Michele Meyer-Shipp.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld has hired its first chief officer for diversity and inclusion, bringing on former Prudential Financial Inc. vice president and chief diversity officer Michele Meyer-Shipp.

Meyer-Shipp, a longtime corporate diversity advocate, comes to Akin Gump after roughly seven years at Prudential, where she started as a vice president and in-house employment counsel, and in 2012 became the finance company's chief diversity officer. During her time at Prudential, the company was recognized multiple times as a standout for diversity efforts.

Meyer-Shipp has been recognized for guiding Prudential's diversity programs. Among other awards, she was selected as a “diverse attorney of the year” in 2015 by the New Jersey Law Journal, which applauded her for viewing Prudential's diversity and inclusion efforts as a “personal mission,” rather than a one-and-done initiative.