DEI Lessons From Around the World

Angela-Gabrielle Pajarito Lacerna is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with a unique journey shaped by her experiences as an immigrant from the Philippines and her diverse background in music and education. As an Associate Director at Seramount, Angela cultivates impactful partnerships across industries, including Retail, Custom Software & IT Services, HR & Staffing, Management Consulting, Government, and Nonprofit sectors. Her dedication to DEI is both personal and professional, and she is committed to helping organizations foster lasting, positive change.

In addition to her role at Seramount, Angela serves on the board of the National Association of Asian American Professionals (NAAAP) DC, where she leads initiatives that support the professional development of Asian Americans. She is also actively engaged in Employee Resource Group (ERG) programming, contributing to AANHPI Heritage Month and Filipino American Heritage Month (FAHM) celebrations.

Angela holds a BA from Franklin & Marshall College and an MA from Columbia University. She resides just outside Washington, D.C., where she enjoys visiting museums, taking dance classes, and cooking.

Laraine Kaminsky is the President and CEO of GlobalLK, a consulting firm committed to developing inclusive leaders for a global economy. With experience in 96 countries, she specializes in addressing cultural, religious, gender, and generational dynamics to enhance organizational effectiveness. Drawing on extensive global experience across public and private sectors, she focuses on implementing DEI strategies that drive sustainable impact.

Blanca Villela is a seasoned executive and board director with over 28 years of experience leading business strategy, corporate governance, and organizational transformation across Latin America. She has managed multimillion-dollar operations and led high-impact teams in agribusiness, manufacturing, and the food industry, including a distinguished 28-year career at Cargill where she served as Country Manager and Global DEI Leader.

As an independent consultant and global advisor, Blanca currently supports organizations like Seramount (USA) and SearchIN (Central America) on leadership, sustainability, and inclusion strategies. She also serves as a board member for regional companies such as Grupo Ternova, Alimentos Zúñiga, and Salvaplastic, helping professionalize governance, drive cultural transformation, and align talent with long-term value creation.

Blanca is a certified professional coach (CPCC), lawyer, and MBA with extensive experience in legal affairs, DEI strategy, leadership development, and stakeholder engagement. She is passionate about building inclusive, resilient, and sustainable organizations, and is actively involved in mentoring, advocacy, and nonprofit leadership across the region.

Hans W. Jablonski is a senior consultant, trainer and coach with more than 20 years of practical experience in people and organisational development across multiple industries. His core expertise includes Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Inclusive Leadership, and Change Management.

He brings a strong track record in organisational transformation, shaped by roles as both an internal and external consultant. Over his career, Hans has supported companies such as Ford Motor Company, bp plc, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, and Commerzbank, driving systemic change and long-term impact.

Around a decade ago, Hans founded his own consultancy. Since then, he has worked with organisations worldwide on implementing and professionalising DE&I and Change Management. About one third of Germany’s DAX 30 companies rely on his expertise, alongside many well-known mid-sized firms. Leaders value his sharp analytical perspective, his deep insight into inclusive leadership mindsets, and his ability to translate bias awareness into actionable leadership practice and cultural transformation.

Hans has collaborated with executives in Europe, China, India, Brazil, the USA, Russia and Japan, navigating diverse cultural contexts with ease and credibility. He was among the first Diversity Managers in Germany at Ford and a co-author of the German Diversity Charter, later adopted in other European countries. He also served as an expert panellist for the GDIB Global D&I Benchmarkand, until 2025, as a member of the ISO working committeedeveloping a global standard for D&I 30415.

In addition, Hans is a sought-after keynote speakeron DE&I, inclusion and leadership topics, and he contributes regularly to professional books and journals.