Sharla’s journey to leading diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) transformation started with her own personal experience. As a Black female lawyer, she witnessed systematic barriers to success firsthand—so much so that she decided to switch careers to directly address these issues.
After more than 15 years in the legal industry, Sharla brought her passion for sparking change to CannonDesign. Working alongside our CEO and executive leadership team, she oversees our DEI strategy and establishes concrete actions to strengthen equity and inclusion in everything we do. One of her primary focus areas is building a diverse community of talent through programs and practices aimed at hiring, retaining, empowering and developing that talent—helping all of our employees, especially individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, flourish and thrive.
Expertise
- Inclusive workplace culture
- DEI development and training
- Leading courageous conversations about DEI
Pursuits
- Being a mother to a dynamic, elementary school-aged girl
- The diversity of her professional experiences in law, recruiting, mentoring and DEI
- Leaving the practice of law to pursue a career based on her passion
