Chandra Vasser is the Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Nissan Americas and President, Nissan Foundation. Development of the DEI strategy for the Americas, which focuses on three pillars of people, culture, and partners, is Chandra’s proudest achievement, to date. Accompanying the strategy is a roadmap with measurable actions, such as requiring a diverse slate of candidates for open executive and senior level positions and a requirement for all senior managers and above to participate in Inclusive Conversations listening sessions with their teams.
Nissan’s successful journey is based on the principles of Courage, Transparency, Equity, Vulnerability and Inclusivity. This is supported by best practices, such as the 11 Business Synergy Teams across countries connecting diverse groups of employees, and having 100% of Nissan salaried employees complete training on unconscious bias.
Chandra also leads efforts to ensure DEI is interwoven throughout other functions such as Marketing, Communications, Dealer Network Development and Supplier Diversity and heads up the Nissan Foundation. Nissan’s philanthropic efforts significantly impact local communities by awarding grants that help build community by valuing cultural diversity. Nissan also has the Nissan Neighbors program to address community needs related to education, environmental stewardship, and humanitarian aid.