Yahoo Finance BMI Names Sandye Taylor Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer
BMI has announced that Sandye Taylor is joining the company as Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer. She will report to the performing rights organization’s President & CEO Mike O’Neill and will be a member of the company’s Executive Leadership Team. Taylor’s first day at BMI will be March 8th.
According to the announcement, Taylor will be responsible for leading BMI’s diversity, equity and inclusion strategy. She will work closely with the company’s senior management team to support BMI’s core values, build on BMI’s commitment to fostering an inclusive workplace, and guide an equitable approach to attracting, retaining, and advancing diverse talent. She will also spearhead BMI’s community engagement initiatives.
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Said O’Neill, “I am excited to welcome Sandye to BMI and to work closely with her as we continue to further our efforts around diversity, equity and inclusion and incorporate them into all aspects of our business. Throughout her career, Sandye has demonstrated the ability to successfully convert strategy into concrete action, and her leadership, perspective and experience will be invaluable as we continue down this critical path, always recognizing that there is more work to do.”
Taylor added, “I am thrilled to join the BMI team as they continue their journey of cultivating an inclusive workplace where every employee feels valued and empowered. I look forward to helping facilitate a culture of belonging and connectivity that enables all team members to meaningfully contribute and gain recognition for their performance. BMI’s leadership is committed to continuing DE&I progress, and I am excited to help lead this critically important work.”
In November, senior executives at the organization were accused of “casual racism” and a “toxic” work environment by more than 15 current and former employees and musicians in an extensive report published by Rolling Stone. O’Neill acknowledged the incidents in a memo sent to the organization’s staff obtained by Variety but took issue with several aspects of the article. “While I’m proud of the progress we have made in our commitment to becoming more inclusive and diverse, we still have work to do,” he wrote in part.
Taylor joins BMI from Royal Bank of Canada, where she was the Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion for the Capital Markets group since 2015. In that role, she was responsible for the RBC Capital Markets global diversity and inclusion strategy, which included the launch of Diversity Leadership Councils, the establishment of accountability and progress measures, the creation of recruiting programs to target diverse undergraduate and graduate candidates, and other initiatives.
Prior to RBC Capital Markets, Taylor worked for 12 years at Bank of America Merrill Lynch (BAML) where she was Senior Vice President, Head of D&I for Global Wealth & Investment Management and Global Banking & Markets. In prior roles, Taylor also practiced law in public service and private law firms.
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