Wema Hoover

An authentic, riveting and impactful speaker, Wema Hoover uses her lived experiences as a Black female senior executive working both in the US and abroad to provide practical insights, perspectives and actions enabling organizations to realize the true potential of diversity and inclusion. Previously serving as a Chief Diversity Officer, Cultural Strategist, Executive Coach and Employee Engagement Leader amongst the top Fortune 500 companies Wema has served as the architect and driver of transformational change leveraging diversity, equity and inclusion to activate employee engagement, build diverse talent pipelines and harness cultural competence to connect and interact with customers and clients in more meaningful ways that strengthen business performance. Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Leader, Executive Coach & Culture Curator. Previously, she led global DEI efforts for Google, Pfizer, Sanofi, and Bristol-Myers Squibb to help inform and guide corporate leadership. Throughout her career, Wema has led teams of more than 85 people and developed multiple Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Councils to build internal capabilities related to belonging, unconscious bias, cultural competence, and global leadership. As a DE&I thought leader, Wema served as a member of the Coqual (Center for Talent Innovation) Hidden Brain Drain Task Force where she provided best practice D&I research working across global markets in China, India, and the US. In addition, Wema is a National Member of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) and a sought-after speaker on DE&I topics for organizations including The Conference Board, Working Mother, and Diversity Best Practices. Wema is also an executive coach who holds a Master of Science in Human Resource Management and a Master’s-level Certificate in Organizational Change Management both from New School University. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Rutgers University and a certification as a Global Professional in Human Resources (GPHR) through the Human Resources Certification Institute. Teemat: Reframing Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; How Difference Can Make a Difference | Athena Affect: Maximizing the Female Potential in Your Organization | EQ & Inclusion: Unlocking the Value of Diversity To Address Racial Injustice | Turning Obstacles Into Opportunities: Harnessing the Black & BIPOC Women Advantage | Opening the Aperture: Building Diverse Talent Pipelines | It’s Ok Not To be Okay: Activating Inclusion to Drive Well-Being & Mental Health