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Eric Johnson

Senior Program Manager, DEI at Papa Johns InternationalPapa Johns International

Atlanta, GA

Member Since May 2023

Skills

Diversity & inclusion
Learning & development programs
Organizational change

About

Eric Jo is a Black, genderqueer social science practitioner, educator, and musician whose expertise lies in reversing the negative realities of institutional stagnation and promoting positive possibilities of institutional change for historically excluded communities. Their work has been grounded in the latter and informed by their experiences in the fields of education, research, sociology, consulting, policy, leadership and institutional change and DEI. Due to the diversity of experiences in these fields, Eric Jo has been able to coalesce a vast array of knowledges and skills. This has enabled them to scale up the scope of their role and responsibilities exponentially over time. Eric Jo has a decade of combined experience in a variety of roles that include (but are not limited to) teaching and training, program/project management, primary and secondary research, people leadership, learning and development, and organizational development and change. Eric Jo believes that espousing the values of DEI should be truly about centering the humanity of people and the imperative of a healthy environment. It should be conceiving that all life is inherently worthy of care and concern, knowing that every individual is innately fully whole and imperfectly enough, and understanding that difference is what makes us human and creates a healthy environment. Currently, Eric Jo works as a Director of Culture & Inclusion, serving 10,000 team members.

Published content

Navigating the Future of DEI: Anticipating Hot-Button Issues and Preparing Leaders

expert panel

As we step into an increasingly diverse and interconnected world, the conversation surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) continues to evolve at a rapid pace. The next five years promise to bring forth a multitude of challenges and hot-button issues that will shape the DEI landscape. From the intersectionality of identities to the role of technology in workplace equity, leaders across various sectors are tasked with anticipating and addressing these emerging concerns. Below, nine DEI Think Tank members share the key issues expected to dominate the DEI discourse and provide insights into proactive strategies leaders can adopt today to navigate these turbulent waters tomorrow.

How Do You Handle Pushback Against DEI Initiatives From Employees — or Even Other Senior Leaders?

expert panel

Even today – perhaps even more so today – it’s not uncommon for colleagues to question or criticize DEI initiatives. Sometimes, that pushback comes from fellow executives or influential department heads. How confident you are as a DEI leader in navigating conversations with DEI skeptics has a lot to do with two key factors: 1. how well you’ve quantified DEI’s impact on your organization’s strategic objectives and 2. how much support you have from the CEO. We asked members of the Senior Executive DEI Think Tank – a criteria-based organization for DEI decision-makers at large companies, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies – to share their playbooks for responding to DEI pushback from internal sources. Consider the following.

Making the Most of Your Budget for Employee Resource Groups (ERGs): 6 DEI Experts Weigh In

expert panel

Employee resource groups (ERGs) are notoriously under-resourced – often treated as more of an employee perk than a strategic business driver worth investing in. It’s up to DEI leaders to secure more funding for ERGs, a challenge requiring deliberative planning and clear outcomes. How much should you engage ERG leaders to make specific budget requests for their individual groups? Must every ERG initiative align neatly with organizational goals? How will you demonstrate ROI? Should you compensate ERG leaders for their time? (Yes.) We asked members of the Senior Executive DEI Think Tank – a criteria-based organization for DEI decision-makers at large companies, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies – to share their best practices for securing and making the most of financial resources for their employee resource groups. Here’s what they had to say.

Company details

Papa Johns International

Industry

Restaurants

Company size

10,001 plus

This member is no longer active.

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