ATLANTA -- The Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena have named Nzinga Shaw as the organization’s new Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer (CDIO), it was announced today by CEO Steve Koonin. In this role, Shaw is responsible for developing and embedding diversity and inclusion best practices throughout the organization. She will design a strategic, cross-departmental program that creates deeper cultural awareness and sensitivity. Additionally, Shaw will serve as a member of the Executive Committee and provide guidance to the leadership team so that they can engender inclusivity in every facet of the business. She will report directly to Koonin.
"I am excited to be a member of the Atlanta Hawks & Philips Arena organization at such a pivotal time. My goal as the CDIO is to help our organization rebuild trust and partnership in the Atlanta community, emphasizing civility, sportsmanship, and human decency in an effort to ensure that everyone can be a fan of the team, attend home games, and so that we can serve as a model for inclusion in the NBA,” Shaw said. “More specifically, I will lead the charge of creating a strategic framework to help shift the culture so that we can create greater inclusion and engagement with all of our fans and stakeholders."
Shaw most recently served as SVP of Diversity & Inclusion at Edelman, the world’s largest public relations agency. There she led the implementation of a global diversity and inclusion strategy. For her work, Shaw was selected by PR Week in August 2014 as a recipient of the 2014 40 Under 40 Award, and she was featured in the Atlanta Business Chronicle in October 2014 as one of 15 women to receive the inaugural “Women Who Mean Business Award” for her strength in creating viable workplace diversity and inclusion programs. Shaw is an alumna of Spelman College (BA) and the University of Pennsylvania (MLA).
The Atlanta Hawks and Philips Arena organization understands that diversity and inclusion must be respected and valued at every level of the organization.
“As CEO, I am committed to infusing diversity and inclusion throughout our organization and I will continue to champion it from the very top. A key part of the new model – appointing a CDIO who reports directly to me – will improve accountability across the organization,” Koonin said. “Nzinga will help us establish diversity and inclusion as a competitive advantage in terms of exceptional internal performance, outstanding customer service, and unparalleled fan engagement.”
Prior to her work at Edelman, Shaw had been at the forefront of leading organizational change and driving diversity and inclusion at other large-scale companies such as Essence Magazine, the Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network and the National Football League.