Diversity & Inclusion

Jennifer Green Godette - June 14, 2021 - 41 views

I first learned about Juneteenth when I moved to Texas as a young girl. Although I was from another southern state, I’d never heard of it because back then, it was mainly celebrated in Texas. In fact, upon learning about Juneteenth, which at the time was mainly recognized at family barbecues, not company mandated holidays […]

Terri Scheer - June 14, 2021 - 120 views

When my son transitioned, society wasn’t talking as widely as it is now about gender issues. The TV show Transparent was just hitting its stride. We didn’t have an LGBTQ ally group at Cognizant, and such groups were few and far between in the corporate world.  Time magazine thought it was newsworthy when President Obama […]

Jan Siegmund - June 8, 2021 - 689 views

There’s a lot of talk in diversity circles about authenticity and bringing your true self to work. As an openly gay man, I know how difficult but also how rewarding that is, especially for people in a leadership position. While leaders often fear the vulnerability that comes with being honest about who we are, I […]

Anil Cheriyan - May 28, 2021 - 145 views

As May comes to a close — the month designated in the US to celebrate Asian American and Pacific heritage — numerous questions come to mind on the meaning of diversity, inclusion and equity from a pan-Asian perspective. We need to confront and resolve these questions if we are to not only survive but thrive […]

Young Lee - May 25, 2021 - 92 views

In the wake of the horrific spike in anti-Asian racism and violence this year, there has been a compelling and sobering response across the nation. For the first time, Asian Americans and their allies are finding a unified public voice, and here in the technology sector, which employs a high percentage of Asian professionals, we […]

Dana Anderson - May 13, 2021 - 796 views

I spent many years in technology leadership as a man. Now I lead as a woman. Through my transgender experience, I’ve gained a new perspective on many aspects of life, both personal and professional, and encountered surprises as well: In my transition to a woman, I’ve learned how to be a better leader.  Over the […]

Jayashree Ramanujam - March 15, 2021 - 237 views

I always used to wonder what to do when I came across a person with a disability – whether I should offer help voluntarily or not. Then, on the night of April 3, 2020, I began my own personal journey into finding out. Amid a worldwide coronavirus lockdown, I was hospitalized due to an emergency: […]

Margaret Schweer - March 2, 2021 - 612 views

There’s a certain level of disruption that occurs when new leaders join an organization. Take the following scenario, which I witnessed firsthand at one of my clients.  He was the fifth senior director in two years to lead a key department in a global technology company. No wonder the group was suspicious. Based on early […]

Claudius Sokenu - February 16, 2021 - 462 views

From the start of my career, it was clear to me that my professional success would depend in large part on finding someone to mentor me through the perils of the workplace. In 2021, however, mentoring takes on an added and often over-looked dimension: It’s as important for encouraging diversity as it is for providing […]

John McVay - February 10, 2021 - 318 views

Great leaders aren’t great alone. They’re hubs that bring people together. This lesson on leadership isn’t intuitive, and it wasn’t for me. But through my friend and colleague Steven Skinner, a Cognizant associate whom I deeply admired and who sadly passed away in 2019, I learned this and other leadership lessons that only grow in […]