A trio of leaders from VMLY&R and VMLY&R COMMERCE have been honored on the Empower Role Model Lists supported by Yahoo Finance, which showcase individuals in global business who are opening opportunities within the workplace for people of co For the third consecutive year, Debbie Ellison, global chief digital officer at VMLY&R COMMERCE, has been named to the Empower Ethnic Minority Executive Role Models List 2022.Nikeisha Beckford, group director of client engagement at VMLY&R Detroit, and Francis Carrero-Green, senior talent development manager at VMLY&R New York, have been named to the Empower Future Leaders Role Models List 2022.Click here to see all of the honorees.More about Debbie Ellison:After establishing VMLY&R COMMERCE’s Roots UK network, six further Employee Resource Groups have been introduced including gender equality, parents & carers and LGBTQ+. Debbie’s Incubator work experience program for 16–18-year-olds is in its fourth year. Students from Black, Asian, Mixed Ethnicity or lower socio-economic backgrounds are eligible for £10,000 grants to study business administration thanks to the partnership Debbie established with Hult Business School. The Incubator has been exported to New York with Bronx Community School and is set to expand across Europe. Debbie has led VMLY&R COMMERCE to track 60 DE&I KPIs resulting in the business being named Diversity & Inclusion Company of the Year 2021. She is set to launch the Inclusion Experience consultancy, helping businesses undergo similar transformational change. In the Ethnicity Awards 2020 & 2021, Debbie was listed in the Inspirational Leader Category. Through her connection with Inspiring the Future, Debbie regularly speaks at schools to give insight into the industry and her career pathway.More about Nikeisha Beckford:With almost 20 years in marketing and advertising, Nikeisha has been blessed to make awesome happen. As chair of Fluorescent, VMLY&R's Black ERG, Nikeisha shapes strategies, programming and activations to empower the agency’s Black talent. She co-produced VMLY&R's celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Black History Month, and co-hosted Just Ad Flava, a conference featuring conversations on health, wellness, and culture with VMLY&R employees, client partners, and notable guest speakers. Nikeisha is the leader of Detroit Experience Studio, a WPP-supported youth development initiative designed to build excitement for the industry among Detroit's Black and ethnically diverse students. As a host of The Level, a vodcast showcasing the realities of BIPOC talent in advertising, Nikeisha unpacks cultural, corporate, and industry issues. Additionally, she serves as a mentor for VMLY&R's Ujima program, which provides an opportunity for the agency's Black employees to build meaningful relationships through exposure and advocacy.More about Francis Carrero-Green:Throughout her career, Francis has been passionate about supporting the growth of talent in the marketing industry. Most recently, she co-created WPP’s NextGen Leaders Series, a global learning experience offering opportunities for early talent to learn, grow and connect with industry experts. The series included 846 international participants, with 55% representing talent from historically underrepresented communities. In 2021, she designed an e-course for the series and diversified the panelists, giving exposure to internal talent and reaching over 1500 global participants. Francis also managed WPP's Elevate Sponsorship & Leadership Program for Black Women. She supported the U.S. cohort and the program’s expansion into Canada, resulting in more than 50% of participants gaining internal career mobility, client exposure, and promotions. Francis is now a Sr. Talent Manager at VMLY&R - a WPP agency - where she creates learning experiences to enhance the development of talent with a focus on DE&I and belonging....Read MoreRelated ContentContent type- Any -ArticleBAV BrandBasic pageBrandCase StudyClientCountryFlightItineraryJobLandingLocationPersonRegionRegional MenuSocial MenuStyleguideRelated Categories (field_related_categories)Related Clients (VERF selector)- Restricted access -. 30% ClubAbsolutACCActiviaadidasAgeas Federal Life InsuranceALICORPAlproAmaroAmbliopia Campaña MundialAmerican Academy LarnacaAmnesty InternationalAmnistía InternacionalArçelikAthosAustralian UnityBaby Quest FoundationBaileysBank of CyprusBank of CyprusbeIN SportsBetty CrockerBeymenBICBIMBOBiogen and FundAMEBlack Executive CMO AllianceBNP ParibasBond UniversityBoonthavornBootsBootsBreilBridgestoneBumble IndiaBurger KingCafé de ColombiaCaltexCanadian Women's FoundationCancer DojoCenter for ludomaniCenter ParcsCentrumCharalCity of HopeCoca-ColaCoffee ClubColgateColgateColizeyCristal BeerCytaDanoneDanoneDANONE AGUASDarnitsaDefence Force RecruitingDell IndiaDell TechnologiesDepartamento de la FamiliaDifflamEarthquake CommissionEdgarsEdgeEfes PilsenEgekildeElena'sEtiEurekaEuroLifeFantaFaxe KondiFaxe Kondi BoosterFederal Prosecution ServiceFluffyFordFordFOUSPFritz HansenGatdaGazeta.plGazeta.plGenikes InsuranceGEODISGeodisGileadGoldenGoodlife Health ClubsGoogleGoogleGreenpeaceGrigoriou AllantikaGrundigHarinera del ValleHeineken GroupHill'sHindustan UnileverHonest Eggs Co.HopiHuman Rights CampaignHuman Rights FoundationIchitan BeveragesIdéalIKEAIKEAIKEAIninalIntelIntelIt's Everyone's JourneyJCC Payment SystemsJCDecauxJohanniterKaracaKDogKFCKindness FactoryKraft HeinzLand Transport AuthorityLanitis | Coca-Cola HBCLazy SneakersLegacyLesieurLibertyLiberty BusinessLifeDirectLINK4Lombard Odier LottoMacca'sManpower RecruitmentMastercardMaxx FlashMediacorpMeta PortalMigrosMilnutri Sure Ministry of HealthMint*dMiss AmericaMonash UniversityMondelezMotorolaMovistarMr. Brown CyprusMr. ProperNasha RiabaNational Library BoardNative Women’s Association of CanadaNetflixNetflixNew BalanceNew York Office of the MayorNiubizNo7Noizz.plOKEYOPAP CyprusOPAP Cyprus & Press and Information OfficeOzFishPaulPeakPernod RicardPfizerPizza HutPKU FoundationPozitifPRIME VIDEOPS4PugetPZUQFCCQueensland RailRed BullReutersRinsoRipcurlRipioRolling StoneRådet for Sikker TrafikSADIASalsas La ConstanciaSamsungSeezSettle CyprusSignalSophia For Children Sorriso (a Colgate-Palmolive brand)SpillemyndighedenSpotifySpriteSTAMMAStandard ProcedureStarbucksStats NZSuzukiTEBTECTelefónica VivoTennessee TourismTe Whatu Ora/Ministry of HealthThe Coca-Cola CompanyThe Coffee ClubThe Female CompanyTHINK!TUITwitterTürkiye İş BankasıU.S. Census BureauU.S. Dept. of Health & Human ServicesU.S. NavyUber EatsUnder ArmourUNILEVERUnipadsUnited RentalsupGradVehbi Koç VakfıViagra ConnectVodacomVodafoneVodafoneVodafone VakfıVolkswagenVolvicVoyTuristeando / Compañía de Turismo de Puerto RicoWaterAidWecasablancaWendy'sWhirlpoolWork by Berlin Cameron (a VMLY&R company)Work by GlitchWork by Scholz & Friends (a VMLY&R company)Work by TAXI (a VMLY&R company)Work by VMLY&R CommerceWork by VMLY&R HealthYemeksepetiYeni RakıYMCAZespriZywiec Zdroj (Danone Group)Çiziİstanbul ModernRelated Locations (VERF selector)- Restricted access -- Restricted access -- Restricted access -- Restricted access -AmmanAtlantaAucklandBangkokBarcelonaBeijingBogotáBrisbaneBudapestBuenos AiresCaliCape TownCasablancaChicagoCincinnatiClevelandDallasDetroitDubaiHo Chi Minh CityIstanbulJakartaJohannesburgKalamazooKansas CityKarachiKrakowKuala LumpurKyivLimaLisbonLondonMadridMelbourneMemphisMexico CityMiamiMilanMinneapolisMontevideoMoscowMumbaiNashvilleNew DelhiNew YorkParisParsippanyPragueRio de JaneiroRogersRomeSan FranciscoSan JoséSan JuanSantiagoSeattleSeoulShanghaiSingaporeSydneySão Paulo (VML)São Paulo (Y&R)TaguigUlaanbaatarViennaWarsawWellingtonA Healthy ShowingDelivering at D&ADGlittering at the Golden Anniversary Share This Story