Members of The Conference Board get exclusive access to the full range of products and services that deliver Trusted Insights for What's Ahead ® including webcasts, publications, data and analysis, plus discounts to conferences and events.
06 August, 2020
Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation, talks about the responsibility of corporations today to foster diversity and inclusion. Walker reinforces the critical need for African American representation within the c-suite and on company boards to truly transform Corporate America.
In a conversation with Paul Washington, Executive Director of the Governance & Sustainability Center at The Conference Board, Walker states that George Floyd’s murder has served as a tipping point for change. His death, along with several other African Americans, has fundamentally shifted the way the general public, executives and their corporations are thinking about racism.
“I was on an earnings call of a Fortune 500 company where the CEO opened the call talking about systematic racism both in the United States and the challenges within his company,” said Walker. “And there were questions from the analysts covering the company about ‘what are you doing about diversity in your company’? I have never been on an earnings call and had questions come into the CEO about diversity and race…And I think we will see…as investors like Black Rock step forward and speak out about these issues…and other asset managers…I think we will see fundamental shifts in the behavior of corporate America.”
The CEO Forum series features CEOs from across American industry who focus on actionable insights to address underlying challenges of economic opportunity, childhood education, health care, workforce skills development, workplace equality and corporate governance.
To Ease Health Care Workforce Shortages, Use AI to Expand Capacity
September 18, 2026
From Vinyl to AI: What the Music Industry Teaches Business About Disruption
September 17, 2026
To Make Limited Pay Dollars Count, Target Raises Where They Matter Most
September 11, 2026
CMO-CCO Workloads, AI Skills & Employer Brand: Your Labor Day Roundup
September 05, 2026
To Navigate AI-Driven Change, Build a Culture of Trust and Adaptability
September 04, 2026
To Ease Health Care Workforce Shortages, Use AI to Expand Capacity
September 18, 2026
HR Reimagined: From HR Business Partner to Business Value Architect
October 27, 2026
Trust, Fairness & Belonging - Changing Worker Views of DEI Globally
December 08, 2026
AI Leadership: Solving the Governance Equation for Enterprise AI
September 08, 2026