DDB Chicago CEO Andrea Diquez recently spoke to Little Black Book’s Addison Capper about her career journey and vision for DDB Chicago. Andrea joined the DDB family in May as the agency’s first Latina CEO and in the interview, she shares the importance of building diverse teams, why DE&I involves more than just hitting quotas, and her goal to meet each and every DDBer at the agency.

“When you create an environment of inclusivity, everybody can be made to feel included and important. That’s why my mission is to meet everybody. Whether they’re a junior or a senior, I want to be able to understand them and what work they do. Every person brings something valuable to the table and without our people, we won’t survive. They’re the heart. They keep our door open all the time. So why wouldn’t I meet them and respect their role in the agency and culture?

I also think that the more siloed an agency is, the less opportunities people have to meet others and understand different backgrounds. I’ve been very lucky to work on and put together some diverse teams over the course of my career. I’ve always had Latin people, Black people, Asian people and people of many sexual orientations, just because I know that it works. Everyone brings a different energy and perspective and for me it’s fun.”

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