Welcome to the Business Journal’s inaugural Diversity & Inclusion Awards section, which honors nearly two dozen diverse executives excelling in business in a variety of key sectors.
By South Florida Business Journal | June 21, 2021
These honorees underscore the diverse makeup of our thriving business community, and our profiles highlight how they excel in key leadership roles across the entire tri-county region.”
It’s part of the SFBJ’s yearlong Diversity & Inclusion program, which features several panels on D&I best practices, special sections on the conversations’ main takeaways, and a virtual awards program that spotlights our D&I Awards honorees.
Now, we know that D&I programs have long been in place at many area companies. But there’s no denying these programs have become a business imperative over the past year.
And for good reason.
Heightened awareness of social justice issues, such as the Black Lives Matter movement and health care disparities during the Covid-19 crisis, highlighted the need for D&I strategies that address the challenges faced by diverse workers.
This resulted in more companies raising the stakes when it comes to their diversity, equity and inclusion efforts to better diversify their workplaces, while also creating environments where all employees can thrive.
Why is diversity in the workplace so important?
Because countless studies show that teams with diverse workers draw from their unique experiences and range of knowledge, which sparks innovation, better decision-making and improved financial performance.
What’s more, ambitious professionals often seek to work at inclusive companies, and tend to remain where their contributions are recognized and can lead to advancement.
The men and women honored in this section illustrate just that.
Don Hayden
Founding partner, Mark Migdal & Hayden
Residence: Miami Shores
Early in his career, Don Hayden was a young associate and closeted gay man in a litigation department that he describes as “a male-dominated frat house full of testosterone.”
“I was always concerned that I didn’t fit the traditional heterosexual male mold,” he said.
Years later, at a new firm, Hayden became one of Baker McKenzie’s first “out” equity partners. There he felt embraced and accepted by his colleagues. He also seized the chance to become a spokesperson for the LGBTQ community at a time when policies were first being implemented on a national and global level.
“I am humbled to have been able to develop a platform that allows LGBTQ individuals and underrepresented communities to more easily follow in my footsteps on their merits, rather than by trying to be someone they are not,” he said.
Any advice for diverse executives hoping to rise in the corporate or professional world? Always be the best version of your true and authentic self. Never pull any punches and don’t be afraid to be different because, in the end, that’s what makes you stand out from the crowd.
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