Neil Phillips was brought aboard the Hollywood Foreign Press Association as its first-ever chief diversity officer at a time when the group is still trying to recover from an industry boycott of the Golden Globes over not having a single Black member among its ranks — and missing its own public targets to address the issue. But in stating his goals for diversity at the HFPA, Phillips said his work goes beyond helping the organization save face.
“With the challenges in the recent months, I saw, still see, and more importantly felt and still see an authentic and deep commitment to long-term transformation and sustained effort in this area.