Bernard Bennett

MyDay Lead Internal Consultant

Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Interview

We need to take a cognitive approach to recognize that biases exist and be very intentional about how we navigate around them.

Bernard’s parents came to the St. Louis area in the early 1950s to escape the limited opportunities for people of color in the deep south. They then reached back to bring other siblings from that small southern town, resulting in a large family currently in St. Louis. Bernard grew up in North St. Louis, the youngest of five. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at Northwest Missouri State and has been married for 25 years with one son.

Bernard started at WashU in 1990 and transitioned into the IT organization in 1996, where he has had various roles, including many leadership positions. Over the course of time, with mentors in place and learning from the successes of others throughout the organization, he has come to view himself as a situational leader. He leads according to the circumstances put in place, being sensitive to the past experiences of those involved.

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