Tiffany & Co

Mary Bellai

Mary Bellai is the Global Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Tiffany & Co., and Stephanie Oueda-Cruz is the Company’s Global Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

Mary, why did Tiffany & Co. feel it was important to create a dedicated position for diversity, equity, and inclusion? 

Mary: Tiffany & Co. is present in the most significant moments of our clients’ lives. Our products and the client experiences we offer impact important occasions, like birthdays, engagements and weddings, holidays, and milestone celebrations. If we get that right, we get a chance to make a life-long relationship. Given this significance, it is important to us that we recognize and celebrate our clients in all their diversity, and so Tiffany & Co. needed to formalize this. In 2019, we created a formal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion department, and we were thrilled to have Stephanie join our team last year.

Stephanie, why did you join Tiffany & Co?

I am so humbled to have joined Tiffany & Co. as Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. It is important to reiterate that Tiffany’s commitment to DEI is not new. Tiffany was the first company to market a same-sex couple engagement ring. This campaign marked a milestone beyond the jewelry industry; it was discussed in the DEI world for years. It demonstrated that the company was ahead of its time and willing to recognize love in all its forms. Tiffany has a leadership that is committed to inclusion, and my goal is to build upon the company’s legacy and commitment to DEI and to develop Tiffany’s vision for DEI at a global level. 

Mary/ Stephanie: Tell us more about Tiffany & Co.’s approach to DEI. 

Stephanie: Tiffany & Co. has a long-standing commitment to conducting its business responsibly and prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are positively impacting the communities in which we operate. Tiffany & Co.’s DEI approach touches each part of our business. Our strategy has a 360-degree approach and is rooted in our people, our business, and our brand. 

So, Mary, can you tell us more about Tiffany’s commitment to DEI to its employees? 

Mary: We focus on attracting, developing, and retaining the best talent. We recently launched the “Breakfast at Tiffany” program for those just starting out their careers. It is a behind-the-scenes tour where early professionals from underrepresented backgrounds can experience Tiffany & Co.’s world-class service and get to know the teams behind the brand. Employees who don’t represent the majority in their workplace navigate it differently and must learn about their new environments from the ground up. Learning new dynamics takes time, as does establishing the reputation or seniority that can give employees the confidence to advocate for themselves and others. DEI leaders are uniquely positioned to help employees overcome these barriers in less time. 

We also engage with our local communities. We have a long-standing partnership with the Lower Eastside Girls Club to build a career recruitment pipeline. We work with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in partnership with the Shawn Carter Foundation and BeyGOOD to provide educational and professional opportunities for students in those communities. To date, more than 100 students have received scholarships as part of this initiative. We also partner with North Carolina A&T to create a curriculum for students in the creative industries.

"Our strategy has a 360-degree approach and is rooted in our people, our business, and our brand."

Craftspeople are a key part of our industry. We’ve developed an apprenticeship program as part of the LVMH Métiers D’Excellence Institute, where we focus on recruiting and uplifting women and underrepresented groups to this field of work. We are currently working to expand this program to reach other underrepresented groups in the USA. Globally, we are partnering with our regional teams to create locally relevant programs to increase access for underrepresented groups. We are excited to share that we are beginning the global expansion of our programs in 2024. 

Stephanie, can you tell us more about the second pillar of your DEI strategy? What is Tiffany’s approach to DEI from a business perspective? 

Stephanie: As Mary has noted, a crucial part of our business is understanding our clients. Our motto is that everyone is welcome at Tiffany, and the way we make that true is by ensuring that our clients see themselves reflected in our workforce. Luxury depends on world-class service, which requires insights into all the nuances that could make interacting with us meaningful. We recognized and seized the opportunity to be more intentional about engaging with our clients from diverse backgrounds. According to the US census of 2020, 40% of the US population is diverse. And as of 2045, the US will be a minority-majority country. Today, over 50% of people under 18 are already diverse (US Census 2020 data). Our clients of the future will be from diverse backgrounds.

To better connect and recognize our internal talent, we actively engage with our employee resource groups to obtain market insights, gain insight into product preferences, and understand the nuances of different cultures. We partner with our teams in our stores to ensure everyone has a moment of joy when they enter one of our stores. We strive to connect by authentically understanding and respectfully reaching our clients from diverse backgrounds. If we truly understand their specific needs and aspirations, we will be able to deliver the best possible experience to our clients in the most authentic way. 

Lastly, you mentioned the third pillar of your strategy is your commitment to the Brand. Tiffany is strongly committed to the arts. Can you tell us more?

Mary: Tiffany has always been committed to the arts, and in 2022, we launched Tiffany Atrium, our social impact platform. With Tiffany Atrium, we aim to create a path and shine a light on artists and designers from historically underrepresented groups to bring fresh ideas of luxury to the forefront. To launch this initiative, we partnered with multidisciplinary artist Derrick Adams, who created an artwork auctioned with 100% of the proceeds benefiting the residency Adams founded to support Black artists in his hometown of Baltimore.

Stephanie: I was pleased to lead a workshop during our “Lift As You Climb” Symposium created in partnership with Derrick Adams’ The Last Resort Artist Retreat. It was an important moment as we brought together artists, non-profit leaders, and companies committed to the arts to work together on activating the levers to increase access and lift barriers for artists of color in the cultural space. Many works of art are considered jewelry, so we must recognize and highlight the creativity of artists. DEI is about expanding these entry points and making them wider so more people can participate. As the only true American luxury brand, Tiffany & Co.’s innovative spirit, drive for excellence, and commitment to inclusion propel us forward. All these pieces are important because when the whole sector advances, we advance, too.