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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) Influencers

The DE&I Influencers list honors individuals who are advancing diversity, equity and inclusion within their organizations and across the workforce solutions ecosystem at large. 

2024 DE&I Influencers

Terri Gallagher

CEO | Gallagher and Consultants

Honoree profile

DE&I has long been important to Terri Gallagher. But when she saw in a report from the National Bureau of Economic Research that 40% of minority-owned businesses and 25% of women-owned businesses failed in the wake of the pandemic, she felt compelled to do even more. “[It] inspired me to do whatever it took to be visible, to stay in the game and to promote diversity, equity and inclusion,” she says.

As CEO of the workforce strategy consultancy Gallagher and Consultants, Gallagher is passionate about promoting DE&I initiatives for contingent staff. She believes that by excluding these workers from their programs, organizations have missed a huge opportunity to be truly inclusive. But the tide appears to be turning.

“Today, companies overwhelmingly want to include the contingent workforce in their initiatives,” she explains. “But there’s a little bit of fear around it.” Yet leaders in the workforce solutions space are perfectly positioned to support companies with implementing DE&I initiatives for contingent workers, she points out. “We’re the ones providing the talent or technology,” she says. “Collectively, we can help the customer do something they so desperately want to.”

Be authentic, be genuine and be intentional about moving the needle with whatever control you have. Even if you’re just one person, you can do a lot.

As the leader of a woman-owned business, Gallagher feels a strong sense of responsibility to leverage her platform to educate others on DE&I topics. She is an avid podcast contributor and a regular speaker at conferences and industry events. A source of particular pride for Gallagher is her work on “The Future of Diversity & Inclusion in the Contingent Workforce,” a whitepaper that she co-authored for Consciously Unbiased and HireTalent (in partnership with SIA). Reflecting on her podcasting, public speaking and research efforts, Gallagher explains, “[I] just try to do things that are meaningful within my control.”

Looking to the future, Gallagher’s goals are clear: “I’m going to keep promoting DE&I, I’m going to keep using my voice and I’m going to keep trying to do better.” And her advice to other leaders who want to make a difference? “Be authentic, be genuine and be intentional about moving the needle with whatever control you have. Even if you’re just one person, you can do a lot.”