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Karen Perham-Lippman's avatarPerson

Karen Perham-Lippman

Senior Manager, Diversity, Equity & InclusionOtis Elevator Company

Denver, CO

Member Since May 2023

Skills

Inclusive leadership
Corporate social responsibility
DEI program implementation

About

Hi there! I'm Karen Perham-Lippman, and I've spent over a decade designing and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), environmental, social & governance (ESG), and corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategies, initiatives, and programs. I have worked across a variety of industries and sectors, including non-profit, businesses, state government, and municipal clients, both regionally and globally. Currently, I serve as the Senior Manager, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for Otis Elevator Company. Made to move you™, our organization moves 2 billion people a day and maintains more than 2.2 million customer units worldwide, the industry’s largest portfolio. Otis can be found in many of the world’s most recognizable buildings as well as the busiest transportation hubs and retail centers. Otis is everywhere people are on the move and has 69,000 people strong, including 41,000 field professionals, all committed to meeting the diverse needs of our customers. Our vision is giving the people freedom to connect and thrive in a taller, faster, smarter world. As a first-generation college student, I'm particularly proud of my role as an adjunct professor. I love being part of a diverse academic community and helping students from all walks of life reach their full potential. Throughout my career, I've been honored with awards for my leadership, service to non-profits and public schools, mentoring, and dedication to youth and families in poverty. Most recently, I was honored to have received a governor appointment for two consecutive terms to the Colorado State Business Experiential Learning Commission. I'm also a lifelong learner. I hold an ACUE certification for designing learner-centered and equitable courses from the Association of College and University Educators and am a Certified Diversity Professional. Currently, I am a PhD candidate in Organizational Leadership at Eastern University’s College of Business and Leadership. My research interests span the areas of destructive leadership, corporate board diversity, mental health, gender, workplace loneliness, belonging, and DEIB. My scholarly work has been published in SAGE Publishing, Merits International Journal, Ethics International Press, and Emerald Publishing. Looking forward to connecting and learning from all of you in this DEI Think Tank!"

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.

Workplace Loneliness Is an Epidemic. Could DEI Be the Cure?

article

Addressing workplace loneliness is an urgent imperative that requires comprehensive organizational commitment and innovative strategies to foster a culture of inclusiveness and belonging, particularly in remote work environments.

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

Otis Elevator Company

Company bio

Over the last 170 years, Otis has helped to transform cities, shape skylines and change how people live and work. We connect people to one another and the places they need to go – we bring the world together. As we look to the future, we ensure that the connections we help to make, whether personal, physical or technological, are inclusive, smart, sustainable and ethical. Our success is rooted in our culture of innovation, the trust our customers place in us and the values that define us. Our Mission: To be a world-class, customer-centric, service-oriented company. Our Values: We put people at the center of everything we do. We are reliable, smart and focused on the future. We are creating a more personal, connected world. We roll up our sleeves to get it done. The building blocks of being our best are The Otis Absolutes: Safety, Ethics and Quality, and together they govern our work (and the way we work) worldwide. They define how we think, how we make decisions, and how we take action, every single day, everywhere. That’s why we’ve codified The Otis Absolutes in a clear and comprehensive document that celebrates our core values , It holds the key to what drives us, and the world around us, to new heights.

Industry

Electrical & Electronic Manufacturing

Area of focus

Transportation
Manufacturing
Retail Technology

Company size

10,001 plus

This member is no longer active.

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