{"id":56187,"date":"2025-11-07T13:42:23","date_gmt":"2025-11-07T18:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seramount.com\/?p=56187"},"modified":"2025-12-08T18:36:15","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T23:36:15","slug":"strategic-inclusion-under-pressure-think-bigger-global-summit-highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seramount.com\/articles\/strategic-inclusion-under-pressure-think-bigger-global-summit-highlights\/","title":{"rendered":"Strategic Inclusion Under Pressure: Think Bigger Global Summit Highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Seramount\u2019s Think Bigger Global Summit<\/strong> in London on 15 October 2025 convened CHROs, Inclusion leaders, and talent executives for a day of candid dialogue and strategy-sharing. Co-hosted in partnership with The StepStone Group, the event was designed to go beyond conversation \u2013 to spark momentum on \u201cstrategic inclusion<\/strong>\u201d in a changing, high-pressure workplace. From the outset, summit organizers emphasized that today\u2019s inclusion leaders face constant change and intensifying pressure, making spaces for reflection and innovation<\/strong> more critical than ever. Katie Mooney<\/a><\/strong>, Seramount Managing Director and summit emcee, set an optimistic tone: despite headwinds, this gathering would help attendees \u201clook honestly at where we are now, consider what actions we can take in the present, and start imagining where we can go together\u201d. With that, Mooney welcomed Seramount President Subha Barry<\/strong><\/a> to open the summit. Barry framed the global context bluntly: organizations everywhere are grappling with how to move from reactive to proactive<\/strong> on inclusion amid complex legal, cultural, and business environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Proactive Inclusion in a Complex World<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Barry shared encouraging data, illustrating how inclusive hiring efforts are paying off. In a study of recruitment practices across the UK, Canada, and India, companies employing \u201ctried-and-true\u201d inclusion tactics \u2013 diverse candidate slates, diverse interview panels, mandatory bias training, and targeted sourcing \u2013 saw tangible results. In the UK, for example, 50% of new hires this year were women, up from 46% in 2023<\/strong>, with similar rises in Canada (55%, up from 51%) and modest results in India (37%, up from 36%). These upticks in women\u2019s hiring underscore how inclusive talent strategies can drive measurable progress, reinforcing Barry\u2019s point that inclusion can be a competitive advantage in every market. Barry also highlighted partnership as a catalyst for innovation: The<\/strong> StepStone Group<\/strong>, a global leader in digital recruitment and the summit\u2019s host, exemplifies how embedding inclusion at a platform\u2019s core helps connect talent to opportunity at scale. StepStone\u2019s own Head of Diversity & Inclusion, Bianca Stringuini<\/strong>, echoed this vision of inclusion-fueled innovation in her welcome remarks, setting the stage for a day of learning and collaboration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Compliance to Influence: Aligning HR Leadership<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first session dug into a foundational question: how can Chief Diversity Officers (CDOs) and Chief Human Resources Officers (CHROs) join forces to amplify impact? James Cowling-Vega<\/strong>, shared insights from a new Seramount study based on interviews with over 100 CHROs. The research revealed that while most HR leaders support Inclusion in principle, truly integrating inclusion into business strategy requires moving beyond c<\/strong>ompliance-driven approaches to ones centered on influence and collaboration. Cowling-Vega noted that effective CDO-CHRO partnerships hinge on speaking the language of business outcomes. This theme of \u201cshifting from explaining inclusion to executing with influence\u201d resonated throughout the day. In fact, Seramount\u2019s latest pulse survey found that only 1 in 5 CDOs feel they can effectively influence their C-suite on Inclusion, even as 90% say securing senior leadership buy-in is their top priority. Closing that gap is critical \u2013 without the ability to clearly link inclusion to business value, Inclusion efforts risk being sidelined or defunded in today\u2019s environment. Cowling-Vega\u2019s session underscored a clear call to action: HR and Inclusion leaders must continue to evolve from box-checking to business-aligned strategies, using data and influence to embed inclusion into executive agendas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moving with Trust in AI<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A lively fireside chat on emerging technology examined the cutting-edge of inclusion practice: AI in HR<\/strong>. Nicola Weatherhead<\/strong>, StepStone Group\u2019s VP of Talent Acquisition & People Operations, joined Subha Barry for a candid discussion on the promise and perils of artificial intelligence in people management. Weatherhead, a veteran tech industry people leader, and Barry emphasized moving forward with trust in AI \u2013 harnessing AI\u2019s efficiencies in recruiting and talent management while maintaining human oversight and fairness. Attendees openly shared their experiences via live poll: many organizations are still in early exploratory stages of integrating AI in HR, and the top concerns on everyone\u2019s mind are bias, transparency, and compliance with rapidly evolving laws. Weatherhead addressed these head-on, citing the forthcoming EU AI Act as a prime example of why HR leaders must stay proactive. Her guidance: treat AI as a tool to augment, not replace, human judgment, and build diverse teams to vet AI-driven decisions for unintended bias. She described StepStone\u2019s approach to ethical AI \u2013 from rigorous bias testing in algorithms to cross-functional governance \u2013 as a model of balancing innovation with responsibility. The takeaway was clear: trust and innovation can co-exist. With the right guardrails, AI can help streamline hiring and expand talent pools, but earning employee trust means prioritizing ethics and transparency at every step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n