Cognizant

Senior Director of Global ESG

Stuart has over 18 years' experience in leading change through senior roles across the corporate and NGO sectors. He provides leadership on Cognizant's global ESG agenda with an immediate emphasis on helping the business deliver a Net Zero carbon reduction commitment, and leveraging the company's exciting digital, AI and IoT propositions to support the growth of low carbon, circular, socially equitable economies. Previously, he held Corporate Responsibility & Sustainability leadership roles across diverse sectors including at Canon, Virgin Media and the QinetiQ Group and in the NGO sector at WWF, where he helped businesses manage their investments, supply chains and policy advocacy across China, India, East Africa and Brazil & Amazon. He is committed to the development of the Corporate Sustainability profession including as Chairman of the Global Association of Corporate Sustainability Officers (GACSO) and I have PhD in International Politics.

Head of ESG Governance & Reporting

M. Aya Kiy leads Cognizant's Global ESG Reporting and works to elevate Cognizant’s sustainability disclosures, practices, and ratings. Aya came to Cognizant in 2016, joining the Government Affairs team within Legal where she focused on the company’s relationships with elected officials at the federal and global levels - building upon a decade of policy and state-level experience in the technology industry. Her policy portfolio has included privacy, cybersecurity, immigration, health IT, artificial intelligence, the future of work, and content moderation. She stepped in as interim lead on ESG/Sustainability matters in 2020 and a transition into the newly created ESG team was a natural fit for Aya’s regulatory background (from her days at BlackBerry), her background in development and educational work (Street Law, YearUp), and her advisory position on the board of a technology focused social enterprise (Geeks Without Frontiers).

VP & Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion

Shameka Young is responsible for driving a more integrated global and regional approach to diversity and inclusion through data insights across the employee experience. She represents Cognizant as a founding partner on The World Economic Forum’s initiative on racial justice, and has been the Executive Sponsor for our African American and Latinx Affinity Group, most recently leading our response to racial unrest in the US. Shameka also serves as a Regional Advisor for our Women Empowered group.
Prior to her role in D&I, Shameka spent more than eight years consulting in Cognizant’s Communications, Media and Technology (CMT) Practice. Before joining Cognizant, Shameka spent 14 years in Accenture’s Communications and High-Tech Practice, providing strategic and technical consulting services to national and global companies in the telecommunications, high-tech and retail industries.

Director Diversity & Inclusion Client, Business & Partner Engagement

Jennifer leverages her extensive diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), marketing, and client relationship management experience to promote diversity and inclusion at Cognizant and with Cognizant’s clients and partners. This role includes leading Cognizant’s Returnship Program, a 12-week paid experience comprised of training, mentoring, and coaching for experienced professionals who have taken an extended career break and are eager to return to work. Jennifer is also working closely with procurement leadership to strengthen and expand Cognizant’s recently launched supplier diversity program. Jennifer earned her bachelor’s degree in architectural design from the University of Virginia and completed her MBA at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Jennifer resides in Southlake, Texas where she serves as a basketball mom and chauffeur to her 15-year-old son.  Outside of work and watching her son play basketball, much of her time is spent working to make Southlake more inclusive.