Corporate Social Justice, 3M's Journey

Featuring Garfield Bowen, Vice President of Social Justice Strategy, 3M, and Josefina Landrieu, Vice President of Equity and Inclusion, Metropolitan State University.

Over the last 50 years or so corporations have relied on “Corporate Social Responsibility” to enable growth and profitability. With the murder of George Floyd in May 2020, stakeholders have raised the bar expectations for corporations. Bowen will share about 3M’s Corporate Social Justice journey, lessons learned to date, and what is to come in the near future. He will discuss with participants as he seeks to continue the process of listening and understanding to inform future forward actions.

Bowen is 3M’s first Vice President of Social Justice Strategy and Initiatives and is the chief architect for driving equity at 3M and in the global communities where it has a presence. Prior to his appointment in August 2020, Bowen held several positions across the company during his 7 ½ years where he occupied roles of Global R&D Operations and PMO Director and Global Commercialization Director both in the Safety and Industrial Business Group. Before joining 3M, Garfield had 18 years of progressive experience in the Information Technology field as a Software Engineer, Project Manager, Head of IT, Director of PMO, and Associate Chief Information Officer. Garfield has a Master of Science Degree in Management Information Systems from the University of the West Indies and a business certificate from Columbia Business School.

Dr. Landrieu serves as the Vice President of Equity and Inclusion at Metropolitan State. In that role, she provides leadership related to the university’s strategic goal of operationalizing equity, inclusion and anti-racism principles throughout the university to improve student and employee success. Prior to joining Metropolitan State University, Landrieu served as the Assistant Chief Diversity Officer for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Before joining Minnesota State, Dr. Landrieu was in a state-wide role as assistant professor at the University of Minnesota Center for Youth Development. She hold a BA in political science and international relations from the University of Northern Iowa, and an MA and PhD in organizational leadership and policy development from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Lunch and Learn is part of an ongoing monthly series of presentations and discussions hosted by the College of Management. This conversation is open to all educators, administrators, instructional designers, and students of Minnesota State Education System. Meet new faculty, gather with long-time friends from across Minnesota State, and bring questions and ideas (along with your lunch) to these monthly gatherings that will include conversation starters and an opportunity for both large and small group conversations. For information, contact organizers Dr. Minjung Park, Dr. Sonai Chaudhuri, or Dr. Allen Bellas.