BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — The Outdoor Industries Women's Coalition has created a People and Culture Department, designed to drive creativity and business sustainability in member companies through happier, more diverse, and inclusive workplaces.
"I'm proud of the steps we've taken and the progress OIWC has made for the industry, and I know that the addition of the People and Culture Department will serve to strengthen and grow the foundation we've built," said Deanne Buck, the group's executive director.
"When we draw on the skillset of a workforce that reflects the diversity of our participant base, we are better able to understand and meet the needs of the consumer," said Buck. "Our goal is to help companies recruit and retain top-tier talent, which will ultimately create healthy, sustainable companies and inclusive working environments for all."
To head these efforts, OIWC has hired Aparna Rajagopal-Durbin, J.D., CDP, as its director of People and Culture; and Dr. Jennifer Boldry, of Breakaway Research Group, as OIWC's research provider of record.
Immediate goals of the new department are to develop a suite of benchmarking assessment tools to allow partners to identify successes and opportunities for growth in their women's leadership and inclusion initiatives; provide tools and tips to implement the OIWC CEO Pledge; work with member companies to collaboratively develop best practices around the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in the workplace; and embark on a longitudinal study to examine the impact of the implementation of diversity and inclusion best practices on member companies' bottom line.
OIWC's People and Culture Department is funded, in part, by the REI Foundation's Mary Anderson Legacy Grant.
