Category Archives for "Managed Services News"

If your company hasn’t yet implemented or enacted a DEI initiative, there are three straightforward reasons why now is the time. First, being diverse, equitable and including people from various backgrounds is the right thing to do. Second, it might be a legal requirement depending on your situation. Finally, it’s good for business. According to research from the Boston Consulting Group, companies with management with above-average diversity report revenue from innovation that was 19% higher than those with below-average leadership diversity. With so much upside to DEI, what’s stopping you from moving forward?

A DEI primer

Before we go further, we must have a baseline understanding of what each of these terms means. According to dei.extension.org, here’s a quick overview:

Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment or political perspective. Unfortunately, these populations have been and remain underrepresented among practitioners in the field and marginalized in the broader society.

Equity promotes justice, impartiality and fairness within institutions or systems’ procedures, processes and distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires understanding the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.

Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those who are diverse feel and/or are welcomed. Inclusion outcomes are met when you, your institution and your program are truly inviting to all. To the degree to which diverse individuals can participate fully in decision-making and development opportunities within an organization or group.

We recently spoke with Susan O’Sullivan, VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Ingram Micro, to learn how to practically apply the above concepts to your business.

DEI in action

One might assume you can’t kick off a DEI initiative without first having a DEI specialist on staff, but that’s not true. “I didn’t have an HR background or any special training when asked to take on this role,” reveals O’Sullivan. “I leveraged my decades of experience and tapped into the numerous online DEI resources available.”

Coming from a sales leadership background, O’Sullivan had a few things going for her. First, she had experience managing people. Second, she could already see the benefits of a diverse team. “I seek out people that look and think differently than me,” she says. “If you know your team’s strengths and weaknesses, why not find diverse people to fill the gaps and push you and others out of your comfort zones of traditional thinking?”

She goes on to say that DEI is about making sure everyone – from upper management to entry level – gets a seat at the table to bring their unique perspectives and ideas. “Business is getting harder,” she adds. “You need everyone working together to challenge the status quo and lead your company to new levels of success.”

O’Sullivan says that it’s also vital that your website speaks to your DEI initiatives. Additionally, she says, when diverse candidates are interviewed, they should be meeting with existing diverse employees. “Does your company look like a place someone with a diverse background wants to work?” she asks. “Sixty-seven percent of workers are looking for companies that highlight diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI has to be baked into your company culture to be effective.”

O’Sullivan’s last bit of advice is to act now. “It would be great if you could allocate someone full-time to DEI, but it isn’t necessary,” she says. “Anything you can do to advance diversity, equity and inclusion within your organization is a positive step forward.”

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.

If your company hasn’t yet implemented or enacted a DEI initiative, there are three straightforward reasons why now is the time. First, being diverse, equitable and including people from various backgrounds is the right thing to do. Second, it might be a legal requirement depending on your situation. Finally, it’s good for business. According to research from the Boston Consulting Group, companies with management with above-average diversity report revenue from innovation that was 19% higher than those with below-average leadership diversity. With so much upside to DEI, what’s stopping you from moving forward?

A DEI primer

Before we go further, we must have a baseline understanding of what each of these terms means. According to dei.extension.org, here’s a quick overview:

Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment or political perspective. Unfortunately, these populations have been and remain underrepresented among practitioners in the field and marginalized in the broader society.

Equity promotes justice, impartiality and fairness within institutions or systems’ procedures, processes and distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires understanding the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.

Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those who are diverse feel and/or are welcomed. Inclusion outcomes are met when you, your institution and your program are truly inviting to all. To the degree to which diverse individuals can participate fully in decision-making and development opportunities within an organization or group.

We recently spoke with Susan O’Sullivan, VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Ingram Micro, to learn how to practically apply the above concepts to your business.

DEI in action

One might assume you can’t kick off a DEI initiative without first having a DEI specialist on staff, but that’s not true. “I didn’t have an HR background or any special training when asked to take on this role,” reveals O’Sullivan. “I leveraged my decades of experience and tapped into the numerous online DEI resources available.”

Coming from a sales leadership background, O’Sullivan had a few things going for her. First, she had experience managing people. Second, she could already see the benefits of a diverse team. “I seek out people that look and think differently than me,” she says. “If you know your team’s strengths and weaknesses, why not find diverse people to fill the gaps and push you and others out of your comfort zones of traditional thinking?”

She goes on to say that DEI is about making sure everyone – from upper management to entry level – gets a seat at the table to bring their unique perspectives and ideas. “Business is getting harder,” she adds. “You need everyone working together to challenge the status quo and lead your company to new levels of success.”

O’Sullivan says that it’s also vital that your website speaks to your DEI initiatives. Additionally, she says, when diverse candidates are interviewed, they should be meeting with existing diverse employees. “Does your company look like a place someone with a diverse background wants to work?” she asks. “Sixty-seven percent of workers are looking for companies that highlight diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI has to be baked into your company culture to be effective.”

O’Sullivan’s last bit of advice is to act now. “It would be great if you could allocate someone full-time to DEI, but it isn’t necessary,” she says. “Anything you can do to advance diversity, equity and inclusion within your organization is a positive step forward.”

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.

If your company hasn’t yet implemented or enacted a DEI initiative, there are three straightforward reasons why now is the time. First, being diverse, equitable and including people from various backgrounds is the right thing to do. Second, it might be a legal requirement depending on your situation. Finally, it’s good for business. According to research from the Boston Consulting Group, companies with management with above-average diversity report revenue from innovation that was 19% higher than those with below-average leadership diversity. With so much upside to DEI, what’s stopping you from moving forward?

A DEI primer

Before we go further, we must have a baseline understanding of what each of these terms means. According to dei.extension.org, here’s a quick overview:

Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment or political perspective. Unfortunately, these populations have been and remain underrepresented among practitioners in the field and marginalized in the broader society.

Equity promotes justice, impartiality and fairness within institutions or systems’ procedures, processes and distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires understanding the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.

Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those who are diverse feel and/or are welcomed. Inclusion outcomes are met when you, your institution and your program are truly inviting to all. To the degree to which diverse individuals can participate fully in decision-making and development opportunities within an organization or group.

We recently spoke with Susan O’Sullivan, VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Ingram Micro, to learn how to practically apply the above concepts to your business.

DEI in action

One might assume you can’t kick off a DEI initiative without first having a DEI specialist on staff, but that’s not true. “I didn’t have an HR background or any special training when asked to take on this role,” reveals O’Sullivan. “I leveraged my decades of experience and tapped into the numerous online DEI resources available.”

Coming from a sales leadership background, O’Sullivan had a few things going for her. First, she had experience managing people. Second, she could already see the benefits of a diverse team. “I seek out people that look and think differently than me,” she says. “If you know your team’s strengths and weaknesses, why not find diverse people to fill the gaps and push you and others out of your comfort zones of traditional thinking?”

She goes on to say that DEI is about making sure everyone – from upper management to entry level – gets a seat at the table to bring their unique perspectives and ideas. “Business is getting harder,” she adds. “You need everyone working together to challenge the status quo and lead your company to new levels of success.”

O’Sullivan says that it’s also vital that your website speaks to your DEI initiatives. Additionally, she says, when diverse candidates are interviewed, they should be meeting with existing diverse employees. “Does your company look like a place someone with a diverse background wants to work?” she asks. “Sixty-seven percent of workers are looking for companies that highlight diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI has to be baked into your company culture to be effective.”

O’Sullivan’s last bit of advice is to act now. “It would be great if you could allocate someone full-time to DEI, but it isn’t necessary,” she says. “Anything you can do to advance diversity, equity and inclusion within your organization is a positive step forward.”

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.

If your company hasn’t yet implemented or enacted a DEI initiative, there are three straightforward reasons why now is the time. First, being diverse, equitable and including people from various backgrounds is the right thing to do. Second, it might be a legal requirement depending on your situation. Finally, it’s good for business. According to research from the Boston Consulting Group, companies with management with above-average diversity report revenue from innovation that was 19% higher than those with below-average leadership diversity. With so much upside to DEI, what’s stopping you from moving forward?

A DEI primer

Before we go further, we must have a baseline understanding of what each of these terms means. According to dei.extension.org, here’s a quick overview:

Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment or political perspective. Unfortunately, these populations have been and remain underrepresented among practitioners in the field and marginalized in the broader society.

Equity promotes justice, impartiality and fairness within institutions or systems’ procedures, processes and distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires understanding the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.

Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those who are diverse feel and/or are welcomed. Inclusion outcomes are met when you, your institution and your program are truly inviting to all. To the degree to which diverse individuals can participate fully in decision-making and development opportunities within an organization or group.

We recently spoke with Susan O’Sullivan, VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Ingram Micro, to learn how to practically apply the above concepts to your business.

DEI in action

One might assume you can’t kick off a DEI initiative without first having a DEI specialist on staff, but that’s not true. “I didn’t have an HR background or any special training when asked to take on this role,” reveals O’Sullivan. “I leveraged my decades of experience and tapped into the numerous online DEI resources available.”

Coming from a sales leadership background, O’Sullivan had a few things going for her. First, she had experience managing people. Second, she could already see the benefits of a diverse team. “I seek out people that look and think differently than me,” she says. “If you know your team’s strengths and weaknesses, why not find diverse people to fill the gaps and push you and others out of your comfort zones of traditional thinking?”

She goes on to say that DEI is about making sure everyone – from upper management to entry level – gets a seat at the table to bring their unique perspectives and ideas. “Business is getting harder,” she adds. “You need everyone working together to challenge the status quo and lead your company to new levels of success.”

O’Sullivan says that it’s also vital that your website speaks to your DEI initiatives. Additionally, she says, when diverse candidates are interviewed, they should be meeting with existing diverse employees. “Does your company look like a place someone with a diverse background wants to work?” she asks. “Sixty-seven percent of workers are looking for companies that highlight diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI has to be baked into your company culture to be effective.”

O’Sullivan’s last bit of advice is to act now. “It would be great if you could allocate someone full-time to DEI, but it isn’t necessary,” she says. “Anything you can do to advance diversity, equity and inclusion within your organization is a positive step forward.”

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.

If your company hasn’t yet implemented or enacted a DEI initiative, there are three straightforward reasons why now is the time. First, being diverse, equitable and including people from various backgrounds is the right thing to do. Second, it might be a legal requirement depending on your situation. Finally, it’s good for business. According to research from the Boston Consulting Group, companies with management with above-average diversity report revenue from innovation that was 19% higher than those with below-average leadership diversity. With so much upside to DEI, what’s stopping you from moving forward?

A DEI primer

Before we go further, we must have a baseline understanding of what each of these terms means. According to dei.extension.org, here’s a quick overview:

Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment or political perspective. Unfortunately, these populations have been and remain underrepresented among practitioners in the field and marginalized in the broader society.

Equity promotes justice, impartiality and fairness within institutions or systems’ procedures, processes and distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires understanding the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.

Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those who are diverse feel and/or are welcomed. Inclusion outcomes are met when you, your institution and your program are truly inviting to all. To the degree to which diverse individuals can participate fully in decision-making and development opportunities within an organization or group.

We recently spoke with Susan O’Sullivan, VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Ingram Micro, to learn how to practically apply the above concepts to your business.

DEI in action

One might assume you can’t kick off a DEI initiative without first having a DEI specialist on staff, but that’s not true. “I didn’t have an HR background or any special training when asked to take on this role,” reveals O’Sullivan. “I leveraged my decades of experience and tapped into the numerous online DEI resources available.”

Coming from a sales leadership background, O’Sullivan had a few things going for her. First, she had experience managing people. Second, she could already see the benefits of a diverse team. “I seek out people that look and think differently than me,” she says. “If you know your team’s strengths and weaknesses, why not find diverse people to fill the gaps and push you and others out of your comfort zones of traditional thinking?”

She goes on to say that DEI is about making sure everyone – from upper management to entry level – gets a seat at the table to bring their unique perspectives and ideas. “Business is getting harder,” she adds. “You need everyone working together to challenge the status quo and lead your company to new levels of success.”

O’Sullivan says that it’s also vital that your website speaks to your DEI initiatives. Additionally, she says, when diverse candidates are interviewed, they should be meeting with existing diverse employees. “Does your company look like a place someone with a diverse background wants to work?” she asks. “Sixty-seven percent of workers are looking for companies that highlight diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI has to be baked into your company culture to be effective.”

O’Sullivan’s last bit of advice is to act now. “It would be great if you could allocate someone full-time to DEI, but it isn’t necessary,” she says. “Anything you can do to advance diversity, equity and inclusion within your organization is a positive step forward.”

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.

If your company hasn’t yet implemented or enacted a DEI initiative, there are three straightforward reasons why now is the time. First, being diverse, equitable and including people from various backgrounds is the right thing to do. Second, it might be a legal requirement depending on your situation. Finally, it’s good for business. According to research from the Boston Consulting Group, companies with management with above-average diversity report revenue from innovation that was 19% higher than those with below-average leadership diversity. With so much upside to DEI, what’s stopping you from moving forward?

A DEI primer

Before we go further, we must have a baseline understanding of what each of these terms means. According to dei.extension.org, here’s a quick overview:

Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment or political perspective. Unfortunately, these populations have been and remain underrepresented among practitioners in the field and marginalized in the broader society.

Equity promotes justice, impartiality and fairness within institutions or systems’ procedures, processes and distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires understanding the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.

Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those who are diverse feel and/or are welcomed. Inclusion outcomes are met when you, your institution and your program are truly inviting to all. To the degree to which diverse individuals can participate fully in decision-making and development opportunities within an organization or group.

We recently spoke with Susan O’Sullivan, VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Ingram Micro, to learn how to practically apply the above concepts to your business.

DEI in action

One might assume you can’t kick off a DEI initiative without first having a DEI specialist on staff, but that’s not true. “I didn’t have an HR background or any special training when asked to take on this role,” reveals O’Sullivan. “I leveraged my decades of experience and tapped into the numerous online DEI resources available.”

Coming from a sales leadership background, O’Sullivan had a few things going for her. First, she had experience managing people. Second, she could already see the benefits of a diverse team. “I seek out people that look and think differently than me,” she says. “If you know your team’s strengths and weaknesses, why not find diverse people to fill the gaps and push you and others out of your comfort zones of traditional thinking?”

She goes on to say that DEI is about making sure everyone – from upper management to entry level – gets a seat at the table to bring their unique perspectives and ideas. “Business is getting harder,” she adds. “You need everyone working together to challenge the status quo and lead your company to new levels of success.”

O’Sullivan says that it’s also vital that your website speaks to your DEI initiatives. Additionally, she says, when diverse candidates are interviewed, they should be meeting with existing diverse employees. “Does your company look like a place someone with a diverse background wants to work?” she asks. “Sixty-seven percent of workers are looking for companies that highlight diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI has to be baked into your company culture to be effective.”

O’Sullivan’s last bit of advice is to act now. “It would be great if you could allocate someone full-time to DEI, but it isn’t necessary,” she says. “Anything you can do to advance diversity, equity and inclusion within your organization is a positive step forward.”

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.

Just a few short months after her appointment, Nextiva has laid off Hilary Gadda from her role as head of partner development. She’s among numerous Nextiva workers that have been let go this week.

Nextiva reportedly has laid off 17% of its workforce impacting many departments. It also reportedly cited challenging economic times. The layoffs started around Thanksgiving and continued this week.

Channel Futures couldn’t reach Nextiva for comment on the layoffs.

Nextiva hired Gadda in September. She announced her departure in a LinkedIn post:

“In September I thought I had found the dream job until it wasn’t. Like so many of my colleagues, I was laid off yesterday. I recently posted about my true tribe and how important they are to me and my success. Well, I had the good fortune in the last 90 days, to add many awesome new people to my true tribe! People I would never have met without this experience. You new true tribe members are my lemonade.”

Nextiva hired Gadda to build and oversee the cloud communications and digital workspace provider’s partner onboarding and development group. She left TPx, where she was director of national channel sales and development. After a 20-year stint with TelePacific/TPx, Gadda said she weighed her next move very carefully. She said the entrepreneurial spirit she felt at Nextiva drew her to the company.

Nextiva Latest Layoffs in Channel

Nextiva joins numerous other companies doing business in the channel that are laying off workers. Others include HP, Asana, Oracle, Salesforce, RingCentral, SADA and more.

Numerous other impacted Nextiva executives took to LinkedIn for help in finding other employment.

Among other Nextiva executives let go were Randy Miears, channel manager of Dallas-Fort Worth, North Texas and Oklahoma, and Laura Trybula, senior account executive.

“After an eventful year and a half with Nextiva I was affected by the reduction in force (RIF) layoffs today along with about 17% of the company,” Trybula said in  LinkedIn post. “I am looking for a new role and would appreciate your support.”

Nextiva also laid off Juan A. Rodriguez, customer success manager.

“After a very rewarding year with Nextiva, I was affected by the recent layoffs in the tech industry,” he said on LinkedIn.

If your company hasn’t yet implemented or enacted a DEI initiative, there are three straightforward reasons why now is the time. First, being diverse, equitable and including people from various backgrounds is the right thing to do. Second, it might be a legal requirement depending on your situation. Finally, it’s good for business. According to research from the Boston Consulting Group, companies with management with above-average diversity report revenue from innovation that was 19% higher than those with below-average leadership diversity. With so much upside to DEI, what’s stopping you from moving forward?

A DEI primer

Before we go further, we must have a baseline understanding of what each of these terms means. According to dei.extension.org, here’s a quick overview:

Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment or political perspective. Unfortunately, these populations have been and remain underrepresented among practitioners in the field and marginalized in the broader society.

Equity promotes justice, impartiality and fairness within institutions or systems’ procedures, processes and distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires understanding the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.

Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those who are diverse feel and/or are welcomed. Inclusion outcomes are met when you, your institution and your program are truly inviting to all. To the degree to which diverse individuals can participate fully in decision-making and development opportunities within an organization or group.

We recently spoke with Susan O’Sullivan, VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Ingram Micro, to learn how to practically apply the above concepts to your business.

DEI in action

One might assume you can’t kick off a DEI initiative without first having a DEI specialist on staff, but that’s not true. “I didn’t have an HR background or any special training when asked to take on this role,” reveals O’Sullivan. “I leveraged my decades of experience and tapped into the numerous online DEI resources available.”

Coming from a sales leadership background, O’Sullivan had a few things going for her. First, she had experience managing people. Second, she could already see the benefits of a diverse team. “I seek out people that look and think differently than me,” she says. “If you know your team’s strengths and weaknesses, why not find diverse people to fill the gaps and push you and others out of your comfort zones of traditional thinking?”

She goes on to say that DEI is about making sure everyone – from upper management to entry level – gets a seat at the table to bring their unique perspectives and ideas. “Business is getting harder,” she adds. “You need everyone working together to challenge the status quo and lead your company to new levels of success.”

O’Sullivan says that it’s also vital that your website speaks to your DEI initiatives. Additionally, she says, when diverse candidates are interviewed, they should be meeting with existing diverse employees. “Does your company look like a place someone with a diverse background wants to work?” she asks. “Sixty-seven percent of workers are looking for companies that highlight diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI has to be baked into your company culture to be effective.”

O’Sullivan’s last bit of advice is to act now. “It would be great if you could allocate someone full-time to DEI, but it isn’t necessary,” she says. “Anything you can do to advance diversity, equity and inclusion within your organization is a positive step forward.”

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.

Rackspace on Tuesday confirmed a ransomware attack is behind ongoing service disruptions for its Hosted Exchange customers. It expects revenue losses in its Hosted Exchange business as a result of the attack.

The Rackspace outage put thousands of email users offline over the weekend

In a new blog, Rackspace provided more details of the ransomware attack.

“Alongside the Rackspace internal security team, the company has engaged a leading cyber defense firm to investigate,” it said. “Immediately upon detecting the incident, the company took proactive measures to isolate the Hosted Exchange environment to contain the incident.”

Rackspace Ransomware Attack Isolated to Hosted Exchange Business

Based on the investigation to date, Rackspace believes that this incident was isolated to its Hosted Exchange business. Its other products and services are fully operational. It addition, it hasn’t experienced an impact to its email product line and platform.

Out of an “abundance of caution,” Rackspace said it has put additional security measures in place and will continue to actively monitor for any suspicious activity.

Rackspace is in ongoing communication with Hosted Exchange customers to help them migrate to a new environment. In addition, Rackspace has increased support staff and will be taking additional steps to help guide customers through this process in order to limit the impact to their own operations.

At this time, Rackspace is unable to provide a timeline for restoration of the Hosted Exchange environment.

“Although Rackspace is in the early stages of assessing this incident, the incident has caused and may continue to cause an interruption in its Hosted Exchange business and may result in a loss of revenue for the Hosted Exchange business, which generates approximately $30 million of annual revenue in the apps and cross platform segment,” it said. “In addition, Rackspace may have incremental costs associated with its response to the incident.”

Incident Response Defines Quality of Provider

Valtix’s David McCarthy

Davis McCarthy is principal security researcher at Valtix.

“A lot of trust is given to cloud service providers and their reaction to an incident, regardless of how easy or difficult prevention was, defines the quality of the provider,” he said. “Providing technical workarounds for impacted customers, bolstering support efforts, engaging with an incident response firm, and ultimately working to validate the depth of the compromise, demonstrates that they have an executable incident response plan.”

Netenrich’s John Bambenek

John Bambenek is principal threat hunter at Netenrich.

“Modern ransomware attacks compromise two main tactics, the bulk encryption or destruction of data and wholesale data theft,” he said.

End customers want assurance that data has not been stolen, Bambenek said. That’s so they don’t see it for sale on the dark web in a month or two.

“Odds are, the wholesale data destruction/encryption didn’t happen because that would be readily apparent to everyone in the form of extended service unavailability,” he said. “Unfortunately, looking for data exfiltration will take some time to truly be certain as to what the answer is there.”

If your company hasn’t yet implemented or enacted a DEI initiative, there are three straightforward reasons why now is the time. First, being diverse, equitable and including people from various backgrounds is the right thing to do. Second, it might be a legal requirement depending on your situation. Finally, it’s good for business. According to research from the Boston Consulting Group, companies with management with above-average diversity report revenue from innovation that was 19% higher than those with below-average leadership diversity. With so much upside to DEI, what’s stopping you from moving forward?

A DEI primer

Before we go further, we must have a baseline understanding of what each of these terms means. According to dei.extension.org, here’s a quick overview:

Diversity is the presence of differences that may include race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, language, (dis)ability, age, religious commitment or political perspective. Unfortunately, these populations have been and remain underrepresented among practitioners in the field and marginalized in the broader society.

Equity promotes justice, impartiality and fairness within institutions or systems’ procedures, processes and distribution of resources. Tackling equity issues requires understanding the root causes of outcome disparities within our society.

Inclusion is an outcome to ensure those who are diverse feel and/or are welcomed. Inclusion outcomes are met when you, your institution and your program are truly inviting to all. To the degree to which diverse individuals can participate fully in decision-making and development opportunities within an organization or group.

We recently spoke with Susan O’Sullivan, VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for Ingram Micro, to learn how to practically apply the above concepts to your business.

DEI in action

One might assume you can’t kick off a DEI initiative without first having a DEI specialist on staff, but that’s not true. “I didn’t have an HR background or any special training when asked to take on this role,” reveals O’Sullivan. “I leveraged my decades of experience and tapped into the numerous online DEI resources available.”

Coming from a sales leadership background, O’Sullivan had a few things going for her. First, she had experience managing people. Second, she could already see the benefits of a diverse team. “I seek out people that look and think differently than me,” she says. “If you know your team’s strengths and weaknesses, why not find diverse people to fill the gaps and push you and others out of your comfort zones of traditional thinking?”

She goes on to say that DEI is about making sure everyone – from upper management to entry level – gets a seat at the table to bring their unique perspectives and ideas. “Business is getting harder,” she adds. “You need everyone working together to challenge the status quo and lead your company to new levels of success.”

O’Sullivan says that it’s also vital that your website speaks to your DEI initiatives. Additionally, she says, when diverse candidates are interviewed, they should be meeting with existing diverse employees. “Does your company look like a place someone with a diverse background wants to work?” she asks. “Sixty-seven percent of workers are looking for companies that highlight diversity, equity and inclusion. DEI has to be baked into your company culture to be effective.”

O’Sullivan’s last bit of advice is to act now. “It would be great if you could allocate someone full-time to DEI, but it isn’t necessary,” she says. “Anything you can do to advance diversity, equity and inclusion within your organization is a positive step forward.”

This guest blog is part of a Channel Futures sponsorship.