René Carayol and the race conversation at work

On May 25th 2020, the world changed. And it changed forever.

After the tragic murder of George Floyd, something happened.

Three days after that murder, 80 countries had protests of Black Lives Matter.

Today I speak with Rene Carayol about this, and much more. René is the accidental Executive Coach and has worked with many CEOs of multinational companies, heads of state and leading global entrepreneurs.

Rene has also worked in the area of Diversity and Inclusion for many years, but this tragic event was the catalyst for René to truly stand up for those marginalised people who don’t have the platforms to speak up.

After the 25th of May, his phone went crazy.

It was all white, middle-class men who he looks up to. CEOs and Chairmen who he has coached. They all needed direction.

And they asked one question.

"I want to engage with my colleagues at work and initiate the conversation around race, but I don’t know where to start".

They were scared to say the wrong thing. Worried about being clumsy. Making things worse. They didn’t know what to do.

And it was clear, they aren’t alone.

Rene talks about what he told these company leaders.

And what happened when they followed his advice.

I ask Rene about the social element of ESG corporate strategy, and what he would tell corporate leaders as they develop them.

And then he tells us the key to making change. You’d be surprised at how simple it is.

If you are serious about diversity and inclusion and looking for direction. Have a listen. If you want to know how you can be a driver of change in general, this is also for you.

Rene tells it how it is.

I hope you enjoy this this as much as I enjoyed having the conversation. Thank you, René.

So, throw on those running shoes, or grab that favourite beverage, and have a listen!

Please do let us know what you think of this episode. And don’t forget to leave a review, rating and subscribe.

If you would like to get in touch with René or find out more, you can find more about him here:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/renecarayol

Company site: carayol.com (where you can also find his book Spike)

Twitter: renecarayol

Instagram: @renecarayol

If you would like to get involved with TIE, and be a part of the important change that needs to be made in the world, do get in touch: philippa@theinternationalexchange.co.uk

If you’re keen to contribute more to society through your work, grow as a responsible business leader, and find ways to bridge purpose and profit. Find out more at our TIE Accelerator info session: apply.tieaccelerator.com