Mercedes Ramirez Johnson

• Safety: Don’t Count on 2nd Chances

  This one-of-a-kind presentation puts safety into the proper perspective and vividly demonstrates that the mistakes these pilots made are the same mistakes that anyone, in virtually any industry, can make on any given workday. Using the factual account of the crash of Flight 965 and safety investigation findings as anchors, Mercedes drives home the profound impact of individual choices and the devastating results of ignoring safety procedures. Participants will distinctly understand the difference between knowing about safety and putting safety into action.

  Captivated audiences frequently comment that Mercedes’ true-life story of tragedy, survival and recovery is unlike any safety presentation they’ve ever experienced. A Hispanic woman in a male-dominated market, Mercedes is hailed as a fresh voice in the safety industry. Her genuine and personable style, combined with her knowledge of safety issues, ensures this presentation and its lessons won’t be forgotten.

  Participants leave Mercedes’ presentations with a whole new mindset about safety, as well as tools they can put to use immediately on the job.

  Key takeaways include:

  • An acute understanding that safety is a mentality not a mandate
  • A commitment to personal accountability for safety
  • The inescapable truth that experience and familiarity are no guarantee and can, in fact, create a dangerous complacency and false sense of security
  • The hazards of disregarding standard operating procedures and taking “harmless” shortcuts
  • The dangers of “going through the motions” and the importance of being fully intentional and engaged in the task at hand
  • The significance of Situational Awareness and cross-accountability

• Get It Right Today, Not Tomorrow

  This presentation serves as a wake-up call. An eye-opening presentation that won’t be forgotten, it powerfully dispels the notion that there will always be a tomorrow in which we can finish today’s important yet unfinished business. Weaving her inspirational story of tragedy, survival and recovery with solid business content, Mercedes challenges and changes the way people think and act. Her up-front dialogue, true-life examples and on-the-job application of real-world lessons moves audiences to work and live with intention.

  Takeaways:

  Participants leave Mercedes’ presentations energized with:
  • A new sense of urgency and purpose and a renewed passion for work
  • Personal ownership and accountability for their actions and results
  • A blueprint for working and living with intention
  • A big-picture mindset and a clearer perspective of their daily challenges
  • An inescapable understanding of Situational Awareness and the profound difference one person can make
  • Insight into the inner motivators that will keep them committed and engaged from within
  • The three choices every individual can make that will have an immediate and positive impact on their job and the organization

• Diversity and Inclusion – Getting it Right for Everyone

  Building a genuinely inclusive culture in our workplaces, communities and schools is imperative for shared success and establishing common values. In the past few years, the spotlight on diversity, inclusion and equity programs have been shining brightly. Is your organization checking off the “diversity” boxes and operating within the status quo? Or has the spotlight of D&I initiatives transformed into authentic organizational values? Do leaders truly value the impact of a fully inclusive environment or do they still view D&I through an antiquated lens? As a first-generation Latina American, Mercedes has experienced firsthand the difference felt on the receiving end of tokenism versus actual genuine inclusive support and leadership. No stranger to being “the first woman to…” or the “first latina to…” in her professional and community roles, Mercedes weaves lessons of resilience, purpose and empathy in her customized D&I programs. Beyond being the right thing to do, inclusive minded leaders are better able to navigate and win the constantly evolving workforce, client base and environment. •

  Key takeaways:

  • Greater clarity about what inclusion means and how it informs individual, group, and organizational performance.
  • Identify fundamental barriers to inclusion.
  • Take actionable models and definitions back to your organization to better inform your inclusion efforts.
  • Get comfortable in embracing that D&I is vital to the employee experience and is a measurable strategy to increase retention, employee and supplier loyalty, and mental health

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