JOY FITZGERALD currently serves as the Senior Vice President, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of UnitedHealth Group. She is a global business executive and respected thought leader. Joy is one of the nation’s most respected voices on diversity as a business strategy. She has been featured in numerous publications including Harvard Business Review, Fortune Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Insider, Black Enterprise, Gallup, and Profiles in Diversity Journal.

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She is an organizational strategist who has dedicated her career to improving the lives of individuals, one person at a time. She has been a leader in both the private and public sectors. Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group, Joy served as the Vice President Human Resources and Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer of Eli Lilly and Company. As the leader of Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Joy partners with business leaders to attract and develop talent, increase health equity outcomes, make a societal impact, and grow the business. Known as an inspirational leader, Joy has a rare ability to tackle difficult subjects and speak truth to power without stirring negative emotions. She is skillful and experienced in translating diversity, equity and inclusion into business solutions that address both business and people challenges. Joy is influential in connecting both the head (intellectual) and heart (emotional) in a strategic way that transforms organizational culture.

 

Joy has more than twenty-five years of leadership experience working across business sectors in various industries. She is a highly sought-after executive coach helping leaders go from where they are to where they aspire to be. As a dynamic speaker and strategic thought partner, Joy has presented keynote speeches and workshops in more than twenty-five countries across five continents. She has served on boards and received numerous awards and recognition for her work in being a disruptive leader who is making a difference in corporate America.

 

She was named by Diversity Journal as a “Woman Worth Watching,” by Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association as a “Rising Star,” inducted by Color in the Inaugural Power List of 50 Chief Diversity Officers, and by Black Enterprise as a Top Executive in Corporate Diversity and Most Powerful Woman in Corporate Diversity.

Joy is an accomplished leader who works tirelessly to champion inclusion by creating safe spaces for brave conversations on topics of injustice and inequities. She has led major transformative business strategies, built marketing immersive strategies, and developed global training curriculums. Her work has been cited in several top publications as best practices.

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She has authored two books, The Journey to Joy: 5 Generations Share Stories Every Woman Needs to Hear and The Journal to Joy.