meet the panel

Roxanne Bellamy

Senior Content Strategist, The Diversity Movement

At The Diversity Movement, Roxanne works as a writer, editor, and content strategist, managing our frontline team of freelance writers and content contributors. She has previously worked as a middle manager in craft beer and the service industry and on the frontline of multiple industries as a bartender, server, retail associate, running coach, and college professor. Her experience in course creation and frontline education strategies inform her emphasis on skill-based training and the need for cultures of curiosity, trust, transparency, and humility.

Phil Kowalcywk

Chief Operating Officer, The Diversity Movement

Phil's career as a C-suite executive ranges from his current role as COO of The Diversity Movement to Managing Director and leader of the Apparel Practice at Deloitte, President of the Americas for The Body Shop, a division of L'Oreal, COO, President, and CEO of Talbots, J. Jill, and The Robert Allen Group. Additionally, Phil has served as a Managing Director and Board of Directors member for Kurt Salmon Associates (KSA), a management consulting firm specializing in the retail, consumer products, and healthcare industries. Phil has transformed a broad range of U.S. national, international, and regional companies, restoring them to profitability, building high-performance cultures, and motivating senior leadership teams.

Kerry Andolina

Head of Human Resources & Global Diversity, Dover Street Market

Kerry has over 10 years of human resource experience specializing in small to mid-size fashion retailers, providing guidance and leadership to all levels of the company. Her broad experience includes developing HR processes and policies, DEI, compliance, employee relations, performance management, recruiting, benefits, payroll and training. In the past two years at Dover Street Market, her accomplishments include implementing global DEI practice, restructuring the company to better streamline roles and increase effectiveness, seeing the company through a pandemic while keeping everyone employed at 100% pay, and cutting HR costs while implementing new technologies and procedures.

Mariela Perez-Pennock

Director of Special Investigations Unit, Assurant

Mariela began her insurance career in 1988 with Progressive Insurance. Prior to her current role at Assurant, she was the SIU Manager for Olympus Insurance and North American Risk Services, a Third Party Administrator, overseeing fraud initiatives for over 50 clients. Mariela’s career encompasses work with the National Insurance Crime Bureau, as part of the Mid-Atlantic Medical Fraud Task Force, Nationwide Insurance as the SIU Medical Fraud Manager, and Travelers and Safe Auto Insurance in SIU positions. Mariela attended the University of South Florida and holds FCLS, CCA, and CATI designations. In 2019, Mariela was the recipient of the Jerry Zappolo Distinguished Service Award,  the most prestigious award presented to an individual by the Florida Insurance Fraud Education Committee Board of Directors. In recent years, Mariela, a Cuban-American, developed a passion for bringing the conversation on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to the insurance industry.