Getting to Know Tapestry’s Chief Inclusion & Social Impact Officer, David Casey

November 11, 2022 02:11 PM Eastern Daylight Time

A former Marine, father of three, and corporate diversity leader, David Casey brings his worldview on Equity, Inclusion & Diversity to Tapestry.

As Tapestry’s first-ever Chief Inclusion and Social Impact Officer, David Casey has the opportunity to build upon the foundation set when the EI&D function was formally established in 2020. While Casey’s past experience as an SVP and VP in the EI&D space proved key to his role at Tapestry, it’s his lived experience that really stands out. beyond what’s on paper, we wanted to know what makes Casey so passionate about EI&D leadership.

“Some of the greatest lessons I’ve gotten about diversity came from my military service,” says Casey, a former U.S. Marine who served in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait during Desert Storm. “We are way more alike than we think we are different.”

Casey – a father of three adult children who’s been married to his high school sweetheart for 32 years – describes himself as a people person who started his career in retail at The Gap and Abercrombie & Fitch. (“Nobody could do a sweat[shirt] wall and a jean wall [store display] better than me,” he laughs.) But those early experiences gave Casey exposure to – and appreciation for – many different kinds of people. “No two days were ever the same,” he remembers.

Above all, Casey believes one of the best pieces of career advice is to “bring all of who you are to every space you occupy.” “Earlier in my career, I was not comfortable in many situations being the only Black and African American person in the room,” he says. “So I suppressed that part of my identity, and I think I missed out on growth opportunities and on opportunities to help others grow.”

Now Casey is in a perfect position to help others grow – and drive real, actionable change toward a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable Tapestry. Learn more about Casey in the four-part video series below: