James C. Fripp has been appointed as 2023-24 Walter J. Conti Visiting Professor at Penn State School of Hospitality Management
The Conti Professorship program brings hospitality industry leaders and scholars to serve as guest lecturers and mentors with students in the Hospitality Management program, as well as to connect with faculty members and researchers in the school.
As part of its 35th anniversary year, Fripp represents the continued growth and success of the program, which sees increased engagement with the executives and scholars who are named Conti professors. For 2023-24, Fripp will be in-residence at University Park to teach and advise students and faculty in his fields of study or areas of expertise.
Fripp will be visiting the University Park campus in both fall and spring semesters, delivering lectures to, collaborating with, and advising students and faculty members. The Conti professors will also engage in virtual seminars with undergraduate and graduate students throughout the academic year.
Fripp is the chief equity and inclusion officer of Yum! Brands in Louisville, Kentucky. Fripp has global responsibility for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion strategies and practices across the company's brands, workplaces and franchise system, and works with executives across Yum! Brands portfolio including KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and the Habit Burger Grill. Building on Yum! Brands' years of progress on its diversity and inclusion journey, Fripp is focused on increasing diverse representation among company leadership, franchisees and suppliers and continuing the rollout of inclusive leadership and anti-racism training across the company and franchise system.
Since 2011, Fripp has led diversity and inclusion efforts, where he elevated Yum! Brands' public commitments and partnerships, including the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion, the Consortium, and We Are All Human's "The Hispanic Promise"; activated the company's employee resource groups in Louisville, Plano and Irvine; co-chairs Yum!'s Leading Inclusion for Today & Tomorrow (LIFT2) Council; and trained thousands of brand and franchise leaders around the world on the topics of inclusive leadership and unconscious bias. Previously, Fripp was at Taco Bell in various leadership positions in operations and restaurant excellence, ending his career with the brand as head of field human resources.
Fripp is a member of the Clemson University Corporate Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) Advisory Board and chair of the Corporate Advisory Board for the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance. He is also a member of the University of North Carolina Corporate Advisory Board on Diversity and Inclusion and a member of the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation Board. He holds a degree in business management and is a certified unconscious bias facilitator.