DEI Executive Jon Muñoz Shares His Vision for the Future

Jon G. Muñoz has been leading diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives long before he became Booz Allen’s chief DEI officer. From his 25-year career with top multinational corporations to his nonprofit leadership and even his reading habits, his career—and his life—is rooted in celebrating differences and fostering a sense of belonging.

Before joining Booz Allen, Muñoz was vice president of global diversity and inclusion at Hilton. Under his leadership, Hilton received many industry awards and recognitions for their DEI work, including from DiversityInc, the Great Place to Work Institute, Fortune, Forbes, and the Human Rights Campaign, among others. He previously held key DEI and multicultural marketing roles at Sprint, Nextel Communications, Bank One, and NationsBank.

This career experience extends to his work with nonprofits as well. Muñoz co-founded the National Hispanic Corporate Council Corporate Executive Development Program, which is dedicated to advancing Hispanic managers to executive roles, chairs the board of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, and serves on the Chairman’s Advisory Council for the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino. 

“We have a shared responsibility to ourselves and each other to foster an inclusive and equitable culture that allows us to celebrate our differences and creates a sense of belonging so that all people can achieve their full potential,” he said.

Muñoz comes to Booz Allen at an important time in the firm’s DEI journey. The firm recently completed an independent assessment of its diversity management practice to build on its 20+-year commitment to the work and identify opportunities for continued growth, resulting in a refreshed DEI strategy that sets new goals for Booz Allen to lead by example, empower employee potential, inspire belonging, and use its voice and capabilities to increase equity in the communities in which its employees live and work.

The next step: rolling out a comprehensive firmwide approach to DEI that broadens Booz Allen’s commitment both internally and externally. Through a robust action plan, the firm is committed to reducing bias and improving equity in our policies, initiatives, and processes; to increase transparency, leadership accountability, sponsorship, and development of underrepresented talent; enhance employee engagement for all; and build a journey for continuously growing DEI skills, learning, and understanding.

“From recruiting to retirement, it’s important to support a high-performing team with an inclusive culture that celebrates our differences, fosters a sense of belonging, and allows us the psychological safety to bring our full selves to the job,” Muñoz said.

From 73% diverse representation on its board of directors to the activities of its five global Business Resource Groups (BRGs), Booz Allen has a long history of DEI leadership. When asked to reflect on his first 6 months at Booz Allen, Muñoz said he has been “impressed by the level of support and engagement for DEI.”

In addition to being named among Forbes’ Top Employers for Diversity, #1 Best Employer for Women, and Best Employers for Veterans, the firm has also celebrated:

• Two decades as a Working Mother Best Company
• 11 consecutive years of Best Workplace to Work for LGBTQ Equality by the Human Rights Campaign
• 7 years of 100% scores on the Disability Equality Index
• Named CAREERS & the disABLED Magazine’s 2021 Private Sector Employer of the Year
• A #7 ranking on the Corporate Diversity Index of the Washington Business Journal, which also named Booz Allen President and CEO Horacio Rozanski a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Champion  
• A presence on the Diversity Best Practices Inclusion Index, which evaluates the diversity and inclusion practices of leading U.S. employers

Muñoz's appreciation for diversity, equity, and inclusion is rooted in his own life experience. Although he and his husband have been together for 25 years, they have only been married for 5 after same-sex marriage became legal. Their wedding officiants were the co-plaintiffs in the 2013 Proposition 8 Supreme Court case that legalized same-sex marriage in California.

Muñoz is also an avid reader. His latest reading recommendations include a book by social scientist Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone.

“Her book offers a four-step approach to find true belonging through authenticity, bravery, trust, and vulnerability,” he said. “The book encourages us to stand in our truth rather than trying to fit in. One of my favorite quotes is ‘True belonging doesn’t require us to change. It requires us to be who we are.’”

Learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Booz Allen.