Printable Biography of Dr. R. Roosevelt Thomas, Jr.

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Recognized internationally for his groundbreaking work on issues of managing diversity, he is also the founder and Senior Research Fellow for the American Institute for Managing Diversity, Inc., a research and education enterprise with the objective of fostering effective management of employee diversity.

Dr. Thomas continues to counsel and consult with CEO's and other senior executives in defining diversity as a business issue and in developing and implementing diversity strategies. In particular, he has focused on the relationship between work force diversity and other strategic thrusts, and also has applied the diversity framework to general management issues such as the management of change, functional coordination, the integration of multiple lines of business, and acquisitions and mergers.

Dr. Thomas is the author of three published books: Redefining Diversity (AMACOM, a division of the American management Association, 1996); Beyond Race And Gender: Unleashing The Total Power Of Your Workforce By Managing Diversity (AMACOM, 1991); and Differences Do Make a Difference (AIMD, 1992). He is also the author of several articles, such as the Harvard Business Review article "From Affirmative Action to Affirming Diversity; (March-April 1990), which alerted corporate America of the need to move beyond EEO in addressing the challenge of empowering a diverse workforce. He contributes to several periodicals and trade publications. In addition to his writing, Dr. Thomas has developed a series of videotapes.

Dr. Thomas earned a D.B.A. in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University, an MA in Business Administration and Finance from the University of Chicago, and a BA in Mathematics from Morehouse College, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He has also served as Secretary of Morehouse College, Dean of the Graduate School of Business Administration at Atlanta University, assistant professor at the Harvard Business School, and instructor at Morehouse College.

Dr. Thomas has been recognized by the Wall Street Journal as one of the top ten consultants in the country and cited by human Resource Executive as one of HR's Most Influential People. In 1995, he received the American Society for Training and Development Award. He has been active for more than 20 years as a consultant to numerous Fortune 500 companies, corporations, professional firms, government entities, non-profit organizations and academic institutions. He is also a frequent speaker at national conferences and industry seminars.

Programs:

Elements of a Successful Diversity Process

Lessons from Archie Bunker

Differences That Work: Organizational Excellence Through Diversity

Building a House For Diversity

Redefining Diversity: Differences Do Make a Difference

Beyond Race and Gender