PROUD TOGETHER - Leading with Empathy At VMware, our people shape our company and values and drive our success as a community. The past year has put us all to the test, both professionally and personally, and has shown the strength of VMware’s inclusive leadership and that of our Power of Diversity groups, including our PRIDE@VMware ERG. At VMware, we came together to face the current pandemic, help our Black and Asian communities, back LGBTQ+ public policies, while also supporting our employees through these trying times. Our executives focused on leading with empathy and compassion which was seen in the internal policies, from additional benefits such as pandemic leave to increased Mental Health support and resources.
Andy McAdams (He/Him) Manager, Product Management for VMware Carbon Black
That is, until I was at a company where I was legitimately intimidated by my manager. He was an incredibly nice guy, but he had said some things that made me really concerned that if he knew I was gay, it would change how he viewed me to the negative–and Pennsylvania had no protections for LGBTQ+ folks, so I could be fired just for being gay and have no recourse. When he asked me about my "wife" I would use inclusive words like "us" "we" or gender indistinct, "My spouse." It was such an uncomfortable situation. I vowed once I left there that I would never put myself in that position again and finding an environment where I felt comfortable being out became a make-or-break criteria for me. What advice do you have for people in the LGBTQ+ community and their allies? Always know your limits - know what you are willing to accept, and what you aren't. That line is different for all of us, and it's important for you to be deliberate and intentional in determining that line for yourself. Embrace mindfulness - I know being mindful is all the rage, but at the risk of being a hipster - I was into mindfulness before it was cool :-) I can't even begin to recount the number of benefits it's brought me - in my career, my mental health, my physical health. I would be hardpressed to find a part of my life that hasn't been positively impacted by mindfulness. While I feel like I could fill my own book with advice, I'll end with embracing a learning mindset. I see failures or challenges as opportunities to learn and grown and just become better. I let go of the value judgement of "I failed therefore this is bad" and instead turned it into "alright, that didn't go as I planned, what did I learn?"
Tell us a little bit about yourself I'm a nerd and an athlete. I'm an avid MMO gamer, love to read (mostly sci-fi/fantasy books but I've read everything), and still love Pokemon at age 37. I also love to move - I run, spin, hike, do calisthenics (sometimes all at once) and I'm a Shodan (black belt) in Shotokan Karate (Fun fact: My sensei is one of the Olympic coaches!). I live in a more rural suburb of Pittsburgh with my husband, our two cats and three dogs. Who Inspires you? I have two people who really inspire me, a contemporary figure and a historical figure. The first Henry David Thoreau - I wrote a critique of Civil Disobedience in high school, and that essay drastically changed the way that I viewed the world around me, and I can see the influence of Thoreau's work (and the Transcendentalist movement overall) on how I view the world. The second is Stewart Butterfield, the creator of Flickr and Slack – and more importantly a tiny game in between Flickr and Slack called "Glitch". Butterfield has a PhD in Philosophy and brings the humanities to tech, such as integrity, morality, ethics. His ethical approach to business and doing the right thing for the humans working for him is apparent in everything he does. I strive to be a leader like him. What can you tell us about your career journey as part of the LGBTQ+ community? For most of my career, I wasn't out at work. My friends and people I worked closely with always knew and I never made it a point to avoid it, I just didn't necessarily volunteer the information.
In celebration of PRIDE Month, we want to share some thoughts from our PRIDE@VMware champions. Get to know VMware!
Deepa Joshi, you can all me DJ (she/her/hers) Sr. Program Manager, OCTO (Office of the CTO)
Who Inspires you? My mother and my daughter. My mother taught me the importance of loving others and taking care of others. My daughter is teaching me daily how to love myself and take care of me What can you tell us about your career journey as part of the LGBTQ+ community? Though I came out in my personal life, I did not feel comfortable being out at work in my previous job. I was offered a job at VMware in February 2019, which excited me because I knew firsthand from friends already at VMware who were engaged in the Pride POD that the culture was open, accepting and focused on DEI. I appreciate the inclusive culture at VMware and choose to be visible as a South Asian, later-in-life lesbian because representation matters. I also do the work I do with the PRIDE POD for my trans child and hope that she gets to live in a world that is more accepting of all of our beautiful differences. What advice do you have for people in the LGBTQ+ community and their allies? Be You. The world needs your light and wisdom. For all the naysayers and haters out there, you will find twice as many friends and allies. There is some magic that happens when one shows up in their authentic self; it’s like their inner light shines more brightly. Let your light shine, know you are beautiful, and you are loved.
Tell us a little bit about yourself I am a late bloomer in a sense, because I came out at the age of 40. I grew up in India and have a degree in Hospitality Management. Then, I studied in Switzerland for a year before coming to the US in 1998. My first few years in the US I spent in Florida and New York, before moving to Northern California in 2001. I went back to school to study project management, joined a hotel-based-tech startup and have been working in tech since. On a personal front, I was married to a man for 17 years and have two beautiful children ages 11 and 17. In 2016, I decided to embrace my authentic self and came out of the closet as a lesbian. As a South Asian raised in a culture where divorce is a no-no and homosexuality is not a topic that is discussed, this was a hard transition to navigate on many levels. I had to work on myself to get over the shame and guilt, but it was more painful to think of going back to living the life that was not my own. I am grateful for the support I got from my family and friends over those years. A year and half ago my child who was 15 at the time, came out to me as trans. I feel my own journey has helped me support her as she navigates her journey. I am also grateful to have the support of the PRIDE POD over the last few challenging years.
Jason Conyard (he/him) Chief Information Officer & Executive Sponsor Pride@VMware
Shane McCarthy (He/Him) Senior Director Global Strategic Sourcing & Operations
Em Turner (They/Them) Technical Writer
Words and Symbols are imortant, but so are policies and actions. VMware is committed to making sure our benefits and programs are supportive and equitable for all our employees regardless of who they love or how they identify .
I’ve worked at VMware for 14 years. During that time the growth and impact of our Power of Difference (PODs) has been absolutely phenomenal. Joining the VMinclusion Ireland Pride Pillar last year has given me firsthand experience of the exceptional efforts our POD colleagues go to in order to empower our Pride community members and enable our allies. #PROUD TOGETHER
One of the reasons I joined VMware is because I knew how active and amazing the Pride Power of Difference group is! I haven’t been disappointed since I joined – I have seen the Pride POD accomplish so much and have been given the space to grow and educate other folks at VMware. If you want to make an impact at VMware, the Pride POD – or any of the other amazing PODs here – can definitely help you do that.
careers.vmware.com
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker