The May webinar “Dismantling Barriers and Accelerating Equity and Opportunity,” in the PTC Webinar Series: Frictionless Business, centered around the investment organizations have been making in corporate diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Featured panelists:
- Tara Kristick, Head of Wholesale & Satellite Sales, Americas, Telstra
- Sonal Patel, Vice President of Marketing, Verizon Partner Solutions
- Nico Roehrich, Manager Network Investment, APAC, Facebook
- Felix Seda, General Manager, NJFX
Paul Hastings’ Tara Giunta moderated the discussion on the group’s strategies and approaches, including how they have put action behind intentions.
What does diversity mean for companies and how has that changed over time?
“For diversity to really come alive in an organization, there needs to be a culture of equity, inclusion, belonging, and a leadership team that really fosters that,” Telstra’s Tara Kristick opened.
“Historically, diversity has been correlated with demographics,” Verizon’s Sonal Patel noted. “We’ve really widened the scope of that definition to really look at diversity in belief, diversity in thought, diversity of perspective, and bringing all of that into the organization.”
“The challenge now is how do you start to really integrate diversity of thought,” added Nico Roehrich, after describing the goal-setting Facebook has done and what needs to happen next.
“Diversity is about fostering innovation, it’s about cultivating new ideas and empowering new ideas and fresh thought into the workplace,” shared NJFX’s Felix Seda. “That’s at the very forefront of what we as a company are trying to do.”
Other topics included:
- Evolution of the understanding of diversity and the value it offers for innovation within the industry
- Expectations of the younger generation focusing on flexibility rather than salary and benefits
- Recognizing that this is the first time in history that there are five generations in the workforce and there are different communication styles
- The role allyship plays in empowering team members and the opportunity for reverse mentoring
- The focus on gender within the broader context of diversity to ensure that these are more than just programs but are effecting change
- How change drives growth of the diverse ecosystem as a whole
The panelists shared how each of their companies have taken steps to adapt to a world where diversity isn’t just about attracting talent but identifying diverse talent, fostering that talent, and retaining them to grow as leaders within the company.
View the May webinar “Dismantling Barriers and Accelerating Equity and Opportunity” here:
We welcome any thoughts and comments on your experience watching this session as PTC aims to continue this outstanding webinar series promoting dialogue exchange and cooperation.
Be sure to mark your calendar for next month’s webinar “Smart Cities – Ecosystems and Monetization Opportunities” on Wednesday, 16 June 2021 at 14:00 Hawaii Standard Time.
To learn more about the upcoming PTC Webinar Series, please visit https://www.ptc.org/ptc-webinar-series/#upcoming.
