KPMG: Michele Meyer-Shipp

Michele C. Meyer-Shipp joined KPMG LLP as Principal and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer in August 2018.  In this role, she leads the National Inclusion and Diversity (I&D;) team and oversees its strategy and objectives, including supporting the recruitment, retention, and development of a diverse workforce; inspiring broad perspectives and innovative client solutions; and fostering an inclusive and accessible culture.  Michele works closely with KPMG’s leadership teams to advance its inclusive and diverse culture, which has earned the firm recognition as a top workplace by FORTUNE magazine, DiversityInc, Working Mother, and The Human Rights Campaign.   Michele most recently served as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP.  In this role, she was responsible for developing and promoting all diversity management practices across the firm, Prior to that, Michele was employed by Prudential Financial Inc., where she served as Employment Counsel from 2010 to 2012, and then as Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer from 2012 through 2017. In the latter role, Michele was responsible for leading and supporting all diversity and inclusion efforts for the company, and for ensuring ongoing compliance with equal employment opportunity laws. During her tenure, the organization was consistently recognized by DiversityInc as among the “Top 50 Companies for Diversity,” including multiple appearances in the top 10.    Prior to her employment at Prudential, Michele worked in the public sector as General Counsel of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor, and as Director of the New Jersey Division of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action. Michele also worked at Merrill Lynch as Employment Counsel and then as Northeast Regional Diversity Lead in the global wealth management business. She started her career in private practice as an employment litigator after serving as a law clerk for the New Jersey Supreme Court.    Michele currently serves as a member of Twitter’s Diversity Advisory Council and Working Mother Media’s Multicultural Women’s Advisory Board.  She is also an active Board member of the National Organization on Disability. She has previously served on the boards of GLSEN, Inc. (the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), the Women Presidents’ Organization, and the American Conference on Diversity.   She is an active member of several professional associations and recently completed her tenure as co-chair of the Asia Society Global Talent and Diversity Council.