Co-written by Vice President, Global Diversity & Inclusion Roger Crockett and Senior Director, Human Resources – Israel Ronit Ronen-Karpol.
We believe that the most effective way to embrace diversity is to mirror it from within. It starts internally by promoting multiculturalism and diversity in the workplace to drive positive social change.
On this journey, we’re putting a lot of effort into two key areas: advancement and development opportunities for women, and increasing diversity within our candidate pipeline. We’re pleased to report that global communities have been taking notice. Not only are our diversity and inclusion initiatives helping to shape the future of Western Digital, but our teams have been showered with recognition for their hard work. This blog post highlights three of our most recent diversity and inclusion awards.
A Top Leader in High-Tech Diversity in Israel
In Israel, teams have been focused on advancing and empowering ultra-Orthodox, female and Arab populations in the local high-tech industry. In the Israeli market, these populations are underrepresented in technology, and our Israeli teams have emerged as leaders in seizing the opportunity to encourage minorities into tech fields.
Our team collaborated with ultra-Orthodox organizations to launch programs supporting Western Digital ultra-Orthodox women employees and students with Arabic roots. In collaboration with the Kama-Tech organization, the team created a tech-programming bootcamp to assist our ultra-Orthodox women employees. They also partnered with a local high school to encourage students, especially students from the Arab population, towards technological career pathways through mentorships and engineering scholarship awards.
For the first time in the history of the Dov Lautmann Diversity & Inclusion Award, Team Israel became the only high-tech company to earn 1st place in the Multicultural Workspace category by the Maala organization and the Israeli Employment Diversity Forum.
The Diversity Award is an initiative of the Maala organization and the Israeli Employment Diversity Forum. It aims to encourage business initiatives for employment diversity and a positive incentive for voluntary activities, with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, innovation and inspirational stories.
We’re honored to share that the leadership we have displayed throughout the technology community in Israel led the Executive Director of the Maala Conference to recognize Western Digital on the conference stage for our extensive social activities and multicultural promotion in Israel.
Lori, Our Chief Human Resources Officer, Named a “Power Woman”
Our global commitment to the advancement of women at Western Digital is shared across our Executive Leadership Team. The inspiration behind many of these efforts starts with our Executive Vice President and CHRO, Lori Sundberg. In recognition of Lori’s leadership, she was honored by New York Moves Magazine as a 2019 Power Woman. This prestigious award celebrates and recognizes 25 women across all industries who endorse and advance women’s rights, social fairness and equal opportunity.
“As women, we are actively shaping the future, both at work and at home. We need to seize our opportunities to influence change head-on with strength, courage and, most of all, love,” Lori said. “It is an honor to be named among an amazing group of women who are doing their part to change the world.”
Recognized as a 2019 Best Company for Millenials to Work
In the U.S., our Diversity and Inclusion team is creating programs to support the development and advancement of women at Western Digital around the globe. A pilot program, “Advancing Women in Leadership,” launched last year, brought together female employees with their managers and mentors. Throughout this multi-day workshop, our women leaders learned ways to further their skills, expand their networks, engage our executives, and achieve their career aspirations.
The program supports our goal of creating a culture of belonging at Western Digital. It is just one step in an overarching plan to encourage diversity and inclusion.
This program, coupled with our ongoing support for women of all ages, is what led to a coveted Women’s Choice Award in recognition of Western Digital as a 2019 Best Company for Millennials to Work. We were awarded for our support in the professional growth and advancement of millennial women in conjunction with their lifestyle.
Our Sustaining Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
Awesome employees, global programs, and awareness events are important to propel Western Digital forward and pave a pathway for younger generations to follow. We agree that it is an honor to be among passionate employees who are naturally eager to share their culture and perspective. And we will continue to apply our shared passion for diversity and inclusion – both inside our company walls and outside to our communities around the globe.
