Speaker

Michelle Burgess is the Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages Director of Inclusion & Diversity. She promotes an inclusive environment of belonging in the CCSWB culture and delivers the DEI strategy not just as a business imperative, but to ensure the BEST outcomes throughout the entire employee cycle of the associates, which are as diverse as the products Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages produces for 31 million friends and neighbors.

Michelle is a story-teller and speaks candidly about her experiences, tough lessons and 'aha' moments that helped her understand the importance of "perception". Often described as the "people whisperer" she is driven by purpose and the intention of creating workplaces and communities that benefit everyone. Michelle's unique background and mix of workplace leadership experiences, (from retail, to non-profit, healthcare administration, education, early-childhood, technology and the bottling and beverage industry) equip her to provide insight, with engaging, practical and immediately applicable solutions to real-world situations.

She coaches leaders to become self-aware, creates vulnerable spaces for people to share their realities, while teaching others to lean in and move from being a believer of diversity to taking action and becoming a builder of inclusion. Michelle creates training programs and workshops on the power of focusing on the people, inclusive leadership, leadership development, un-conscious bias, self-awareness, micro-affirmations, inclusive communication, fostering engagement, team performance, allyship, HR workforce trends, inclusive hiring practices, management essentials, curiosity, supplier diversity and the DEI mindset.

As a true change agent, she's been a volunteer, advocate, board member and speaker on the issues of diversity, equity, inclusion, access, belonging, healthcare equity, exclusion in the classroom, food deserts, housing discrimination and workplace systems. Michelle is the founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of Diversity Sessions which was created to have candid conversations about culture in the workplace and the impact on communities.