentum (LITE). In this role, she is responsible for all disciplines of global human resources. She is a Board member at Asure Software (ASUR) where she is chair of the nominating and governance committee. Prior to joining Lumentum, Ms. Lee was Chief Human Resources and Diversity Officer at Cubic. She has been named as Top 50 Chief Diversity Officers in the U.S., and Top 100 Chief Human Resources Officers in the U.S. Ms. Lee holds a master’s degree in Human Resources from Cornell University, Industrial and Labor Relations School; a master’s degree in Global Leadership from the University of San Diego, School of Business; and a bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of the Philippines.
