DEI Dialogue with Eleni Farmakis, Naria Frazer, Bruno Giordano and Augusto Michael Trujillo

by Francisca Zakowicz Blanco

The meeting on Feb. 6th was all about diversity, equity and inclusion and how that practically applies in the workplace. We had four guest speakers who each got to share their experiences with DEI within their company. 

During your career, have you gone through any experiences that have shifted your perspective on DEI? Or what changes do you hope will happen in DEI in the next 10 years?

DEI committee heads with Augusto Michael Trujillo leading the meeting.

“Well this is a very personal example, but after I moved to USA, there was a point in my career where I wasn’t sure where I was going to go because I wasn’t a native english speaker. I started to really doubt my abilities. And it took someone in much higher leadership than me to say that this wasn’t something I should be concerned about but something that I bring to the table. This really shifted my perspective,” said Bruno Giordano, Senior Vice President of Corporate Affairs at BCW Global.

“I would say that when you are looking for a job, you should look for a diverse workplace, and if you can’t find one then advocate for a diverse workplace,” said Augusto Michael Trujillo.

Eleni and Bruno, how has DEI changed since your time at your agency?

“Well, as a worldwide agency, we have to remember that each nation is at a different point in DEI. For me, DEI is in my DNA because of the different lived experiences that I’ve had, but we have to be patient. And we really have to learn to appreciate what each of us brings to the table,” said Bruno Giordano.

“For me, I noticed that everyone was kind of going through the motions for a long time & it’s extremely important to talk about how DEI plays out in the day-to-day,” said Eleni Farmakis.

Take away quotes

“We work to embed DEI practices into our agency and everything we’re doing. It’s important to include and research the audiences that we’re representing, ” said Naria Frazer.

“ If you are curious enough to ask questions and knock on different doors, a lot of doors will definitely open,” said Bruno Giordano.