Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Certificate Program

Varun Agarwal, (He/Him), MCR, SLCR
Head of Asset Management, Property – Africa & Middle East, Standard Chartered Bank

Bio: Varun is currently the Head of Asset Management, Property – Africa & Middle East for Standard Chartered Bank. Varun’s role oversees asset management, transaction management, lease administration, strategy, and retail business alignment.

With more than 15 years in multiple roles across Mumbai, London, Johannesburg & Dubai; having worked with diverse teams across various continents, Varun strongly believes that diversity drives innovation.

Varun is an active member of CoreNet Global, facilitated multiple MCR Finance seminars, was nominated for the 2017 Young Leader Award, and is currently the board member for CoreNet Middle East Chapter.

Nadine Augusta, (She/Her)
Chief Diversity Equity & Inclusion Officer, Cushman & Wakefield

Bio: As Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at Cushman & Wakefield, Nadine Augusta drives global commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as a firmwide priority. This includes creating an environment that offers equitable and fair growth opportunities for all employees and the businesses with which Cushman & Wakefield works, while ensuring the firm brings diverse thought and expertise to its clients. Nadine takes a holistic approach to DEI, with a focus on workforce, workplace and marketplace, especially in the areas of recruiting, talent development and supplier diversity.

Beck Bailey, (He/Him)
Director, Workplace Equality Program, at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation

Bio: Beck Bailey's work in the HRC Foundation’s Workplace Equality Program focuses on helping America’s workplaces become more LGBTQ inclusive through employee engagement, training, and education. He also conducts outreach to engage corporations in supporting legislative action to create workplace protections for LGBTQ people.

As a lifelong business professional prior to joining HRC, Beck brings his knowledge and experience as a manager and a leader to this work. From frontline management of a food production line at Stouffer’s frozen foods to operations and retail management of the iconic LGBTQ merchandise company Don’t Panic! Designs, Beck possesses a well-developed managerial skillset grounded in operations and change management.

An LGBTQ advocate and out transgender man, Beck often speaks about his personal experience as a way to increase awareness and understanding. He proudly serves on the Board of Directors for Gay & Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD). Beck holds a BS in Management from Virginia Tech and an MBA from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst.

Jeri Ballard, (She/Her)
Executive Vice President, Real Estate, Business Service Centres and Corp. Travel, Royal Dutch Shell

Bio: Jeri is responsible for leading the global delivery of the non-hydrocarbon physical infrastructure to Shell businesses, projects and ventures in 40+ countries. This includes offices, housing, land assembly, worker accommodations, construction projects, and facilities management for an annual operating expense of $1 billion and capital expense of $300 million. She is a member of the Global Board of Directors for CoreNet Global.

Melony Bethala, Ph.D., (She/Her)
Senior Consultant, The Clearing

Bio: Dr. Melony Bethala is a cultural researcher and management consultant who specializes in analyzing intersectional differences and helps clients better understand a support a vast range of customer experiences. Before joining The Clearing in 2021, Dr. Bethala served as a workplace culture strategist and researcher for Newmark and completed her doctorate in English | International Cultural Studies on a project that examined how government and private institutional practices have shaped women’s careers in India and Ireland. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of York in the UK, a Master’s degree from Trinity College Dublin, and BA from Emory University.

Susannah Burock, (She/Her)
Global Workplace Experience Manager, Vice President, Corporate Real Estate & Services, Swiss Re Management Ltd,

Bio: Susannah is the Vice-President of Global Workplace Experience at Swiss Re. She's passionate about developing inclusive, human-centric experiences by creating a deeper understanding of the psychology and employee behavioral patterns that support a thriving work environment. Susannah is working with the CRE Strategy team to develop a future approach to workplace.

Tim Dismond, (He/Him)
Chief Responsibility Officer, CBRE

Bio: As Chief Responsibility Officer, Tim Dismond oversees the company’s Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) efforts. He is a member of CBRE’s Executive Committee, a group of 12 global executives responsible for driving the company’s business worldwide and serves on CBRE’s African American Network Group Executive Committee. Previously, Mr. Dismond served as CBRE’s first global Chief Diversity Officer, leading the company’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) strategy. In February 2021, his scope of responsibilities expanded to include all ESG efforts including DE&I, Environmental Sustainability, Workplace Safety & Wellbeing, Philanthropy and Public/Government Affairs.

Regan Donoghue, (She/Her)
Managing Principal, SimConsults

Bio: Regan has 15+ years of workplace and workforce strategy experience. She has a Masters Certificate in Leadership Strategy and Change Management from the University of Notre Dame. She is WELL & LEED Accredited Professional and member of special WELL Task Force. Regan is a presenter and author of over 30 unique research presentations and 8 published papers on industry trends.

Kathryn Gibbs, MCR, SLCR (She/Her)
Facilities Management Director, Engineering (North America), Merck & Co.

Bio: Kathryn Gibbs started her career at Merck in 1992 as an assistant engineer in the Global Engineering Solutions (GES). Kathryn has been responsible for the successful completion of over 5 million square feet and over $600 million. She has significant experience in campus and utility master planning. Along with responsibility for development, socialization and management of Merck’s Workplace Strategies, Kathryn became a passionate and staunch advocate for Disability Inclusion. She is committed to creating a built environment that improves employee performance, health and wellness, safety and social participation that can be used by all.

Kristin Hay, (She/Her)
Partner, Head of People and Culture, Knight Frank Australia Pty Ltd

Bio: Over the past 20 years, Kristin has worked for a number of international organizations across the Asia Pacific. With a passion for building a strong people culture, she is also focused on driving business transformation through all aspects of Human Resources including talent management, recruitment and retention, employee engagement, learning and development, organizational design, and diversity and inclusion.  In her previous role as Global Director of People and Culture, she was responsible for delivering the global diversity agenda for Travelex and having joined Knight Frank in March this year, has already made significant inroads into their Diversity and Inclusion Roadmap including designing and launching a new D&I strategy with a number of key initiatives which are underway. In addition to working in Singapore for 6 years, she also spent most of her school years living in South-East Asia.

Andrew Houghton, (He/Him)
Founder and CEO, Disability Inclusion Solutions

Bio:  Andrew Houghton is a global disability expert who has used a wheelchair since a 1986 motorcycle accident resulting in paraplegia. Andrew has served as a consultant on disability issues and programs around the world and has served in the public sector as a presidential and gubernatorial appointee. He is the founder and CEO of Disability Inclusion Solutions (DIS) a small business specializing in the development of programs and services that promote full inclusion for people with disabilities.

Johnny Humphrey, (He/Him)
Director of Inclusivity Services, The Center on Colfax (LGBTQ Colorado)

Bio: Johnny Humphrey, MBA, serves as the Director of Inclusivity Services at The Center on Colfax and leads the agency’s RANGE Consulting program. RANGE Consulting provides comprehensive consulting services on LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning) best practices and DEI (diversity, equity & inclusion) strategies for employers within the private, nonprofit, and government sectors throughout Colorado and beyond. Johnny has 10+ years of DEI experience and recent recipient of the 2020 Inclusion@Work Award by the Center for Legal Inclusion. He is a member of Mile High SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management), Aurora & Colorado LGBTQ Chambers of Commerce, and serves on various DEI committees. Johnny holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management, a master’s degree in Business Administration, and certification in Diversity & Inclusion.

Ingrid Jacobs, (She/Her)
Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, JLL

Bio: Ingrid is responsible for leading JLL’s global diversity and inclusion strategy, ensuring the company is attracting, hiring, and developing a diverse and engaged workforce of the future. In her role, Ingrid and her team of diversity and inclusion professionals identify consistent areas of focus and drive business-enabling outcomes that reinforce JLL’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Ingrid also guides and enhances the company’s network of business resource groups and diversity councils. She has more than 20 years of experience providing strategic leadership in human resources, culture, strategy, and diversity and inclusion for business improvement and cultural change.

Jordan Jones, (He/Him)
Strategy Director, IA Interior Architects

Bio: With over 10 years of experience, Jordan has worked in both client and consultant sides of the industry which has given him a unique ability to empathize with the challenges and opportunities facing organizations. His passion lies in understanding the unique characteristics of design as an influencer of behavior and enabler of wellbeing, with a bias for tangible, actionable solutions. Jordan believes that the workplace has the power to truly represent an organization's identity and beliefs beyond its branding, and is energized in helping others achieve this. Jordan has a BSc in Architectural Technology and an MSc in Spatial Design for Architecture and Cities.

Andrew Merewether-Helps, (He/Him)
Digital Recruitment Experience Solution Expert & Project Manager, IBM Global Real Estate

Bio: Andrew Merewether-Helps is a Digital Recruitment Experience Solution Expert & Project Manager for IBM. He also is the Co-Chair of People with Diverse Abilities for the United Kingdom. Andrew has worked in IBM for 10 years and has a disability called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita.

Jane Muir-Sands, (She/Her)
Vice President Global Real Estate and Operations, IBM Global Real Estate

Bio: Jane Muir-Sands is the Vice President of Global Real Estate at IBM. She leads all aspects of a global real estate portfolio of over 6.5m sqm (, present in 127 countries with offices, data centers, manufacturing, and logistics. She is responsible for developing and implementing corporate real estate strategies synchronized to IBM's changing business needs as the company transforms into a leading cloud-based cognitive enterprise. She champions innovative thinking and delivery of among others Location Strategy; Workplace of the Future, Employee Experience, Agile Work practices, Cognitive infused Real Estate, Corporate Environment, and Energy and Facility Operations. Prior to her time at IBM Jane was the Vice President Workplace, Travel and Fleet at Unilever. She led the team managing a global real estate portfolio of 8.9m sqm (accommodating ~170,000 FTE’s), delivering major building projects, acquisitions, disposals, and renewals for offices, R&D, and supply chain facilities. Responsible for providing a world-class Employee Experience through the integrated provision and delivery of facilities management (FM) including all site services (catering, cleaning, security, building maintenance, HSSE); supporting 59,000 travelers globally; coordinate all meetings and events and managing approximately 60,000 fleet vehicles. Jane has also spent time working for Shell, Deloitte, and KPMG in corporate finance and consulting. She is a Chartered Surveyor.

Rajiv Nagrath, (He/Him)
Head of Strategy & Development | VENTIA Property

Bio: Rajiv is the Head of Strategy & Development for Ventia Property business in Australia and New Zealand, supporting clients in driving productivity and efficiency to get the best business outcomes from their property commitments. Rajiv has over 25 years of experience in CRE strategic planning and management. Rajiv’s key areas of specialization are real estate portfolio and workplace strategy; change management; real estate procurement/divestment management; and facilities and asset management.

Rajiv has degrees in Architecture and Business Administration and prior to Ventia held senior executive roles in KPMG and JLL.

Leah Ong, (She/Her), MCR,
Director Real Estate, Volvo Group Australia

Bio: Working in the property industry for over 18 years, Leah has extensive experience in the areas of the office, industrial and retail sectors both nationally and internationally in the corporate real estate field.

Leah is responsible for the Real Estate team at Volvo Group Australia managing FM services, delivering real estate projects, and strategic planning aligned to the business objectives.

Leah has held roles on National Diversity and Inclusion Networks, QLD Committee for the Property Council of Australia and she is currently the Program Leader for CoreNet Global Australia.

Leah is passionate about supporting and mentoring women in the real estate field as well as actively volunteering with a number of local and international charities.

Josh Packard, Ph.D., (He/Him)
Executive Director, Springtide Research Institute

Bio: Josh Packard, Ph.D. is the Executive Director of Springtide Research Institute and an expert on what drives Generation Z. He has a passion for translating complex academic ideas into accessible and actionable insights for industries that are looking to engage and inspire a new, modern workforce that has shifted dramatically in recent years. He has been a keynote speaker for numerous groups and thousands of people including several CoreNet events.

His research has appeared in numerous academic and trade publications. He earned his B.A. in English from Texas Lutheran University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Vanderbilt University.

Elba Pareja-Gallagher, (She/Her)
Founder and CEO, ShowMe50.org | Director Stakeholder Engagement, UPS

Bio: Elba is a finance and strategy professional with 20+ years of experience at UPS. Elba was the Chair of the UPS Hispanic Business Resource Group, Crecer. During her leadership, Crecer was recognized as the #1 Hispanic Employee Resource Group by the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Latina Style Magazine. Elba has published several thought leadership blogs for UPS Longitudes including most recently on Women and COVID, Keeping Women Visible: A New Reality, May 2020.

Elba is an APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional and led the Gender Gap Task Force for the Atlanta chapter. Elba is also the founder of the 501(c)(3) social impact organization ShowMe50.org, which she started out of frustration over the lack of women leaders and the slow adoption of talent management transparency and bias controls. The non-profit’s vision is to achieve 50% women in senior leadership positions across America by influencing change in workplace cultures and talent management practices through high-impact action kits. ShowMe50 is a Global Lean In Regional Leader, partnering with Sheryl Sandberg and Lean In to help women advance their careers and break down barriers women face at work.

In September 2019, Elba was named one of the 50 Most Influential Latinos in Georgia by the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Elba serves on the board of The Women’s Collective, an initiative of Collier’s International to promote and enhance women leaders.

Ed Payongayong, (He/Him)
RE Experience Strategy Manager, Shell International BV (Real Estate)

Bio: Ed is a transformational, passionate, delivery focused, people oriented and strategic business leader with over 20 years working experience in multinational companies across industries. He has a reputation of leading credible and pragmatic strategy development and translating this into reality coupled with a strong continuous improvement mindset which is internally recognized and externally benchmarked.

Michael Perry, (He/Him)
AIA, LEED AP, Principal, Progressive AE

Bio: Michael Perry is a licensed architect in 20 states, principal of Progressive AE, and leads their universal design consulting practice. Mike serves on the Board of Directors of the Global Universal Design Commission, and he frequently writes and presents on the topic of Universal Design in the built environment.

David Quilleon, (He/Him)
Senior Vice President, Global Mission, State Development & Operations, Best Buddies International

Bio: Since 1991, David has been volunteering for Best Buddies. The start of a brilliant career began simply with the gift of friendship while David attended the University of South Florida.

As a sibling of two individuals with intellectual disabilities, Ken & Kendra Holden, David understands the importance of the Best Buddies mission. He, along with several other USF students, founded the Best Buddies chapter on their campus. While at USF, he served as the Student Body President for an unprecedented two years. In that position, David learned the power of advocacy and the importance of taking a stand to make a difference in the lives of many different constituencies. He graduated with a BA degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis in journalism.

After graduation, David joined Best Buddies Florida as the Colleges Program Manager for the Southeastern United States which included 42 college chapters. In 1997, he was selected to serve as the State Director of Best Buddies Illinois. In 1999, David was promoted to serve as the Vice President, Programs & State Development at the headquarters office of Best Buddies International in Miami. With the organization on the cusp of exploding around the world, David helped to launch and expand programs to assist even more people with intellectual disabilities to be hired in jobs and have the opportunity for a mutually enriching one-to-one friendship.

David left Best Buddies in 2009 to serve as the Executive Director for The Palm Beach Pops, a world class symphony pops orchestra dedicated to preserving the Great American Songbook. He returned to Best Buddies in 2013 to serve as the first Senior Vice President, Global Mission, State Development & Operations. He is married to his wife, Debbie and they have three children, Blake, Brody, and Bryce.

Kay Sargent, MCR.w, (She/Her)
Director of WorkPlace, HOK

Bio: Kay is a recognized expert on workplace design and strategy issues and an award-winning designer. Kay is Global Co-Director of HOK’s WorkPlace team and sits on HOK’s Board of Directors. In 2020 she was named ASID’s Designer of Distinction. She is a past Board Chair of CoreNet Global. In 2021 she provided Expert Testimony to the U.S. House of Representatives.

Kimberly Sauvageau, (She/Her)
Global Workplace Experience Architect, Shell Real Estate

Bio: As Shell's Global Workplace Architect, Kim is responsible for office design and experience strategies for 100k users & 230m sf around the world. With experience guiding workplace projects in 60+ countries, Kim has successfully balanced global best practices & local norms to ensure workplaces are inclusive and stimulating for colleagues & visitors. Kim has been awarded internally & externally as a passionate proponent of DEI for all users.

Ella Slade (They/Them),
Global LGBT+ Leader, IBM

Bio: Ella Slade is IBM’s Global LGBT+ Leader, they work in the Global D&I team within HR and have been in their role for 18 months. Ella first joined IBM as an intern back in 2014 and worked in Talent Attraction for 5 years before their current role.

Margot Slattery, (She/Her)
Global Group Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, ISS World Services

Bio:  Margot Slattery is Global Group Head of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at ISS World Services, where she is directing integrated and dynamic initiatives spanning the dimensions of Cultures & Ethnicity, Abilities, Gender, Sexual Orientation/LGBTQ+ and Generations & Age. Margot has been furthering the D&I agenda for more than 20 years inside and outside work, she is a member of various boards and NGO’s and a renowned thought leader speaking at events around the world. Margot’s longstanding commitment to D&I has earned her numerous accolades. Most recently, she was appointed global ambassador of All Ireland Business Forum for her contribution to promoting and developing D&I standards in the workplace and society.

Leslie Thompson, (She/Her)
Director of Workplace Segment Strategy, North America, Tarket

Bio: As part of strategic marketing, Leslie works closely with design on trend forecasting, research and new product development for the workplace segment. She is passionate about design, strategy and people and finds inspiration in collaborative dialogue with the architecture and design community. She believes that bringing together different voices creates synergy.

Dwinita Mosby Tyler, PhD, (She/Her)
Chief Catalyst and Founder, The Equity Project LLC

Bio: Dr. Dwinita Mosby Tyler is the Chief Catalyst and Founder of The Equity Project, LLC – an organization designed to support organizations and communities in building diversity, equity and inclusion strategies. She is the former Senior Vice President and Chief Inclusion Officer for Children’s Hospital Colorado – the first African American woman to hold that position in the organizations 100+ year history. Dr. Mosby Tyler, a consultant accredited by the Georgetown University National Center for Cultural Competence, is nationally recognized for her equity work with non-profit, community, government and corporate organizations.

Chely Wright, (She/Her),
Chief Diversity Officer, Unispace

Bio: Chely Wright is an author, artist, advocate, and relentless champion for equality. Wright rose to fame as a commercial country music singer in the '90s–– enjoying years of critical acclaim, industry recognition, touring and chart-topping success. She made history in 2010 by becoming the first artist in the genre to publicly come out as gay, which she wrote about in her memoir entitled Like Me, published by Random House. In 2011, the Emmy-nominated and multiple award-wining documentary, Wish Me Away, chronicled Chely’s coming out journey, cementing the film as essential-viewing among LGBTQ audiences, faith communities, learning institutions and beyond. In addition to her long-standing relationships with key advocacy organizations, Wright has served on multiple boards including GLSEN, T.J. Martell and Faith in America. She is also the founder of two non-profits; Reading, Writing & Rhythm which raised $1M+ to support music and arts in public schools and The LikeMe Organization, established to provide resources for the LGBTQ community and their families. With decades of experience in public speaking across multiple mediums, Chely enjoys leveraging the power of storytelling to create change, especially in corporate spaces; addressing companies like Goldman Sachs, Procter & Gamble, Morgan Stanley, etc. to advance meaningful discussions about diversity, equity and inclusion. Chely currently serves at the Chief Diversity Officer for Unispace.

Guzman de Yarza Blache, PhD (He/Him),
Head of Workplace Strategy, EMEA, JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle Espana SA)

Bio: With 20 years of experience and a doctorate in Architecture, Guzman -he/him- leads the EMEA Workplace Consulting business at JLL. He is helping international corporations evolve to the New Ways of Working throughout their portfolios. He is currently leading the deployment of the pioneering Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging standard by JLL, which is allowing companies to align their built environment with their DEI Strategy.