Material Names Kiva Wilson Chief Culture Officer

LOS ANGELES, February 16, 2022 /Adweek Wire/: Material, a company redefining the customer experience space at the intersection of science and systems, recently announced Kiva R. Wilson, SVP, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, has been promoted to the company’s Chief Culture Officer. The move underscores Material’s mission to build a high-performing, inclusive culture, and recognizes that culture is at the core of building a great company with the agility needed to adapt to the ever-changing market conditions that dictate today’s business landscape.

Wilson, who joined Material in 2021, steps into the role with more than 16 years of DE&I strategy and implementation experience. Before Material, she worked at DE&I consulting firm Paradigm Strategy, and at Facebook, where she was promoted to lead the company’s DE&I Talent Management. Earlier in her career, Kiva was Head of Diversity and National Outreach at the Peace Corps. Kiva brings a finely-tuned sense for the needs of today’s knowledge worker, in particular as people in the digital, technology, design and analytics industries search for deeper meaning as their work so often impacts how societies and business re-shape against the intense pressure of the evolving digital marketplace. 

“It’s a true privilege to serve as Material’s Chief Culture Officer,” said Wilson. “I can’t think of a better opportunity to partner with the people of Material to create a unique and meaningful impact in the world. But as honored as I am to be Material’s new CCO, I’m even more proud of the commitment our organization is making to its people. We are building something exceptional, and fearless inclusion enabled by a progressive culture is an important step forward.”

In her new role, Wilson will continue to lead the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts to meet ambitious equity and inclusion goals. She’ll also focus on activating and integrating Material’s purpose, values, and behaviors, as well as develop a strategy to develop meaningful, collaborative, relationships whether working remotely or face to face.

 “If I’ve learned anything based on my 25 years at the epicenter of the digital opportunity, it’s that success is first and foremost the result of a robust and productive culture,” said Bill Kanarick, Material President. “Our clients are increasingly demanding greater assembly of capability, and solutions are often measured by the degree of innovation and out of the box problem solving. A company’s ability to do this is largely a function of its culture. Culture is the operating system for connectivity in any people-based business in the digital space. Kiva is the perfect person to champion the Material culture and to ensure its continued evolution. After all, the best cultures are works in progress and thrive only with constant care and feeding. Kiva is a special leader, who leads by example and with a degree of integrity and kindness that we should all strive for, championing our values of inclusivity and collaboration.”