Corey Lewis
Global Real Estate Executive, Bank of America, USA
This International Women’s Day and every day, we are proud to recognize our inspiring women leaders and allies at JLL.
Who is a female inspiration/role model to you and why?
My sister, Danielle Bly. Being seven years older, she would say that I have been her inspiration and role model. But I believe inspiration and being a role model or mentor is a two-way street. I’ve watched my sister grow personally and professionally from a young girl to a wife and a mother, and also from a student to young professional to a senior professional. Most recently, Danielle was appointed as Vice President, Supplier Diversity at WEC Energy Group, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And moreover, her passion and involvement in the community is outstanding. She is involved with and holds board positions in many organizations, including the Milwaukee Urban League, The Links Incorporated, Danceworks,Inc., The United Performing Arts Fund, among others. So, while my little sister looks up to me, I too look up to her. I watch and admire!!
Why does inclusion matter to you?
Over my 20-plus-year career at JLL and having navigated the firm across several uniquely different roles, I’ve been able to simply tell my story. As a result, I think the women at JLL I’ve engaged have been able to use my story — successes and challenges — as a sounding board to frame their own vision and navigate through both personal and professional journeys. Ultimately, I aim to be super approachable, open to engaging anyone who needs help, and despite what feels like a busy schedule at times — simply making the time to meet new people and talk about the matters that are contemporary and important to them.
How are you inspiring women to achieve their ambitions at JLL?
I’ve always focused on the “inclusion” in diversity and inclusion. I believe having diverse teams is extremely important; ensuring a community of people from different backgrounds, upbringing, economic status, cultures and other differences fosters rich culture and enables healthy dialogue to frame vision and solve problems. However, diversity can only be harnessed when culture and people are inclusive ; that is, being intentional about ensuring everyone has a voice, is heard, and all ideas and thoughts are brought to the forefront. Without inclusion, I think diversity is short-changed. Leading with and driving a culture of inclusion, I believe, is key to driving a more diverse organization and culture.