Saks, the leading luxury e-commerce platform, has appointed Dr Alicia Williams as vice president of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). As the VP of DE&I, she will be responsible for advancing Saks’ DE&I commitments across the company while developing its strategy for the future.
Sarah Garber, Chief People Officer of Saks, said: “Delivering on our DE&I commitments and building an inclusive culture are priorities for our leadership team and the entire company, as they are essential to being a great place to work and to best serve our diverse customers and partners.”
In her new role, Dr Williams is part of the Saks ESG team, led by Cara Chacon, who joined Saks as SVP, ESG in April after more than a decade in senior ESG roles at Patagonia. Dr Williams will work closely with Saks’ DEI board, inclusion advocates and ERGs.
Huge experience in DE&I
Dr Williams added: “I am delighted to be joining an organisation with a long-standing commitment to supporting the growth of every team member, using its platform to drive change and delivering a first-class experience for its employees and customers. Saks’ progress on its DE&I commitments is impressive, and I look forward to accelerating our efforts to advocate for diverse voices, foster a culture of ownership and increase our impact on our stakeholders and communities.”
Dr Williams joins Saks with more than 15 years of experience as a global talent and diversity leader at numerous academic institutions. She previously served as Executive Director, Head of Diversity and Inclusion for U.S. Banks at Morgan Stanley, where she led the company’s DE&I strategy, talent management and impact.
Previously, she was vice president and chief diversity officer and led the North American campus analyst and associate recruitment program for JP Morgan’s investment banking, wholesale payments and global corporate banking businesses.
She has also held various human resources and FDI leadership positions at universities across the country, including New York University, Cornell University and Harvard University. She holds a B.A. from Howard University, an M.S. from Towson University and an Ed.D. in Organisational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California.
Garber concluded: “Alicia has an exceptional track record in launching and implementing DE&I initiatives, and we look forward to benefiting from her deep expertise as we build on the progress we’ve made to date and strengthen our efforts across our company.”
