By Vanessa Morales
Jocelyn Jara Hachem knew from a young age that she didn’t want to be un-biased, she wanted to use her voice, to have her opinion heard, and tell stories that matter to people. This is why after briefly dabbling in journalism Jocelyn changed her focus to public relations.
She admits that early in her career she didn’t realize the influence she could have. Thankfully, Jocelyn has fully embraced her power and is using it to make a difference in her workplace and the audiences she reaches as Executive Director and Executive Vice President, Consumer & Multicultural at Golin. A tremendous amount of energy into her work because it is more than a career for her, it’s a “passion point”.
Jocelyn is a leader at Golin. She exemplifies this by being a member of Golin’s DE&I taskforce, bringing learnings from the group to the Chicago office and co-leading Team Pixel, Golin’s network across the agency that helps brands connect with the profoundly diverse market.
Paulino Mejia, a coworker who has benefited from Jocelyn’s inclusion work, said: “Her understanding of the value of diversity brings out the best of each team member and makes her a brilliant and empathetic communications professional.”
Behind this effect lies philosophy. Jocelyn broke down the four goal areas of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Golin:
- Changing the system – Look at hiring, retention, and building a place with an equitable path forward.
- Enablement/empowerment – Career pathing for diverse talent.
- Investment – Investing in diverse communities, diverse suppliers for projects, to elevating an organization work.
- Measurement – Clear goals and metrics to create progress.
Jocelyn explains that her work as a member of the DE&I taskforce is to be a champion for people and to create a culture of belonging. She believes, “If people don’t see themselves having a future here and feeling like they belong, we’re never going to be as progressive of an agency as we strive to be.”
Her DE&I work continues outside of the taskforce with Team Pixel, which is changing the way clients are serviced at Golin. The team is comprised of 60 or so specialists representing perspective across the different dimensions of diversity such as race, ethnic, LGTBQ+ identities, ages, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Members of Team Pixel operate in a consultant role or are embedded on accounts. Jocelyn notes that Team Pixel is not a trend or something that is called upon occasionally, rather, diversity and inclusive thinking is being woven into the fabric of Golin.
When Jocelyn is not making notable strides in the DE&I space or customizing a story for brands, she is celebrated by her peers. Jocelyn last year was celebrated in PR Week’s 40 under 40, which alone is a huge accomplishment. However, what struck me is a glowing review embedded in the article: “Jocelyn is a true champion of people. Whether it’s her colleagues, her direct reports or an audience that our clients are trying to reach, she gets to the heart of what matters most to them,” said Alicia Alfano, Golin’s executive director of consumer marketing. She continues, “To know Jocelyn is to feel seen, heard and understood. She has a true gift. I learn from Jocelyn every day. Her perspective and counsel make me a better professional, but, more importantly, they make me a better person.”
Similar reviews can be found on Jocelyn’s LinkedIn, which illustrate the passion Jocelyn brings to her work with Inclusion in the workplace and her kindness.
Jocelyn strives to create work that is meaningful and intentional. One of Jocelyn’s favorite campaigns, Tylenol’s “How we family”, brought awareness to the multitudes of what family looks like and can be. Be warned the ads, featuring families and mothers of every sort, are tear-jerkers!
Having her son, who is of mixed ethnic background, only solidified her passion for DE&I work—she wants him to have access to everything, and to not have preconceived notions limit him.
After all, Jocelyn firmly believes that everyone deserves the same shot–to be seen, included, and heard.
