At A+E Networks, Diversity Gets Prime Time Slot

The company39s ethos is what attracted EVP of Human Resources Karen Gray pictured at top to join in 2019 and alongside Group President Paul Buccieri she spearheads its diversity equity and inclusion efforts What makes AE exceptional Gray said is the company39s actionsquotWe are not doing things just to say that we are We are doing them because we want to have the top of the line diverse equitable and most inclusive organization out therequotAt a time when issues of racial inequality calls for reform across all areas of society and sexual harassment awareness are front and center Gray said AE39s commitment to continue to embrace these efforts are more important than ever Onair and within its own ranks the company has a strong tradition of advancing diversity and inclusion Now more than ever the company wants every employee to be a stakeholder and have a voicequotEach member of our team must be heard and valued no one voice is more important than anotherquot declared GrayAcross media organizations diversity and inclusion executives say that for their efforts to be successful they need strong commitment from top leaders in the company quotIt has to be part of the culture of the organizationquot she saidSince assuming the role of group president in 2018 AE Networks Paul Buccieri has made the inclusion of perspectives from employees from across the company a top priority Gray said the company is committed to making every employee feel seen and heard Buccieri promotes these notions within the company and beyondquotIn meetings he does what everyone should be doing going to someone and saying 39What do you think39 and giving them agencyquot said Gray quotPeople are watching and saying 39Our leader is doing that I should probably be doing that too He39s setting an incredible example39quotAE Networks boasts a strong legacy of advocacy and corporate social responsibility They also have started an internal diversity advisory council that advises the executive team on its progress and evaluates external business relationships including promoting minorityowned vendors and outside agencies Employees participate in regular town hall meetings providing a forum to voice their concerns and opinionsTheir onair and digital platforms nurture diversity in front of and behind the camera The company partners with minority and femaleowned production companies and creative services AE39s programming and initiatives help raise awareness from History Classroom which supplies education guides and learning tools for schools to Lifetime39s Peabody Awardwinning Surviving R Kelly a docuseries detailing allegations of sexual abuse of women by musician R KellyThe company is equally committed to advancing people with special needs For instance AampampE39s series Born This Way featured seven individuals with Down syndrome The Emmy Awardwinning series also provided the opportunity for partnerships with the nonprofit Best Buddies to drive awareness of how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are thriving in their communitiesLifetime also features an initiative called Broad Focus which promotes women creatives in directing producing and editing Lifetime exceeds the industry average in hiring women behind the cameraAnother new initiative from AampampE Voices Magnified is a crossplatform campaign to spotlight the diverse voices of people who are making change in society in shortform and longform content Programming spotlights social justice topics such as prison reform and individuals dedicated to bringing people together to confront and help solve the key issues of our timesThe common thread Gray expressed is raising awareness and advocacy As an African American female executive she understands these issues firsthand Throughout her career Gray said mentors have encouraged her to make her views and thoughts heard and advocate for herself Now more than ever those lessons resonate stronglyquotWhen you39re waking up every day to articles or news about racist events it39s difficult You need to stay focused on the fact that you39re in a position to drive changequot she saidGray39s views have been influenced by her previous work with New Yorkbased Doe Fund which provides support services to men who have been incarcerated homeless or struggled with addiction The program serves as a reminder that everyone in society is important and deserves to be seen she saidShe applies that lens to AE Networks quotThe notion is that no one is too important or unimportant to be treated any different Applying principles of equity and inclusivity to a corporation is fundamentalquotIt isn39t enough for companies to hire women and minorities they need to advance and encourage them to play an active role in decisionmaking Gray contendedquotThat39s the DEI part to me Diversity is 39I have a lot of different people here but am I treating them the same way and are they feeling part of a larger whole39quot she saidTo encourage dialogue Gray has an opendoor offtherecord policy for staffers She also meets regularly with a group of Millennial employees to get their input At a recent gathering they asked for town halls to address issues of race and culture and to shed light on what life is like for AE employees That led to meetings about women39s issues multiculturalism and Latinx culturequotThe Millennial group has given us some of our best ideas which we39ve implementedquot said GrayAs a former corporate lawyer Gray places high value on evidence to evaluate progress and set benchmarks Data plays an integral role in tracking progress in hiring retention and promotionquotI want to know where we are and track how we39re doing as a company as opposed to 39It seems like we have more suppliers of color39 or 39It seems like we have more transgender employees39quot she said quotWe are keeping our feet to the firequotLooking ahead Gray believes AE must stay the course with its initiatives and keep a close eye on its progress Voicing commitment and launching some programs isn39t enough she admits quotI want to make sure we are driving everything homequotClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet

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At A+E Networks, Diversity Gets Prime Time Slot

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Alli Romano

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