Tru Pettigrew, Chief Diversity Officer of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx, comes on High Octane Leadership to discuss the role of diversity in the professional sports arena, what organizations are doing it right, how negative narratives can impact our performance, and the mental health conversation amongst the professional athletes. About Tru Pettigrew:

Tru Pettigrew enters his second season with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx and his first as Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Pettigrew previously served as the Timberwolves Vice President of Player Programs and Diversity & Inclusion. Pettigrew oversees all diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts including setting the strategic vision across all four franchises – the Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Lynx, Iowa Wolves, and T-Wolves Gaming.

Following the murder of George Floyd, Pettigrew played an integral role with the team from convening team discussions around race relations and social justice to serving as a bridge for community dialogue with Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo and other civic members.Prior to joining the Timberwolves and Lynx, Pettigrew operated his own consulting firm helping organizations build bridges of trust and understanding across various areas of division. As a part of his bridge building efforts, he founded Barbershop Rap Sessions, which is a platform that leverages barbershops across the country as a trusted venue for hosting facilitated dialogue between Law Enforcement and communities of color. He also serves as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and has spent time working with brands such as Nike, Hennessy, Unilever, and Ford.

He currently serves on the Board of North Carolina’s Center on Actual Innocence. Pettrigrew earned his degree from DeVry University.

High Octane Leadership is hosted by The Diversity Movement CEO and executive coach Donald Thompson and is a production of Earfluence.

Order UNDERESTIMATED: A CEO’S UNLIKELY PATH TO SUCCESS, by Donald Thompson.