Shelly McNamara

Shelly McNamara is responsible for shaping policies, culture, and leadership to promote greater diversity. She earned a Master of Science in organization development from Case Western Reserve University and, since then, has become a writer, storyteller, speaker, and influential leader. She is the author of No Blanks, No Pauses: A Path to Loving Self and Others. 

McNamara is a role model and leader in the area of diversity and inclusion. She is passionate about building bridges and connections that enable individual growth as well as that of communities and organizations. Her vision is to contribute to creating a better world—an equal world. She has developed leading strategies to make P&G one of the most innovative, diverse, and inclusive companies in the world by transforming it along multiple vectors: confidence, capabilities, culture, and record business results. She is also the key architect and leader of transformational change in talent systems, talent pipelines, and succession planning for senior executives. 

McNamara is committed to enabling employees of every background to bring their full selves to work. She is an active member of P&G’s Corporate Women’s Leadership Team and has led the expansion of LGBTQ employee groups around the world. In 2016, she was recognized with P&G’s inaugural D&I Inspirational Leadership Award. 

As a graduate of the MS in organization development program, McNamara was immersed in the components of organizational development, such as emotional intelligence appreciative inquiry, coaching, interpersonal dynamics, resonant leadership, business strategy, and a cross-cultural experiential learning. She was able to translate these experiences and competencies into real-world applications, as evidenced by her extensive accomplishments at P&G. 

McNamara serves as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Community of Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officers, the Conference Board’s Global D&I Executives Council, the Cincinnati Chamber’s Minority Business Accelerator, and the board of the Trevor Project. McNamara has helped to redesign and transform her organization within the context of inclusivity and employee satisfaction, and continues to be an example of leadership to future leaders based on her focus of the “human” side of all things, all while delivering outstanding business results.