Overview

With a keen awareness of intercultural dynamics in the workplace, Cindy-Ann Thomas adeptly navigates clients through multiple diversity and inclusion challenges and opportunities. She brings more than 20 years of experience and high-level credentials to her role as both a strategic process diversity consultant and an employment attorney. Company executives in a broad spectrum of industries, including government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, higher education and professional services, look to her for diversity and inclusion services and counsel that emphasize talent development, engagement, productivity and retention.

Cindy-Ann’s unique qualifications as a knowledgeable employment attorney and skillful facilitator are applied in training that extends from the executive ranks to the shop floor. She engages with clients in order to understand what they need.  Specifically, and before any initiative is implemented, she gains deep insights into the client’s workplace by conducting culture assessments. These assessments may be as informal as in-depth conversations with organizational leaders or they may extend to the development and deployment of a comprehensive “culture scan” that captures the views of diversity and inclusion expressed by the client’s employees.

Licensed in Canada and the United States, Cindy-Ann possesses a multifaceted perspective on the design and implementation of meaningful diversity and inclusion initiatives that are not only legally compliant but harness the potential of both stakeholders and individual contributors. She delivers her customized training programs to organizations that range in size from Fortune 500 companies to small, local businesses. 

Among her specialized services are these:

  • Facilitate executive orientation briefings geared toward assisting an organization’s key leaders in identifying current capabilities and next steps
  • Prepare and guide dynamic group workshops that raise awareness of and increase capabilities in working through diversity dynamics, unconscious bias and cultural competence
  • Develop client-specific, turn-key educational materials that allow companies to self-drive their internal equal employment opportunity (EEO) and diversity training programs
  • Deliver comprehensive EEO “train-the-trainer” programs for in-house facilitators
  • Lead one-on-one executive workshops that increase leaders’ diversity aptitude and skill development

For her vibrant and engaging training sessions, Cindy-Ann taps the resources of Littler Learning Group and its vast video library of contemporary diversity and inclusion scenarios. The videos’ targeted vignettes depict real-life workday issues in a captivating and engaging way.

Cindy-Ann completed the requirements for designation as a Roosevelt Thomas Consulting & Training Subject Matter Expert, and she is also a Qualified Administrator for the prestigious Intercultural Development Inventory. She is co-chair of Littler’s EEO & Diversity Practice Group and regularly speaks before professional associations, human resource groups, universities and industry trade groups throughout the country. Prior to her legal career, she was a human resources executive at an international business development corporation, where she addressed many of the organizational issues facing the companies she now advises and trains.

*Not licensed to practice law in North Carolina

Professional & Community Affiliations

Member

Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM)

Member

Multicultural Corporate Compliance Association (MCCA)

Member

National Public Employment and Labor Relations Association (NPELRA) Speaker’s Bureau

Member

National Diversity Council (NDC)

Member

Diversity Council Carolinas (DCC)

Member

Corporate Counsel Women of Color (CCWC)

Member

Ohio State Bar Association (OSBA)

Recognition

Named, The Best Lawyers in America®

2020-2025

Named, IEL's Top 50 Women Leaders

International Employment Lawyer

2022

News, Analysis & Press

3 Things To Know As Grant Program For Black Women Halts

Law360 Employment Authority

June 6, 2024

11th Circ. Nix Of Florida's 'Stop WOKE' Act Is A Boost For DEI

Law360 Employment Authority

March 13, 2024

2nd Circ. Fortifies Employer Defenses Against Attacks On DEI

Law360 Employment Authority

March 11, 2024

Why nepo babies are a problem for America’s diversity goals

International Employment Lawyer

February 23, 2023

Employers Can Aid Diversity By Cutting Degree Requirements

Law360 Employment Authority

February 3, 2023

Why employers should beware of fatphobia in the workplace

International Employment Lawyer

January 31, 2023

GC Agenda: January 2023

Practical Law - The Journal

January 31, 2023

N-word ignorance will lead to more conflict and harassment

International Employment Lawyer

October 21, 2022

'Office Housework' Can Make A Legal Mess For Employers

Law360 Employment Authority

September 20, 2022

New Fla. Law Threatens To Upend Workplace Diversity Training

Law360 Employment Authority

May 17, 2022

The Littler Annual Employer Survey 2022

Littler Report

May 4, 2022

Seismic Workplace Shifts Merit New Anti-Bias Trainings

Law360 Employment Authority

March 16, 2022

12 Ways Companies Are Boosting Their DEI

SHRM Online

March 9, 2022

12 Ways Companies Are Boosting Their DEI

Chief Executive Magazine

February 11, 2022

The Littler Annual Employer Survey 2021

Littler Report

May 12, 2021

Analysis: Three Men and a Baby Shower

Bloomberg Law

December 20, 2019

Affinity Groups – Relevant or Relics?

Podcast

October 3, 2017

Workplace Racism Persists, Diversity Training Needed

Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)

August 25, 2014

Speaking Engagements

Inclusion & Diversity

Littler 7th Annual Conference, Bogota, Colombia

October 19, 2023

Advocating for Inclusion: Insights & Strategies for the 2023 Legislative Session

Schnake Turnbo Frank Inclusion & Diversity Consortium, Keynote Speaker

February 22, 2023

Denver Compliance Coffee Talk Webinar: Getting DE&I Right

Denver, CO

September 1, 2021

Fortifying a Commitment to Inclusive Leadership During – and Beyond – Crisis

2021 Arizona SHRM Virtual Employment Law & Legislative Conference

February 26, 2021

2020 Rocky Mountain Virtual Employer

November 18, 2020

Implicit Bias in the Healthcare Industry: How It's Making Us Sick(er)

July 16, 2020

Diversity at Work: Fortifying Your Inclusion Efforts in the Current Climate

Association of Corporate Counsel - Charlotte Chapter, Charlotte, NC

June 25, 2020

Panelist

The Casetext Advisory Board

June 12, 2020

The Business of Implicit Bias: Moving from Detection to Disruption

Denver, CO

April 17, 2020

2019 Philadelphia Regional Employer Conference

Philadelphia, PA

April 2, 2019

The #MeToo and Times Up Cultural Shift: How to Reduce Disparities in the Workplace

SHRM Diversity & Inclusion Conference and Exposition, Atlanta, GA

October 22, 2018

2018 Ohio Regional Employer Conference

Cleveland, OH

October 18, 2018

Speak Up or Shut Up? The Persisting Challenges of Politics and Discord in the Workplace

Littler Executive Employer, Phoenix, AZ

May 3, 2018

Diversity and Inclusion Summit 2018 - Part 2: The Training Trap: How Efforts to “Fix” Unconscious Bias Are Failing Employers

Littler Executive Employer, Phoenix, AZ

May 2, 2018

Diversity and Inclusion Summit 2018 - Part 1: Should Affinity Groups Come with an Expiry Date?

Littler Executive Employer, Phoenix, AZ

May 2, 2018

From Harvey Weinstein to [Insert Name]: Preventing Harassment in the Workplace and What to Do When Claims are Made

Miami, FL

April 3, 2018

From Harvey Weinstein to [Insert Name]: Preventing Harassment in the Workplace and What to Do When Claims are Made

Charlotte, NC

January 23, 2018

Workplace Diversity: One Very Eventful Year Later

November 14, 2017

Protests, Political Speech, and Public Relations

2017 Mid-Atlantic Employer Conference, Washington, D.C.

June 6, 2017

Women at Work: Attracting, Engaging, and Retaining a Gender-Diverse Workforce a Perspective from the Trenches

The 2017 Executive Employer® Conference

Littler, Phoenix, AZ

May 10, 2017

Women at Work: Attracting, Engaging and Retaining a Gender-Diverse Workforce

The 2017 Executive Employer® Conference

May 10, 2017

The Why and How of Diversity in the Legal Profession - Panel Discussion

Women in the Profession Conference

May 3, 2017

2017 Littler Global Puerto Rico Conference

San Juan, PR

April 7, 2017

Diversity and Inclusion 2016: Spearheading a Meaningful Initiative That Won’t Drive Your General - and Outside - Counsel Crazy!

Association of Corporate Counsel – South Florida Chapter, Fort Lauderdale, FL

October 26, 2016

Where Diversity & Inclusion Meet the Law in 2016: The 6 Essential Strategies That Successful HR Professionals Need NOW!

NCSHRM State Conference, Asheville, NC

September 30, 2016

Conducting Lawful Investigations: An Interactive Program for Internal Investigators

Charlotte, NC

September 13, 2016

Diversity & The Bar: Is it Happy Hour Yet?

Association of Corporate Counsel – Charlotte Chapter, Charlotte, NC

August 16, 2016

Take Command: Lessons in Leadership

The Gray Classic 2016 Business Roundtable

July 14, 2016

Blame the New Workplace! Navigating HR Challenges Created by Workplace 3.0

NCSHRM State Conference, Concord, NC

September 24, 2015

Diversity & Inclusion 2015: Spearheading A Meaningful Initiative That Won’t Drive Your General – and Outside – Counsel Crazy!

Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC) - Charlotte Chapter, Charlotte, NC

August 18, 2015

Where Diversity & Inclusion Meet the Law: Hot Topics in 2015 for the Healthcare Professional

Carolinas Healthcare Systems Annual Diversity Symposium 2015

April 10, 2015

Practical Strategies and New Opportunities: What Do the Law, Dodd-Frank’s Diversity Provision and Workplace Innovation Mean for Diversity and Inclusion?

August 26, 2014

Conducting Lawful Investigations: An Interactive Program for Internal Investigators

Miami, FL

March 13, 2014

Littler’s Annual Report on the EEOC: Looking Back and Forward – Successes, Failures and Anticipated Trends

February 5, 2014

Conducting Legal Investigations: An Interactive Program for Internal Investigators

Littler Mendelson, Greensboro, NC

October 9, 2013

Mean Girls (and Boys): The Workplace Bullying Problem

State Conference – North Carolina SHRM, Winston-Salem, NC

October 1, 2013

From the Range to the Workplace: Bullies on the Job

National Training Conference – National Public Employer Labor Relations Association, San Antonio, TX

April 10, 2013

Don't Close Your Eyes or Click Your Heels: Coming to Terms with the Evolving Face of Discrimination

Charlotte, NC

November 9, 2012

Don't Let These Top 5 Employment Trends Spook You

Charlotte, NC

October 25, 2012

Getting Beyond Diversity Day: Developing Meaningful (and Legal) Strategies That Support Your Diversity and Inclusion Efforts

The 2012 Executive Employer® Conference

Littler Mendelson, Scottsdale, AZ

May 10, 2012

Where Diversity & Inclusion Meet the Law

Diversity Council of the Carolinas, Charlotte, NC

September 22, 2011

Conducting Lawful Investigations: A Practical Skills Primer for Internal HR Professionals

Ohio Provider Resource Association, Cincinnati, OH

February 10, 2011

Finally: Light at the End of the Tunnel?

Annual Diversity Conference – Society for Human Resource Management, New Orleans, LA

October 11, 2010

Diversity in 2010: New Decade, New Dilemmas

8th Annual Diversity Conference – Carolinas Healthcare System, Charlotte, NC

May 7, 2010

Conducting Lawful Investigations: A Practical Skills Primer for Internal HR Professionals

National Training Conference – National Public Employer Labor Relations Association, New Orleans, LA

April 10, 2010

When Harry Met Sally – at Work: The Workplace Dating Game

Annual Training Conference – Ohio Public Employer Labor Relations Association, Columbus, OH

February 9, 2010

Landmines, Trends and Tools

December 4, 2009

Online Networking: What Every Employer Needs to Know

Charlotte, NC

December 4, 2009

Beyond the Basics: A Mini Boot Camp for Leaders

Fall Training Conference – Ohio Public Employer Labor Relations Association, Columbus, OH

October 5, 2009

Breaking the Bond Between Discrimination and Retaliation

Annual Training Conference – Ohio Public Employer Labor Relations Association, Columbus, OH

February 6, 2009

Aligning Mandatory Compliance Training and Diversity Education

October 28, 2008

Education

  • LL.B., University of Windsor Faculty of Law, 1996
  • B.A., McGill University, 1989

Languages

  • French

Bar Admission

Ohio
Ontario, Canada

Courts

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio
  • Court of Appeal for Ontario, Canada