Morgan Stanley exec joins Saks DEI team

Saks has added a 15-year plus global talent and diversity leader to its DEI team.

The luxury e-commerce retailer appointed Dr. Alicia Williams as VP, diversity, equity and inclusion, effective July 18. She will be responsible for furthering Saks’ progress on its DEI commitments across the company while shaping its go-forward strategy.

Most recently, Williams served as executive director, head of diversity & inclusion for U.S. Banks at Morgan Stanley, where she led the DEI strategy, talent management and impact for the business.

Prior to Morgan Stanley, Williams was VP and diversity lead and the head of the North American analyst and associate campus recruiting program for JP Morgan’s investment banking, wholesale payments and global Corporate banking businesses. She has also held various human resources and DEI leadership roles at universities across the country, including New York University,

“Delivering on our DEI commitments and ensuring an inclusive culture are priorities for our leadership team and our entire company, as they are the key to being a great place to work and best serving our diverse customers and partners,” said Saks chief people officer Sarah Garber. “Alicia has an exceptional track record in launching and implementing DEI initiatives, and we look forward to benefiting from her deep expertise as we build on the progress we have made to date and strengthen our efforts across our business.”

In her new role, Williams is part of Saks’ ESG team, led by Cara Chacon, who joined Saks as senior VP, ESG in April after more than a decade in senior ESG roles at Patagonia Williams will work closely with Saks' DEI Council, Inclusion Advocates and ERGs.

Saks is a separate company from SFA, which operates Saks Fifth Avenue stores. Parent company Hudson’s HBC split the Saks e-commerce and store operations into separate companies in March 2021.