James Lucier’s work in DE&I began in 2019 when he conducted a national survey for Fortune 500 contingent workforce leaders and wrote a research paper titled, “The State of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Contingent Workforce Management.” The findings, he notes, were not surprising, but they weighed on his heart and spurred him to affect change in the industry. “As I became more aware of inequities in the workforce … my discontent with the status quo developed into a deep desire to do something about it.” To that end, Lucier and his son, Hunter, founded Intentionally Inclusive, a corporate DE&I initiative that Lucier later brought to Pyramid Consulting. Unfortunately, Lucier would later lose Hunter to cancer, but his son’s drive and passion still inspire him every day.
Now serving as executive vice president at both ProcureWise and Ceipal, Lucier has helped develop technology to address the lack of diversity data. “Our AI-powered technology allows practitioners and providers alike to accurately assess diversity gaps, plan to address those gaps and implement a plan with periodic reassessment to make meaningful, measurable progress,” he says.
Lucier in 2021 also founded The National DEI Roundtable, a premier convener of DE&I leaders, practitioners and champions that aims to educate professionals across various fields about current workforce DE&I strategies. In May 2022, Lucier is launching “DEI Live,” a podcast highlighting stories of companies and people making a difference in DE&I.
Lucier is proud of the impact his work has had in the industry and how it has evolved. “Initially, my DE&I work was focused on how I would influence the workforce ecosystem through a staffing firm,” he says. “Now, with my DE&I work including developing technology … I am able to expand my influence across the entire talent and workforce solutions ecosystem.”
Lucier knows that the future of work is diverse, equitable and inclusive, and he wants to “be part of the future now by working on it today. Each day I ask myself, how can I make a meaningful contribution, what can I do to make a difference? And how can I encourage others?”
2023 DE&I Influencers List