Insider Q&A: Nellie Borrero recounts 4 decades of addressing racism and bringing change to Accenture

By ALEXANDRA OLSON
AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — It didn’t take long for Nellie Borrero to encounter racism in 1986 when she joined a major consulting firm that was the predecessor to Accenture. At her first Christmas party, the partner who hired her gave her gift that turned out to be roach spray, saying everyone knew Puerto Ricans had roaches in their homes. The next Monday, Borrero confronted the partner, who expressed remorse and promised to help her change the company’s culture if she stayed. Borrero shared these stories in a newly released memoir detailing her nearly 40-year effort to build a diversity and inclusion practice at Accenture, where she is now a senior strategic adviser for global inclusion and diversity. She discusses her book and the current climate surrounding DEI in an interview with The Associated Press.