Human Resources and DEIB Executive
Ovell R. Barbee, Jr. is compassionately assertive in righting wrongs and using his voice to challenge the status quo on behalf of others. An award-winning HR executive and chief diversity officer at Fortune 500 companies and renowned health systems, he’s been named a “Top-100 Chief Diversity Officer” by the National Diversity Council, and a “Top 50 Under 50 Executive” by the National Black MBA Association, among other honors.
Growing up in inner-city Grand Rapids, Michigan, Barbee excelled academically, earning scholarships that helped him achieve a Bachelor’s in Communications and a Master’s in Social Work from University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a master’s in labor relations and human resources from Michigan State University.
Barbee gave back to the community by repaying all the scholarship money he received. He also established the “Barbee Book Club,” which pays for books and supplies for four years of college for a local Grand Rapids student.
about the book
The Big House
Most American corporations invest money, time, and energy in diversity, equity, and inclusion, popular terms that realistically bear little weight. Companies say they want to hire people from a wide array of backgrounds, but do they even know what a diverse workforce looks like? Why do so many companies fail in creating and cultivating an environment that truly embraces diversity and its benefits?
In The Big House: A Human-Centered & Progressive Approach to DEI and Positive Workforce Engagement, HR executive Ovell Barbee, Jr. compares corporate America to a plantation house where Black professionals are often welcomed for their perceived “non-threatening” image, but face significant barriers to advancement. He delivers essential advice to organizational leaders on how to stop the silence, have difficult conversations addressing race and diversity, and learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, to achieve an environment where everyone can flourish.
Barbee’s compelling examples of real-life experiences, combined with his passion for meaningful and authentic diversity, will motivate and inspire leaders to have the courage to build a better, human-centered workplace.