D&I TBD: Mastercard's Chief Inclusion Officer Randall Tucker

On being a Pride Stars honoree, global diversity programming and intersectional identities

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This week, Adweek introduced its first-ever industry award honoring LGBTQ leaders. All 15 of Adweek’s inaugural Pride Stars honorees are breaking boundaries and pushing forward advocacy and visibility across advertising and marketing, brands, media, tech and culture.

One of Adweek’s 2020 Pride Stars, Mastercard chief inclusion officer Randall Tucker, joined D&I TBD to talk about leading the company’s global diversity and inclusion programming. Tucker also addressed the importance of bringing one’s full self to work, and about how for so many people, there’s no separating your identity into neat little categories.

Mastercard chief inclusion officer Randall Tucker was named one of Adweek’s 2020 Pride Stars.Mastercard

“I am not a fan of silos,” said Tucker. “What does it mean to be a single gay parent? What does it mean to be a single parent with a disability, or a Black person, or a Hispanic person? I think the learning is in us talking about a topic, and understanding we have different perspectives around that topic. Even though you’re talking about being a parent, that looks differently for some of these groups.”

Tucker also spoke about Mastercard’s groundbreaking True Name card for trans and nonbinary cardholders, about being a Six Sigma devotee, and about how D&I efforts in the corporate sphere helped lead brands to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement this month.

Along with Pride Stars honorees and special guests, Tucker will speak at Adweek’s GLAAD-hosted event this Friday, June 26 at 12 p.m. ET.

Subscribe to D&I TBD on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. To learn more about the show, please contact maryemily.ohara@adweek.com.

Register for Adweek’s virtual Pride Stars event Pride, Protests and Progress, hosted by GLAAD president and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis.