Doug Melville 5th Generation Innovator, Leader and Change Agent | Global Diversity & Business Leader

Doug Melville is the former Global Head of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) for an international luxury holding company. There, Melville sat on the Governance and Sustainability Committee and was responsible for drafting the DEI vision, measuring and embedding metrics, and strategizing around DEI as a business solutions.

Melville’s journey as a Diversity Officer began in 2012 at TBWA (Omnicom), a global advertising agency, advising iconic brands such as Apple, AirBnB, PepsiCo, Amazon, and more. Melville led their Supplier Diversity program and created a search engine to aggregate US women and diverse-owned (MWBE) creative businesses. Prior to advertising, Melville sat on the executive team of Magic Johnson Enterprises to create top line revenue by building out his brand, holdings and partnerships. He also served as an advisor for Tommy Hilfiger’s capital management firm, T Capital Management.

In his most recent endeavor Melville set out to rediscover his family’s story—one of sacrifice and perseverance. In his book, Invisible Generals, he tells the amazing true story of America’s first Black generals, Benjamin O. Davis, Sr. and Jr., a father and son who helped integrate the American military and created the Tuskegee Airmen, working with eight different US Presidential administrations, from FDR to Jimmy Carter, along the way.

Melville examines how to draw strength from uncovering and reclaiming history by utilizing your ancestors’ victories to broaden your vision of what’s possible today; becoming a voice for the voiceless; harnessing the power of perseverance to understand and overcome generational challenges; and building on and growing your family legacy.

In his personal time Melville works across the public sector – from West Point to the Air Force Academy – to recognize the accomplishments and achievements of his family and diverse trailblazers.

Born in Connecticut, Melville has traveled to 75 different countries to better understand cultural differences and business through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion. He is an alum of Syracuse University.