July 10, 2019

Traveling a Diverse World, with Colette Campbell

Episode 18:

Colette Campbell is the Director of Talent Acquisition, Diversity and Inclusion for Bremer Bank. Prior to joining Bremer, Colette served as faculty in the disciplines of Business, Human Resources and Human Development. Thirteen years ago, she started a consulting firm that provided coaching, training, and consulting services for many years. She has become known for her dynamic ability to help others create powerful shifts in their own thinking and behavior. Others find her to be enthusiastic, thought-provoking, and innovative in her unique approach to creating significant breakthroughs. She is an expert at finding the strengths within the differences between people and leveraging them to achieve remarkable outcomes.

Colette holds degrees in religious studies and counseling, as well as management and leadership and human development. She was raised in Canada by Jamaican-born parents and has lived and/or taught on almost every continent in the world, providing her with a rich world perspective. In 2015, her family moved to Guatemala for a year and if you are a fan of HGTV, she was on an episode of House Hunters International. She lives in St Paul with her husband, three kids, and pet bird.

What you’ll learn about in this episode:

  • How Colette’s childhood as an immigrant to Canada influenced her interest in and understanding of diversity and inclusion
  • Why Colette chose to pursue her first Bachelor’s degree in Religious Education and Counselling Studies
  • How Colette came to teach GED-equivalent courses and ESL, and why she chose to move to Korea for four years
  • How traveling all over the world as a black woman informed her work in diversity and inclusion, and why curiosity is a key component of her work
  • How Bremer bank has recently done a brand relaunch to showcase the bank’s historical background and its founder’s immigrant history
  • What advice Colette would offer to people who are just starting out in diversity and inclusion work
  • Why finding great partners and getting involved in groups with others who are doing diversity and inclusion work can be a powerful resource

Additional resources: