Microsoft Canada is partnering with the Black Professionals in Tech Network to grow Black talent at the company, in line with advancing its own culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Microsoft executives will participate in monthly learning pods as well as BPTN education events on important topics within the tech industry. A series of lean-in sessions will also take place with participation from Microsoft’s managers and leadership team, providing attendees with insight into the Black tech ecosystem and goals to create and maintain a more diverse and inclusive company culture. Executives will then build upon those goals in a series of leadership conversation circles.
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The partnership debuts during Black History Month and comes in the wake of Black Lives Matter rallies which were held around the world, including Canada, last summer following the death of George Floyd. “In order to be successful as a business in empowering everyone on the planet, we need to reflect the world we serve,” said Satya Nadella, chief executive officer at Microsoft, in an email to employees last June. In a recent blog post about the partnership, Kevin Peesker, president of Microsoft Canada says: “We’re confident that by remaining open and transparent about where we are and the progress we would like to make, we can help contribute to a more equitable workplace for everyone.”
Lekan Olawoye, founder and CEO of the BPTN, said the organization is proud to welcome Microsoft as a new partner company. “We look forward to helping them build the tools required to attract, hire, retain and promote Black technical and non-technical talent. This includes pipeline building and internal culture development.”
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