Ann grew up in a small rural community in central USA. She knew from an early age that she wanted to reach out and experience a broader world. So, she chose a large multi-national company, Royal Dutch Shell, and spent 29 years there in human resources, organization development and talent management. The combination of these experiences eventually led her to diversity and inclusion. She became Global Head of D&I in 2004, stationed in London. She pulled heavily from her experience working with senior leaders in large-scale change efforts to mainstream D&I into the various global business streams within Shell. This included strengthening leadership accountability for D&I, as well as integrating it into the organisation’s culture and HR systems/processes. This was critical given Shell operates in over 130 countries and territories with a workforce of over 100,000 people. During 2005-2006, she led a global study dealing with the progression and retention of women in Shell. The assessment, and recommended pathway forward, culminated in Shell being recognized as an “exemplar company” in the UK by the Women and Work Commission and the then Prime Minister Tony Blair. After retiring from Shell, Ann established a consulting business, DiversityWorks, to assist multi-national organizations in the development and implementation of their diversity and inclusion strategies. Global clients included Vodafone, BP, Unilever, Baker Hughes and the United Nations World Food Program.Effective January 2018, she officially retired. She and her husband, Bob, reside on the eastern shore of Maryland where they enjoy family time and volunteering with a no kill animal shelter.