Indra Lahiri, Ph.D. is an organizational psychologist, industrial anthropologist and founder of Global Inclusion Strategies. Her clients routinely win national awards and recognition for diversity and organizational development efforts supported by her. In addition to her successful consulting practice, Indra is the author of Creating a Competency Model for Diversity and Inclusion Practitioners (The Conference Board, 2008) and Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes: Linking Perceptions and Performance (BullsEye Publishing, 2002).

Indra provides strategic diversity / inclusion consultation, coaching, and support to executive leadership of major global corporations including The Coca-Cola Company, Symbol Technologies, and Texaco, as well as to distinguished educational organizations such as University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Princeton University. Success is evident in measurable results for client organizations, including reduced turnover and increased employee engagement. Clients have routinely received awards and recognition for their diversity and inclusion success. For example, designed Texaco’s On-Boarding Process (named a best practice by Catalyst) as well as their fast-track training program (recognized for excellence by the ASTD).

Drawing on experience spanning both academic and corporate settings, Indra has developed a unique approach to cultural audits. A combination of survey research, ethnographic methods, and an action learning approach, this needs assessment style has earned a reputation for quickly and accurately pinpointing a corporate culture’s strengths and opportunities.

Combining personal multi-cultural experience and academic knowledge of cultural differences, Indra provides realistic consultation and support for organizations wishing to shift from merely having an international presence to being truly global. For example, she facilitated a Conference Board Diversity Round Table meeting on Global Diversity Strategies to help participants examine realistic definitions of inclusive behavior in a variety of cultural contexts.

Strategic diversity consultation includes the following:

• Lead executives in creating diversity visions, developing comprehensive strategies, and following through on implementation.
• Provide consultation, education, and support on cultural competence and related global issues, ensuring clients’ ability to operate effectively on a truly global level, providing support in the development of cross-cultural teams, and coaching executives on demonstrating respect while achieving business goals across cultures.
• Work directly with CEO’s Public Relations departments, and top executives to become effective spokespeople on diversity-related issues.
• Design measurable strategic climate change efforts tied directly to business objectives.
  Develop creative, valid, and reliable tools and survey instruments to effectively assess organizational climate.
• Provide executive coaching to assist leaders in becoming maximally effective through inclusion and enhancing their own unique leadership styles.
• Develop and implement inclusive programs such as tiered conflict management systems, mentoring, succession planning, performance management processes, and flexible work arrangements.
• Create, facilitate, train and certify internal facilitators, evaluate and manage efficacy of workplace education on topics such as intercultural competence, leadership, mentoring, career development, diversity, and conflict resolution.
• Support class action lawsuit recovery and prevention, including meeting and exceeding consent decree requirements, resulting in public praise and encouragement from previously adversarial external task forces.

Indra has been an adjunct faculty member of Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and Penn State University. She has been a featured speaker on Focus on Women television talk show, KPMR News Radio, the Conference Board's Diversity Conference, the Northwest Diversity Learning Series, and has lectured at major universities across the United States. In addition to her book mentioned above, Indra has published numerous articles on the topic of cultural diversity. Her publications have been required reading in university classes across the country, including Brown University and St. Petersburg College.

Prior to founding Global Inclusion Strategies, she was Vice President of Corporate Diversity for PNC Bank. In this role, Indra directed the strategic planning and implementation of comprehensive culture change efforts in the areas of Diversity and Inclusion, EEO/AA, Work/Life Balance, and Mentoring.

Additionally, she has experienced repeated success in directing diversity and culture change initiatives during her years working for Midlantic Bank and Continental Insurance. In fact, both of these organizations received national recognition for their diversity programs during Indra's tenure: Continental Insurance received the Catalyst Award, and Midlantic Bank received the United Cerebral Palsy Foundation's Diversity Award.

Indra holds a PhD in organizational psychology, and holds All but Dissertation status for a second doctorate in anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania. She holds graduate certificates in Human Resource Management from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and Women's Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Developmental Psychology and English Literature from Catholic University of America.

Indra is the founder of Indraloka Animal Sanctuary. She has been a contributing writer for Cultural Diversity at Work Journal and Asian Women Magazine, as well as a member of the Advisory Board of Profiles in Diversity Journal. She is a former Board Director for Last Chance Ranch Inc. Equine Rescue, is a past founding Board Member of the Leadership and Mentoring Program for High School Women (LAMP), and past Chairperson of the Board of Animal Orphans.

Indra Lahiri, PhD
Global Inclusion Strategies
PO Box 155 Mehoopany, PA 18629 USA
(215) 453-8577
indra @ globalinclusionstrategies .com