Is it possible to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) as true levers of innovation?
We live in a time of transition: are organizations truly transforming or are they trapped in rhetoric? Is it possible to overcome the barriers of conformity to embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) as true drivers of innovation? HR today is no longer just a manager, but a catalyst for change.
Here are the four bold insights that emerged during the roundtable discussion “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Organizational Transformation or Mere Rhetoric?”, highlighted in Alessandro Gastaldi‘s article for Sviluppo e Organizzazione magazine.
1. Framework, non retorica
Framework, not rhetoric, has been the backbone of Accenture’s transformation, as Francesca Romana Rossi, Head of Human Resources at Accenture, told us—a structured approach to incorporating diversity as a driver of innovation. Gender parity (50/50 by 2025) is a data-driven promise because inclusion must be planned and monitored.
2. A new organizational model
A new organizational model is what Aram Chantal Mbow emphasized: companies must be “designed for sustainability and inclusion.” Policies aren’t enough; redesigned environments, structures, and processes are needed. It’s a cultural and operational revolution: well-being isn’t a luxury, but the foundation for innovation.
3. A necessary balance between diversity and belonging
“Diversity and belonging, a necessary balance” is the vision of Barbara Imperatori, Professor of Business Organization at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, who highlights that diversity without belonging leads to chaos, while belonging alone risks generating homogenization. HR must balance personalization and standardization for a cultural identity that unites people and goals.
4. Leadership as an activator of dialogue
Leadership as an activator of dialogue is the answer from Giuseppina Cataldi, D&I Manager at Edison. Empathetic and visionary managers are key. Edison demonstrates that inclusive organizations are born from cooperation between employees, institutions, and external communities, breaking down barriers between company and society.
There was a lot of content discussed, of great depth.
The challenge is to go beyond the status quo.
"Diversity isn't a task to be delegated, but a strategic choice to be lived. It's time for all levels of the company to commit to building authentic workplaces, where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and grow."
Aram Chantal Mbow, Founder Innovamey
Today more than ever, the question is not just what we can do to change, but who we want to become as an organization. Does HR have the answer? Let’s design it together.
Innovamey is the organisation that turns sustainability into a real engine of growth, supporting companies in designing sustainable strategies, transforming business models and communicating with impact.
We innovate products and services by placing sustainability at the center, developing solutions that combine progress, responsibility and competitiveness. We don’t just imagine the future, we build it.
We collaborate with prestigious academic institutions such as Bocconi University, Università Cattolica, and the Glion Institute of Higher Education, training the leaders of tomorrow and developing innovative business strategies through real-world cases and direct engagement with the new generations.
For us, sustainability is not just a goal — it is an evolutionary process, a dynamic balance between innovation, responsibility, and long-term value creation.
We have supported major organisations in rethinking their processes through the lens of positive impact and business-driven results — from evolving products and services for a market increasingly attentive to sustainability, to creating operations designed to attract and empower talent who understand the importance of people, the planet, and profitability.
We help organisations build a sustainable culture through training and conscious leadership, supporting them in authentically communicating their transformation, so that sustainability becomes not just an objective, but a lived and shared reality.
We have played a leading role in major events such as IKN’s Climate Tech, Team Different’s Ethical HR, and Il Sole 24 Ore’s Global Inclusion, contributing to the development of strategies that combine economic progress with social and environmental responsibility.
Innovamey stands for action, impact, and transformation: we work with companies to build a future in which sustainability means innovation, value, and conscious growth.
Because change isn’t something you talk about. You make it happen.