Rebecca Mattis-Pinard is the director of organizational effectiveness and excellence at Ford. She works with the foundation’s leadership to develop and further diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies; support broader organizational goals; and maximize the effectiveness of management and internal processes.

Prior to joining Ford, Rebecca was the head of learning and development at the global innovation and design firm IDEO, where she served as a member of the organization’s talent leadership team. Using a design-forward approach, she oversaw the DEI team and created engaging new ways to upskill employees and enhance organizational culture.

Rebecca previously spent over a decade focused on issues of educational equity at Marymount Manhattan College (MMC). As MMC’s chief equity, diversity, and inclusion officer, she developed and implemented a DEI strategic plan, oversaw the design and build of the college’s first Intercultural Center, established a first-generation student program, and created a learning and development focus in employee development. Under her direction of the Higher Education Opportunity Program at MMC, participating students graduated at a rate of 90%, their average student loan debt was reduced by half, and a professional development fund was established to support students’ experiential learning opportunities. The program’s success led to it being recognized as the model for replication by the New York State Education Department. While at MMC, Rebecca also served as the college’s Title IX coordinator, overseeing the implementation of the civil rights law intended to provide equal access and a safe environment regardless of sex or gender.

Rebecca is passionate about advancing equitable hiring practices, organizing professional engagement opportunities for employees of color, and facilitating impactful dialogues on race, identity, and power. A native of Queens, New York, she is the child of Haitian immigrants. She earned a bachelor of arts in psychology with a minor in Spanish at Binghamton University and a master of education in psychological counseling from Teachers College, Columbia University.