International real estate firm JLL on January 25 announced the appointment of Ingrid Jacobs as Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion, a newly created role responsible for developing JLL's global diversity and inclusion strategy and improving the company's ability to attract, hire, develop, and engage a diverse workforce. Jacobs reports directly to Mary Bilbrey, JLL's Chief Human Resources Officer. The appointment was effective from January 20.

Jacobs has over 20 years' experience driving diversity and inclusion programs in large corporates. Prior to joining JLL, Jacobs was Chief Diversity Officer at investment management firm Eaton Vance, Head of Corporate Diversity at Raytheon, and Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion at Whirlpool.

She said of her present appointment: "The creation of this role demonstrates JLL's strong commitment to a more diverse and inclusive future. I believe that everyone can contribute to driving diversity and building a culture that is authentic and inclusive, and I welcome the opportunity to facilitate meaningful change in employee representation, engagement and belonging across JLL's entire workforce.”

CHRO Bilbrey, welcoming Jacobs to the role, said that diversity drives the company's innovation and success: "We have made progress but know we have more work to do. Ingrid's appointment is an important step in our journey to create a more diverse and inclusive workplace, which is core to our purpose of shaping the future of real estate for a better world. We are excited to welcome her to JLL."