Navigating the New Landscape: Addressing New Challenges to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs

Kathleen Fredriksen is co-founder and Managing Partner of Parker Analytics, a global consultancy that uses data science and domain expertise to accelerate progress in the legal profession. Before founding Parker, Kathleen served as Executive Director of a Top 25 Am Law Firm, as global head of talent, client relations, and business development, and in leadership roles within the pharmaceutical industry.

Kathleen advises Top Am Law Firms and Fortune 500 companies—connecting data-driven outcomes to actions most likely to direct strategic growth and advance equitable cultures. Her commitment to communicating directly and transparently makes her an invaluable resource to stakeholders committed to leveraging data to rise above industry benchmarks and outperform their competition.

Virginia G. Essandoh serves as the Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of Ballard Spahr and is a member of the firm's Senior Leadership Team. She develops, oversees, and provides strategic leadership to Ballard Spahr's diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

Working closely with the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council and key stakeholders, Virginia advises and collaborates with firm leadership and management to implement the firm's diversity, equity, and inclusion strategic goals and embed the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion into firm culture. This ranges from high-level development of diversity-related recruitment, development, and advancement for lawyers and administrative professionals to client collaborations that advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the profession as a whole.

Natalie Runyon has more than 20 years of experience working and volunteering for multinational organizations, including Thomson Reuters, Goldman Sachs, and the Central Intelligence Agency.

Currently, she is he director of enterprise content for talent, inclusion and culture within the brand marketing function of Thomson Reuters. Before her current role, she ran the strategy and operations team supporting key account programs within the Legal business, and before that, she ran global security in the Americas for 3 years. As a volunteer leader, she has led strategic leadership and change initiatives on the global and local levels for business resource groups at Thomson Reuters.

She completed an Organization Development & Leadership certificate from NYU in April 2016 and is a Certified Leadership Coach.