Kering partners with Black In Corporate for second mentorship program

Black In Corporate (BIC) announces an official partnership with Kering Americas for a virtual mentorship program launching on April 7, 2023.

This partnership marks the second collaboration between BIC and Kering Americas, offering Black corporate professionals access to resources, opportunities, and collaboration at a pivotal point in their careers when mentorship is imperative. Expanding on the one-month inaugural program, this year’s mentorship program will extend to three months wherein mentees will be paired with individuals across Kering Americas and its Houses from a variety of departments, including Marketing/Advertising, Project Management/Operations, Human Resources, Financial Services, Legal, Media/Communications, and Technology. The partnership highlights BIC’s commitment to engage with strategic partners that share values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a focus on creating systemic change.

 

BIC Founder and CEO Candace Marie Stewart launched the Black In Corporate Virtual Mentorship Program under her Black In Corporate Initiative with the aim to create a resource that champions Black professionals working in corporate environments. With this continued partnership, Stewart is building a much-needed initiative for Black people looking for support, relief, and guidance in their careers, as well as those who are looking to help bridge the gap and be an authentic ally for Black professionals who are working in challenging corporate structures.

 

On the partnership, Candace Marie Stewart stated, “I am thrilled for the opportunity to partner with Kering for the second installment of the Black In Corporate mentorship program. With the extended program time, my hope is that this will allow the mentees to establish and develop deeper relationships coupled with a stronger understanding of the inner workings of the organization in an effort to create and foster more opportunities for Black talent.”

“Our first initiative with Black In Corporate was an incredible success for mentees and mentors alike, and we are thrilled to partner again to connect, inspire, and empower talent. At Kering, we prioritize learning and development at all stages of one’s career and understand the critical role that mentorship serves in navigating our industry, especially for BIPOC talent whose experiences can include systemic obstacles and racial biases. We look forward to welcoming this year’s mentees and are honored to support them in their professional growth,” said Laurent Claquin, President of Kering Americas.

 

Talent comes first at Kering. The global luxury group is committed to inclusivity in the workplace and believes diversity in all its forms – gender, age, nationality, culture, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation – is a source of creativity that enriches us all. Inclusivity and diversity open up opportunities for people to express their talent, both individually and collectively, and help adapt to a changing world.

 

Applications open today and will close on March 9, 2023.

 

 

About Black In Corporate

Knowing that the corporate culture was not a system built or designed with Black individuals in mind, our Founder —Candace Marie— thought it was vital to create Black In Corporate—a resource and tool to champion for Black individuals behind corporate walls—where change is needed most. This space was developed to present resources for one's career path including but not limited to pay equity, mental health, physical health and mentorship and community building. Black In Corporate's goal is to present the necessary tools to not only exist but to thrive in your work environment. For the Summer of 2022 Black In Corporate (BIC) announced an official partnership with Kering Americas for a summer virtual mentorship program. This partnership was the first of its kind for both BIC and Kering Americas, offering corporate Black professionals access to resources, opportunities, and collaboration during a pivotal point in their careers – when mentorship is imperative. This was a month-long mentorship program wherein mentees were paired with individuals across Kering Americas and its Houses from an array of departments, including Marketing/Advertising, Project Management/Operations, Human Resources, Financial Services, Media/Communication and Technology. Furthermore, this partnership highlighted BIC’s commitment to engage with strategic partners that share values of diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a focus on creating systemic change.

 

 

About Kering

A global luxury group, Kering manages the development of a series of renowned Houses in Fashion, Leather Goods, Jewelry: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen, Brioni, Boucheron, Pomellato, DoDo, Qeelin, as well as Kering Eyewear. By placing creativity at the heart of its strategy, Kering enables its Houses to set new limits in terms of their creative expression while crafting tomorrow’s Luxury in a sustainable and responsible way. We capture these beliefs in our signature: “Empowering Imagination”.

Contacts

Press

Emilie Gargatte       +33 (0)1 45 64 61 20      emilie.gargatte@kering.com

Marie de Montreynaud       +33 (0)1 45 64 62 53      marie.demontreynaud@kering.com

Kate Shone         +1 646 584 5190        kate.shone@kering.com