Gucci appoints Renée Tirado as global head of diversity

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Jul 31, 2019

Following Chanel’s recent appointment of Fiona Pargeter as head of diversity and inclusion worldwide, it was Gucci’s turn to create the post of global head of diversity, equity and inclusion. The Kering group’s leading label thus fulfilled the pledge made last February on the diversity and inclusivity front, appointing US lawyer Renée Tirado to the newly created post. She is based in New York and will report directly to Gucci’s CEO Marco Bizzarri.
 

At the start of the year, Gucci announced the intention to invest $10 million to promote diversity via a variety of initiatives, and that it was keen to overhaul its corporate culture on the issue. As the label explained in a press release, Renée Tirado “will devise, develop and deploy a global strategy to advocate inclusion and equity within the company, while increasing the diversity of its workforce, in close connection with Gucci’s initiatives.” This will happen across all of the label’s commercial regions, with Gucci hiring ad hoc teams.
 
Tirado will also work to transform the current hiring and promotion procedures within the company, and will promote, among others, the integration of key values such as diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels, functions and regions within Gucci’s organisational structure.

Before joining Gucci, Tirado, a lawyer by training, led the diversity and inclusion programme in the USA for insurance group AIG. She was also the head of diversity and inclusivity at the US Tennis Federation and more recently at the USA’s Major League Baseball organisation, where she notably increased the presence of women and promoted a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural approach.
 
At the start of the year, Gucci was hit by a social media storm following its introduction of a black sweater with an allegedly ‘blackface’ design. Since then, the label has multiplied the initiatives to promote cultural diversity and to make its whole organisation aware of these issues, notably launching the Gucci Changemakers programme.