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Rainbow
PUSH
Speakers
To
Address
Diversity
at
Automotive
Conference
DETROIT,
MI – The
Rainbow
PUSH
Automotive
Project,
an
initiative
of the
Citizenship
Education
Fund, is
reframing
conversations
on
diversity
and
inclusion
during
the 17th
Annual
Rainbow
PUSH
Global
Automotive
Summit.
The
conference,
to be
held on
September
30,
2016, at
the MGM
Grand
Detroit,
is the
only
forum
which
addresses
the
automotive
industry
in
relation
to
people
of
color.
The
theme
for this
year’s
conference
is
Refocusing
Diversity
on
Ethnic
Minority
Growth,
highlighting
the
inconsistency
between
the
inclusion
we
envision
and the
results
we can
measure.
For
seventeen
years,
the
Global
Automotive
Summit
has been
the
event
where
automotive
industry
leadership,
government
and
elected
officials,
community
organization
leaders,
dealers,
suppliers,
entrepreneurs,
media
outlets
and
others
gather
around
advancing
inclusion
in the
automotive
industry.
Key
conference
speakers
include:
• Alan
Batey,
executive
vice
president
and
president,
North
America,
General
Motors
Company
• Robert
Young,
group
vice
president
Supplier
Engineering
Development
and Cost
Planning,
Toyota
Motor
North
America
Inc.
• John
Martin,
senior
vice
president,
Manufacturing,
Supply
Chain
Management
and
Purchasing,
Nissan
North
America,
Inc.
• Uwe
Ellinghaus,
chief
marketing
officer,
Global
Cadillac,
General
Motors
Company
• Tom
Peyton,
assistant
vice
president
of
Marketing
Operations,
American
Honda
Motor
Co.,
Inc.
• Dr.
David
Thomas,
professor
of
management,
dean of
the
McDonough
School
of
Business,
Georgetown
University
In an
industry
squarely
focused
on
cutting
edge
technology
(autonomous
cars,
advanced
engines,
infotainment
and
safety
advances)
many
corporate
social
structures
are
still
stuck in
a bygone
era,
impeding
the
automotive
industry’s
path to
increased
competitiveness
and
profitability.
“Together
with the
industry’s
brightest
minds,
we are
focused
on our
goal to
resolve
the
systemic
barriers
to
inclusion
that are
stifling
the
spark of
a more
dynamic
auto
sector,”
said
Rev.
Jesse L.
Jackson,
Sr.,
founder
and
president
of the
Rainbow
PUSH
Coalition.
“We
encourage
automakers
to match
their
technological
innovation
with a
corporate
social
innovation
that
will
drive
the
industry
into a
stronger
future
.”
Other
featured
speakers
include:
John
Quattrone,
senior
vice
president,
Global
Human
Resources,
General
Motors
Company;
Paul Koh,
executive
director,
Human
Resources
and
Administrative
Services,
Hyundai
Motor
America
and
Damon
Lester,
president
of the
National
Association
of
Minority
Automobile
Dealers.
Detroit
Mayor
Mike
Duggan
and
Republic
of South
Africa
Ambassador
Mninwa
Johannes
“MJ”
Mahlangu
will
also
deliver
remarks.
During
the
Business
and
Education
Awards
Luncheon,
Glenda
Gill,
vice
president
of
Supplier
Success
LLC,
will be
honored
for her
more
than 18
years of
service
as the
executive
director
of the
Rainbow
PUSH
Automotive
Project.
Additionally,
Vivian
Pickard,
retired
president
of the
General
Motors
Foundation
and
director
of
Corporate
Relations
will be
recognized
for her
many
years of
service.
A
Networking
and
Awards
Reception
will
close
the day
presenting
the
Living
Legends
Award to
Felicia
Fields,
group
vice
president
HR and
corporate
services
at Ford
Motor
Company
and
Eddie
Hall,
Jr.,
owner of
Royal
Oak
Ford.
The
Freedom
Symphony
Award
will
honor
the Late
Ronald
E. Hall
Sr., and
the
Emerging
Leaders
Award
will
recognize
Marie
Hocker,
local
government
affairs
manager,
Ford
Motor
Company;
Jeffrey
Webster,
director
of
diversity
and
inclusion,
Nissan
North
America;
and
Reginald
Humphrey,
senior
manager,
supplier
diversity,
General
Motors
Company.
Emmy
Award
winning
violinist,
Damien
Escobar,
will
showcase
his
unique
blend of
classical
and R&B
melodies
during
the
afterglow.
Why is
this
forum
important
to the
automotive
industry?
According
to
research,
more
than
one-third
of new
vehicles
are
purchased
by
ethnic
buyers
each
year.
Second,
African
American
new
vehicle
volume
growth
in 2015
was
nearly
double
the
overall
industry
growth
(9.4%
versus
5%).
Virtually
all of
the
future
prime
labor
force
growth
(people
between
the ages
of
18-64)
will
come
from
ethnic
populations.
Last, as
of the
2015
school
year,
half of
all
children
enrolled
in
public
school
come
from
ethnic
backgrounds.
These
marketplace
changes
require
a reboot
on
approaches
to
employment,
sales,
advertising
and
marketing,
minority
supplier
and
minority
dealer
development.
During
the
Rainbow
PUSH/CEF
Global
Automotive
Summit
attendees
will be
a part
of
discussions
on best
practices
and
practical
approaches
to the
shifting
business,
talent
and
buyer
landscape.
Rev.
Jesse
Jackson
added,
“Automotive
companies
must
become a
willing
conduit
to
African
American
opportunity.
While
there’s
an
increasing
respect
for
African
American
customers
and
companies,
respect
without
economic
parity
is as
the
Bible
says,
‘…a
noisy
gong or
clanging
cymbal.’”
The
Rainbow
PUSH
Global
Automotive
Summit
is
presented
through
the
support
of our
national
and
event
sponsors.
National
sponsors
include:
Ford
Motor
Company,
General
Motors
Company
and
Toyota
Motor
North
America,
Inc. For
a list
of
additional
sponsors,
speakers
and to
register
for the
summit,
visit
www.automotiveproject.org.
Join the
conversation
by using
the
hashtag
#RPCGAS2016.
About
Rainbow
PUSH
Coalition
The
Rainbow
PUSH
Coalition
is a
progressive
organization
protecting,
defending
and
expanding
civil
rights
to
improve
economic
and
educational
opportunity.
The
organization
is
headquartered
at 930
E. 50th
Street
in
Chicago,
IL. For
more
information
about
the
Rainbow
PUSH
Coalition,
please
visit
www.rainbowpush.org.
Follow
Rainbow
PUSH
Coalition
on
Twitter:
@RPCoalition;
follow
the
Global
Automotive
Summit
on
Twitter:
@RPCGAS2016
and use
the hash
tag
#RPCGAS2016
to join
the
conversation.
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