Mercury just appointed its first Black female partner! Social justice specialist Rachel Noerdlinger has been the managing director of the public affairs firm’s New York office since 2015 and now she’s taking her talents to the partner level, reports PRovoke. Noerdlinger — who’s making history at Mercury — has excelled in third-party coalition building, strengthening relationships between corporations politicians and high-profile stakeholders, and communities of color, plus DE&I. “Rachel Noerdlinger is an unflappable force on the front lines of social justice. Her versatility and acumen for a host of issues give her distinguished credibility amid a frenetic news cycle in the hard-changing world of politics,” said Kieran Mahoney, Mercury CEO, according to PRovoke. “Our firm watched with pride as, on a pro bono basis, she managed all press for George Floyd’s funeral with poise and professionalism, showing millions why she is an invaluable asset to Mercury and our culture.” Prior to...

Manulife just appointed Michelle Taylor-Jones to vice president of global diversity, equity, and inclusion. For many years the financial sector has been called out for not promoting diversity within its corporate ranking, particularly within executive leadership. Amid the recent Black Lives Matter protests that began in June, many companies have switched the narrative when it comes to diversifying their workforce. Canadian multinational insurance and finance giant, Manulife is taking the necessary steps to create change through their new appointment of Michelle Taylor-Jones. According to Black Enterprise , the Toronto-based company announced that Taylor-Jones will now lead a number of initiatives with the company as a component of its DEI strategy. She will be utilizing over 20 years of experience as an executive leader who has specialized in executive recruiting, small business banking, and talent management, for various Fortune 500 companies including Dell Technologies. “We are...