September 8, 2015 – Workforce diversity is the topic of the day September 25, when international business leader and author Marilyn H. Tam visits Vermont for a series of events for business, public and not-for-profit leaders as well as high school and college students.
Ms. Tam will be the keynote speaker at the second annual Vermont Business Roundtable Executive Leadership series breakfast at the Sheraton Burlington on Friday, September 25 at 8:30 am. Her talk, “Diversity: How to Reap Vermont’s Rich Harvest of Culture, Creativity & Community,” promises to offer some global perspective on the very best practices for recruiting, cultivating and retaining a diverse workforce.
A former CEO of Aveda Corp, president at Reebok (apparel and retail group), and vice president of Nike Inc., Ms. Tam is also a storyteller, author, radio host and respected humanitarian.
Her story is one of overcoming cultural and economic hardship in Hong Kong, where she was born into a traditional Chinese family, and rising to become an influential corporate leader and more recently an advocate for living a happy, healthy, successful and balanced life.
“Ms. Tam’s message about workforce diversity is timely as Vermont businesses, non-profits and the public sector continue to struggle with talent recruitment,” says Lisa Ventriss, CEO and president of the Vermont Business Roundtable. “We have to ask, are we tapping all of our community, in all of its diversity?”
Ms. Tam’s presentation will be followed by brief remarks from three local leaders with deep but different experiences with cultural diversity in the workplace. Ted Castle is the owner and president of Rhino Foods, one of Vermont’s leading companies and a pioneer in hiring New Americans. Wanda Heading-Grant, Ed.D., vice president for human resources, diversity and multicultural affairs at the University of Vermont, has focused her career on issues of education, social service, social justice and equity. And Tiffany Bluemle is director of Change The Story VT, which focuses on advancing women’s economic security in Vermont.
Following her breakfast presentation, Ms. Tam will moderate a panel of local diversity leaders who will address 100 students from local high schools and colleges, including the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Champlain College, Community College of Vermont, St. Michael’s College and the University of Vermont.
A limited number of individual seats to the breakfast event are available for purchase. More information and registration is available at http://vtroundtable.org/events/executive-leadership-series/
Also, a number of employers who have purchased tickets and tables for their employees have opted to donate a scholarship seat at their company tables for people unable to afford the $140 price of admission. To request a scholarship, call Sherra Bourget at the Roundtable, 802-865-0410.
The Vermont Business Roundtable Executive Leadership Series is supported by the generosity of presenting sponsor Green Mountain Power and gold sponsors Champlain Investment Partners, Comcast Business, FreePressMedia, KPMG, Sugarbush Resort as well as silver sponsors Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Chroma Technology Corp., Dinse Knapp & McAndrew, Gallagher Flynn & Company, Smugglers’ Notch Resort, Vermont Economic Development Authority, and Vermont Student Assistance Corporation.
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About Marilyn H. Tam
Marilyn Tam, Ph.D., is a Speaker, Author, Consultant, Board Certified Executive/Corporate Coach, CEO of Marilyn Tam & Co. and Founder and Executive Director of Us Foundation. She was formerly the CEO of Aveda Corp., President of Reebok Apparel and Retail Group, Vice President of Nike Inc. and also a successful entrepreneur who has built four companies.
Marilyn is a contributing writer to Huffington Post. She also had for some time a weekly radio show, The Happiness Choice on FMG network, which reaches 35 million people and features experts on how to live a happy, healthy, successful, and dynamically balanced life.