My almost thirty years of experience in managemnt with top-tier organizations has provided me with amazing opportunities to implement innovative and creative diversity and inclusion strategies in uniquely Canadian ways. I continue to share my passion, energy and experience helping to make a difference as part of the Walmart team in Canada.
In the D&I arena, I was honoured to have been selected as the recipient of the "Innovation in Diversity Award" recipient in the "Individual-Provincial" category awarded at the inaugural Community Inclusive Reference Group (CIRG) Symposium held in York Region.
My youngest daughter recently nominated me to participate on CBC's reality competition "Canada's Smartest Person". Along with help from my other daughter, we set a goal of trying to make it onto the show (influenced by my "armchair" Jeopardy prowess they have witnessed for all their lives). My personal goal was to show my girls that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. I am so proud of them. Next thing you know we are at the Season Premiere. Yikes!!!
The idea of being being excited about reaching your potential (and having fun doing it) is something that I am passionate about sharing with everyone.
Being appointed to serve as a Director on Ontario's Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board (P.E.Q.A.B.) was a big challenge for me. It gave me the opportunity to participate in the important transition to having colleges offer Bachelor and Master level degrees --making access to higher education a reality for so many more Ontarians.
I cherish the time spent working directly with over 4,500 of Canada's best and brightest minority students while implementing the Canadian INROADS "Leadership Training" program. At PriceWaterhouseCoopers, I had the privilege of developing and launching their first-ever national diversity & inclusion strategy across Canada.
As Director, Division of Continuing Education at York University, I contributed towards the development of the Continuing Education Strategic Plan which included the introduction of a focused DIversity & Inclusion training certificate program.
Volunteering with the Toronto Police Service Youth in Policing Initiative (YIPI) is a joy. Helping our disadvantaged youth recognize the value they can deliver to their communities as young leaders is so important. Over 1,200 minority youth have participated in this ground-breaking program since 2006 (youth can register online today).
Today, Walmart is providing me with even greater opportunities to contribute and grow in this next exciting stage of what has been an incredible journey --focusing on "inclusion".
What braids each of these roles together is that they were all supported by senior leadership commitment to developing and implementing innovative approaches to harnessing the untapped potential of Canada's increasingly diverse and talented workforce.
Helping others reach their full potential is my passion --it's a commitment and responsibility I take very seriously. Most of all, I enjoy the energy and enthusiasm that all Canadians bring to everything we do.Take a look into the future of Toronto and the 34 Canadian cities profiled in the report Projections of the Diversity of the Canadian Population released by Statistics Canada on March 9, 2010. You will see that based on projected migration patterns, harnessing the power of Canada's diverse workforce may well be the key to our country's long-term sustainability and prosperity.
For diversity to really work it must be fully "inclusive". All Canadians have the opportunity (and responsibility) to show the rest of the world that the true value of inclusion lies in building a sustainable, productive and harmonious society.
Together we will all be successful.
- Richard H. Pinnock
