We recently welcomed Camille Pierce as Senior Vice President and Chief Culture Officer to lead our inclusion and diversity (I&D) strategy.

We sat down with Camille to get to know her and hear about her goals for the new role.

Camille, how has your own experience shaped you personally and professionally?

I’m originally from Portland, Oregon, and was raised by a single mom who worked very hard to ensure that my sister and I received a great education and experienced a home filled with love.

Being Black and growing up in a predominantly white environment, I knew I wanted an experience where I didn’t feel different, so I decided to attend a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the south. However, once I was there, I realized being in an environment where everyone looks like you doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll feel like you belong—from my West Coast background, to the music I listened to, and yes, I drink pop—there were a lot of ways I felt different. This was my first big personal lesson in diversity and inclusion, and something I continue to experience professionally. And let me just say—ultimately, I had an amazing experience in college, and even met my husband there.

Tell us a little bit about what you like to do in your free time.

Spending time with my family is probably my favorite thing to do. My husband and I have three children—all teenagers!

Through my family, friends, career, community service and more, I have a full, active and blessed life.

What were your first few weeks like at Campbell?

I’ve met so many people leading great work, not just in the I&D space, but across the company.  The best part of my experience is that I’ve felt so welcomed, respected, and valued—at the end of the day that is what inclusion is about.

What does Chief Culture Officer mean to you?

Chief Culture Officer includes leading inclusion and diversity, as this is an essential part of our culture—but it goes beyond just this piece. Ultimately, as Chief Culture Officer, I’m focused on everything that governs our behaviors and interactions with one another, including with our strategic priorities which include building a winning team and culture. That starts with our values, and how we bring those to life every day, so that everyone can be real, and feel safe, valued, and supported to do their best work.

Tell us more about your new role, and what’s to come?

Before I started, the leadership team and my team put together a measurable, actionable I&D strategy. The strategy supports the company’s plan to build a winning team and culture and it is focused on three key areas: capabilities, advocacy, and accountability. Now, I’m focused on bringing it all together in a way that helps Campbell deliver our business objectives and strategic plan.

We’re making great progress, and my initial focus is on building our capabilities through our employee learning initiatives. We simply must create the most inclusive leaders we possibly can. This is the foundation that will support all the other work within our strategy.

One thing that was clear at Campbell on my first day is the company’s commitment to our hometowns. Delivering on the promise of our purpose is another key part of Campbell’s strategic plan and I was glad to see the company’s support of community is included in the I&D work, through the advocacy pillar. This includes employees who have made donations through the social justice funds of the Veteran’s Connection Employee Resource Group,  Latino Network Employee Resource Group and Black Employee Resource Group. It also includes the company’s commitment to supporting economic recovery in underserved communities in our home state, through Mark’s work on the New Jersey Council of CEOs. It’s a great example of the way that I&D can cut across the entire business strategy.

I look forward to accelerating and enhancing our I&D strategy, and continuing to get to know our employees, as we work together to make the Campbell culture as inclusive as it can be, for everyone.