Armida Mendez Russell has earned an international reputation for her work in the field of Organization Development and Diversity Management. She is co-author of The Diversity Directive, Why Some Initiatives Fail and What to Do About It, published originally by McGraw Hill, and author of several organizational climate assessment tools. Armida is the originator of the Head (Knowledge), Heart (Understanding) Hand (Skills/Application) model, which is the basis for her work.
Ms. Mendez Russell spearheaded and co-authored the Discovering Diversity Profile® and co-authored the Global Diversity Survey® among others. Armida is the Co-Founder and president of DiversityFIRST Consulting. Prior to holding that position, she was the Head of Global Diversity at BMC Software and Founder/CEO of Mendez Russell Training & Development, Inc.
Ms. Mendez Russell has been recognized by Profiles in Diversity Journal as a diversity pioneer and for her work in the field which is used by numerous global organizations as the foundation for a wide range of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Armida has worked in partnership with several major organizations to assess their strategies, structures and processes to improve organizational effectiveness and performance.
Armida has developed numerous initiatives designed to manage change in a complex business environment. Representative clients include Fortune 500 companies such as Dell Computers, IBM, Google, 3M, Bayer, American Express, Chase, International Paper, Caesar’s Entertainment (Harrah’s), Medtronic, General Motors, and General Mills. Educational institutions include Baylor University, University of Minnesota, and the University of Wisconsin among others in business, government and not-for-profit organizations. Ms. Mendez Russell currently works with the National Diversity Council as Vice President of Consulting and Training, as a facilitator for the National Diversity Council’s Diversity and Inclusion Certification Program, and as co-facilitator for the National Diversity Council’s ERG/BRG Academy.
Ms. Russell received her Bachelors in Business from the University of Texas at El Paso, a Masters in Hospital Administration from Southwestern University, and attended post graduate courses in International Management at the University of St. Thomas in Saint Paul, MN.
