Kalpana will bring to the Kering team 25 years of experience of integrating diversity and inclusion across business, leadership and talent advisory, and education. Kalpana will be based at Kering’s headquarters in Paris and will report to Béatrice Lazat, Chief People Officer.
 
Working with the Houses and Global Group functions, Kalpana will align and execute Kering’s global diversity and inclusion mission and strategy. This will include identifying and prioritizing initiatives to help create an environment that embraces and encourages diversity. Kalpana will also take the lead on developing a talent strategy where diversity and inclusion will be at the core of attracting, recruiting, developing and retaining talent.

This appointment highlights Kering’s broad "desire to both accelerate and expand its action in support of diversity and inclusion" as the group is focusing on diversity as a source of value and collective intelligence. Furthermore Kering claims it it's their aim to build on its foundation of equal opportunity, giving every employee the chance to realize their potential. Kering, which ranked 10^th out of 7 000 companies in the latest Refinitiv Diversity & Inclusion Index (2019), is "pledged to build an even more representative and successful workforce".

Béatrice Lazat, Chief People Officer at Kering, commented: “Diversity and equal opportunity among all our employees have long been at the heart of Kering’s culture. It is our commitment to take practical action to offer all our employees a working environment that is inclusive, open and stimulating. I am delighted by the arrival of Kalpana, whose expertise and experience will enable us to extend and accelerate the Group’s actions, both internally and externally, to support diversity and inclusion.”

“Kering’s sincere commitment to its people and culture, as demonstrated by its values of mutual respect, individuality, and authenticity, is exemplary. I look forward to working collectively with all our teams to continue the journey to an even more diverse and inclusive workplace”, concluded Kalpana Bagamane Denzel.