The HFPA said today that it has hired a new diversity, equity and inclusion consultant and retained a pair of law firms to “independently investigate any reports that are made to the previously announced hotline that will allow anyone to report an incident, complaint, or allegation, including on an anonymous basis.”
Leadership Lab International is the DEI consultant, and Kendall Brill & Kelly and Ramsey & Ehrlich are the law firms.
“Our progress towards reform is continuing,” the embattled group behind the Golden Globes said today. Here is the HFPA’s full statement:
“Our progress towards reform is continuing, as this week we have put two more key pieces in place that will help lead the transformational changes that we promised less than a month ago. We said on May 6th that we would move swiftly to show our commitment to reform and that we would regularly update the industry on our progress with our timeline.
These announcements cover three key tenets of our reform plan — accountability, ethics and transparency, and inclusion. There is still more work to be done. As we continue to move forward with our timeline, we are confident that these changes will create a diverse, respectful, and transparent environment not only for new and old members of the HFPA, but for our partners in the industry who interact with the Association.”
May 24
On Monday, HFPA hired two outside law firms to independently investigate any reports that are made to the previously announced hotline that will allow anyone to report an incident, complaint, or allegation, including on an anonymous basis.
Those two firms are Kendall Brill & Kelly and Ramsey & Ehrlich. The team from Los Angeles-based Kendall Brill & Kelly, led by former, long-time federal prosecutor Robert Dugdale, has deep experience in the entertainment industry, and specializes in investigating workplace misconduct, fraud, waste and corruption. The team from Berkeley-based Ramsey & Ehrlich is led by former federal prosecutor Ismail Ramsey and has substantial experience investigating whistleblower complaints and allegations of racial discrimination and organizational misconduct.
Last week, HFPA hired Convercent, a company that manages the world’s most complex and advanced global ethics programs, which has begun work to have the new hotline established around June 1st.
May 25
Members voted to hire Leadership Lab International (LLI) as the HFPA’s new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consultant.
LLI is focused on embedding equity and ethics into HFPA’s organizational operations through real, meaningful change. This includes but is not limited to: a commitment to rebuilding trust, ongoing DEI and ethics trainings, expanding membership access and participation, reconciliation with stakeholders, leadership coaching at all levels of the organization, and ensuring reforms that create a fair and just experience for internal and external stakeholders. The HFPA will work closely with LLI to enact genuine and complex Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion reforms.
This initiative is co-facilitated by Dr. Houman Harouni and Dr. Annice E. Fisher, whose work focuses on the intersection of equity, ethics, organizational development, and leadership.
Dr. Harouni is a full-time lecturer on Leadership and Education at Harvard University. His research and organizational work focuses on the transformation of systems, large and small, and of individuals. At Harvard, he is the lead instructor of the Equity and Inclusion Fellowship. He has been an advisor to various governments, international organizations, and nonprofits across the globe.
Dr. Fisher is a leading voice in DEI and leadership development in the United States whose work spans across a variety of sectors. She is the CEO & Founder of The BEE FREE Woman and Developing Capacity Coaching, and the inaugural 2021 Anti-Racism Pedagogy Scholar at the American University School of Education where she also teaches Exercising Conscious Leadership. Annice often serves as a writer and speaker on topics related to race, gender, leadership, social justice, and mindset.
Last week, Members also approved a Code of Professional and Ethical Conduct (the “Code”), setting forth the values, expectations, and standards of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the “HFPA” or “Association”) that are essential to achieving our shared mission and goals. As we finalize details on press conferences, gifts, and other policies, we will continue to add and update our Code. As set forth in our detailed May 10th timeline, we plan to release those policies in the coming weeks.