Fernando Serpa

Fernando Serpa draws upon his two decades of in-depth diversity and inclusion experience across the public and private sector, and excels at building dynamic, cross-cultural diversity and inclusion strategies to influence systemic change across organizations. He is executive director at the Association of ERGs & Councils, and has led diversity efforts for such Fortune 100 companies as Agilent Technologies, Symantec, JCPenney, and Johnson Controls. His responsibilities have included worldwide diversity recruitment and retention, employee network groups, international programs, and diversity and inclusion training.

Most recently, Fernando served as the director of global diversity at Johnson Controls where he developed strategies to advance diversity and inclusion globally. He also developed and maintained strategic alliances and relationships between the business, affinity groups, and industry organizations, and developed a global diversity strategy that was country-specific and presented diversity training around the world including Japan, Germany, Ireland, France, and Singapore.

A graduate of George Washington University Law School in Washington, D.C., he was appointed by the White House to the U.S. Department of Justice where he directed immigration policy and worked with Congress and federal agencies to develop and implement legislation, policy, and procedures. From 1995 to 2000, Fernando served at the United States Commission on Civil Rights where he represented the commission on civil rights issues to state and local governments, citizen-based groups, and corporations.