Toshiba

**LIVE from the Transform Conference in Las Vegas**

In this episode of Culture Uncovered, Jena Dunay sits down with Jason Desentz, CHRO of Toshiba Americas, to unpack what it actually looks like to lead culture and transformation inside a 150-year-old global brand.

Jason shares why he returned to the CHRO seat after running his own consulting firm, what drew him to Toshiba during a major transformation phase, and how the company is balancing large-scale innovation with a people-first culture.

They also dive into what “think global, act local” looks like at Toshiba, how the organization is preparing employees for an AI-driven future, and why visibility, curiosity, and business acumen are becoming critical skills for modern HR leaders and job seekers alike.

What you’ll learn:

•  What Toshiba actually does beyond consumer electronics 
•  How Toshiba evolved into a diversified global innovation company 
•  Why Jason Desentz joined Toshiba during a major transformation period 
•  What “create together” means inside Toshiba’s culture 
•  How Toshiba approaches employee engagement and long-term retention 
•  Why business acumen is essential for modern HR leaders 
•  How Toshiba is preparing employees to become AI-ready 
•  Why volunteering for projects accelerates career growth 
•  What types of employees thrive at Toshiba 
•  How job seekers can stand out when applying to large organizations 

Toshiba Highlights:

•  Founded: 1875 
•  Global Workforce: 100,000+ employees 
•  U.S. Workforce: ~6,000 employees 
•  Americas Headquarters: Houston, Texas 
•  Other U.S. Hubs: Irvine & San Jose, California + Milwaukee, Wisconsin 
•  Industry: Technology, Manufacturing, Energy, Infrastructure & Electronics 
•  Known For: Consumer electronics, semiconductors, batteries, point-of-sale systems, motors & drives, quantum technology, and more 
•  Culture: Innovative, collaborative, community-oriented, people-first, globally connected 

Unique Perks & Programs:

•  Strong employee appreciation culture and milestone celebrations 
•  Family-inclusive events and employee recognition programs 
•  Mobile mammogram and preventative healthcare initiatives 
•  Financial wellness and earned wage access programs 
•  Toshiba University for structured employee learning and development 
•  AI-readiness training and hands-on AI experimentation workshops 
•  Cross-functional project opportunities for career development 
•  Community volunteering and charitable engagement initiatives 
•  High leadership visibility and approachable executive teams

To learn more about Toshiba:

Careers Page (They’re hiring!)
LinkedIn Page
Jason's LinkedIn

Transcript

Jena Dunay: Hello friends, and welcome back to another episode of Culture Uncovered, where we go behind the scenes of cool companies to work for.

I am here today at the Transform Conference with Jason Desentz, the CHRO of Toshiba Americas. Jason, thank you for joining us.

Jason Desentz: Of course. Thanks for having me.

Jena Dunay: We were just talking before this about how tired we are after doing interviews all week, so thank you for powering through with me.

Jason Desentz: We’re making it happen.

Jena Dunay: Exactly.

I think a lot of people listening are familiar with the Toshiba brand. They may even have some Toshiba products in their homes. But they may not necessarily think of Toshiba as an employer brand or a place to build a career.

So for anyone who may not know much about the company, tell us: what does Toshiba actually do?

Jason Desentz: Sure. Toshiba is a 150-year-old brand, so we’ve been around for a long time. We’re really known for innovation. The company started with inventors and engineers who were constantly creating and improving mechanical products.

Most people know us for consumer products — TVs, microwaves, rice cookers, things like that. We’re a Japanese company, and that’s usually what people associate with the brand.

But what most people don’t realize is that Toshiba is incredibly diversified. We’re kind of like the GE equivalent in Japan.

We’re in oil and gas with motors and drives. We do lithium-ion batteries for Amazon AWS. We’re in semiconductors, HDD drives, point-of-sale systems you see in retail stores, laptops — and fun fact, Toshiba actually created the world’s first laptop.

Jena Dunay: I did not know that.

Jason Desentz: Most people don’t. I actually got to see it in person at our headquarters in Japan.

Jena Dunay: That’s amazing.

Jason Desentz: It really is. And the culture of the company is wrapped around innovation and iteration. Not just inventing brand-new things, but taking things that already exist and making them better.

We’re also doing a lot in solar, quantum technology, security, semiconductors — we’re in a lot of different industries.

Jena Dunay: That’s honestly fascinating because I thought I knew Toshiba before this conversation, but I’m realizing I really didn’t.

So how did you personally end up at Toshiba?

Jason Desentz: I’ve spent most of my career in manufacturing environments, and before Toshiba I had already been a CHRO in multiple organizations. Then I stepped away and started my own consulting firm for about five years.

Part of that decision was personal. I wanted to slow down enough to actually be present while my kids finished high school. As a CHRO, you sacrifice a lot of time. I was on a plane probably 70% of the time.

Jena Dunay: That’s a lot.

Jason Desentz: It was a lot. My wife basically said, “You need to make some changes because you’re never around.”

So I launched my own consulting firm, which ended up being an incredible experience because I got exposure to so many industries — biotech, retail, tech, manufacturing.

And as a consultant, nobody calls you when things are going well. You’re always walking into transformation.

So when I decided to go back into a CHRO role after my kids were in college, Toshiba stood out for a couple reasons.

One, I had never worked for a Japanese company before, and I’ve always admired the quality and innovation associated with Japanese brands.

And two, Toshiba had recently gone through a private equity acquisition and was in the middle of a major transformation. I’m a transformation guy, so it was a really good fit.

Jena Dunay: What kind of transformation work are you leading?

Jason Desentz: Everything from culture to systems to organizational processes. We have about 170 projects happening this year alone.

There’s so much opportunity because Toshiba has such a strong runway ahead of it. It makes it easier to know where we’re going because we’re guided by strong company values.

Jena Dunay: Talk to me about those values and how they connect to the culture.

Jason Desentz: One of our core values is “Create Together.”

That shows up everywhere — not just internally with employees, but in how we support communities. I’m constantly amazed at how much Toshiba gives back locally. We do charity work all the time, and employees genuinely care about participating.

We also have incredibly long employee tenure. Some employees have been with Toshiba for 45 years.

Jena Dunay: Wow. That says a lot.

Jason Desentz: It really does.

Jena Dunay: So when you think about job seekers listening to this, why do people want to work for Toshiba today?

Jason Desentz: The brand helps. The stability helps. But I think what really attracts people is that we’re continuously innovating.

We’re also trying to evolve how we attract younger generations into manufacturing and engineering careers.

One thing we’re working on is reconnecting with high schools through co-op programs. We’d love to create opportunities where students can work half days while still in school, learn trades, gain technical skills, and potentially graduate directly into a career.

I think manufacturing is going to become more attractive again, especially as college costs continue to rise.

Jena Dunay: I actually think you’re right about that.

Jason Desentz: We’re also trying to meet younger generations where they are — on TikTok, social media, places like that.

My team recently made a funny TikTok interviewing a duck that lives in our company pond. It actually went a little viral.

Jena Dunay: I need to see this immediately.

Jason Desentz: We’re trying to have fun. We spend more time at work than we do at home, so why not create an environment where people enjoy being there?

At the same time, we’re looking for smart, curious people who ask questions and want to innovate.

Jena Dunay: Tell me more about the type of people who succeed at Toshiba.

Jason Desentz: One thing I always tell people is that even though Toshiba is a huge global company, it doesn’t feel like you’re just a number.

We think big, but we act local.

Jena Dunay: Explain that.

Jason Desentz: Toshiba operates across many industries, and individual business units often have room to operate with autonomy while still maintaining corporate oversight and compliance.

That creates space for people to experiment, contribute ideas, and innovate locally.

Historically, Toshiba became one of the world’s top patent holders because employees were encouraged to create and improve things.

So people who thrive here tend to be curious, collaborative, innovative, and comfortable bringing ideas forward.

Jena Dunay: I imagine keeping culture consistent across such a large organization is difficult.

Jason Desentz: It can be, which is why we intentionally create opportunities for connection.

We do employee appreciation events, local town halls, volunteer projects, and even internal markets where employees can showcase side businesses or hobbies.

We had people selling handmade goods, food, 3D-printed products — it was like a community craft fair inside the company.

And leadership is very visible. I spend a lot of time walking the plant floor, talking to employees, checking in, saying hello.

Those little moments matter.

Jena Dunay: They absolutely do.

What advice would you give another CHRO entering a large, complex organization?

Jason Desentz: Influence is everything. You have to build trust quickly.

And when you’re navigating multiple cultures — whether that’s national culture, business-unit culture, or leadership culture — relationships become critical.

I also think HR leaders need stronger business acumen than ever before.

I intentionally pursued business education because I wanted to be able to speak the language of finance, operations, legal, and strategy.

That makes you far more influential as an HR leader because you can connect people initiatives directly to business outcomes.

Jena Dunay: You’re actually the third CHRO this week who has said that exact thing.

Jason Desentz: Because it’s true.

Too many HR leaders stay only inside HR. You need to understand the business deeply if you want to influence strategy.

Jena Dunay: Let’s talk benefits and perks. What keeps people at Toshiba long term?

Jason Desentz: We’re very employee-centric.

We’re known for strong benefits, and we work hard to keep healthcare accessible even as costs continue rising.

We also try to think creatively about employee wellbeing. For example, we bring mobile mammogram units onsite so employees can complete preventative screenings more easily.

We’re also investing in financial wellness tools that integrate with payroll and help employees better manage finances.

For hourly workers, we offer programs that allow early access to earned wages if needed.

I came from humble beginnings myself, and sometimes unexpected expenses happen. Having access to those resources can make a huge difference for people.

Jena Dunay: That kind of support matters a lot.

Jason Desentz: It does.

And we also invest heavily in employee appreciation and family inclusion.

We host milestone celebrations for employees hitting 10, 15, 20 years with the company. Full dinners, DJs, executive participation — we really celebrate people.

We care not just about employees, but about their families too.

Jena Dunay: I actually think that’s really unique. A lot of organizations talk about caring about the whole person, but the whole person includes the people they love too.

Jason Desentz: Exactly.

Jena Dunay: No company is perfect though. What’s something you’re still working on?

Jason Desentz: Career development.

We realized we had training happening across departments, but it wasn’t structured consistently. So we launched Toshiba University last year.

A huge focus right now is helping employees become AI-ready.

Jena Dunay: What does that actually mean for Toshiba?

Jason Desentz: We’re teaching fundamentals first — AI 101, practical usage, experimentation.

But more importantly, we’re giving employees room to play with AI tools.

At our recent HR summit, we split teams into groups and challenged them to build AI agents that could solve real workplace problems.

They had to name the agent, define its function, identify reference materials, and present it Shark Tank-style to executives a few weeks later.

We had projects like “Payroll Princess” and “Time Tamer” designed to support employees with payroll and attendance questions.

The goal is to both increase comfort with AI and create practical tools employees can actually use.

Jena Dunay: That’s honestly one of the best examples I’ve heard from a company around AI enablement.

Jason Desentz: I think people fear AI because they don’t understand it yet.

But HR leaders, especially, need to lean into it instead of avoiding it.

Jena Dunay: What advice would you give mid-career professionals who want to grow into leadership roles?

Jason Desentz: Volunteer.

Early in my career, I literally knocked on department leaders’ office doors and introduced myself. I asked questions. I asked to learn about their departments.

Later, when opportunities opened up, those leaders remembered me.

You also have to be authentically vulnerable. Admit when you don’t know something. Ask questions. Listen actively.

And volunteer for projects outside your normal role. That’s how you grow.

Jena Dunay: I love that advice because honestly, that’s how my own career evolved too.

Jason Desentz: Exactly. Growth happens when you raise your hand before you feel fully ready.

Jena Dunay: So if someone listening is interested in Toshiba, where are your main hiring hubs?

Jason Desentz: Our Americas headquarters is in Houston, Texas.

We also have major operations in California, including Irvine and San Jose, plus operations in Milwaukee tied to our power and hydro businesses.

And of course, we’re global — across Asia, Europe, Africa, the Middle East.

We’re also increasingly focused on building more globally connected leadership pipelines and giving employees international exposure.

Jena Dunay: Final question. What’s your advice for job seekers trying to stand out at a large company like Toshiba?

Jason Desentz: Network.

Apply online, of course, but relationships still matter.

Use LinkedIn. Attend events. Talk to people.

Most opportunities still come from someone knowing someone who knows someone.

That hasn’t changed.

Jena Dunay: I completely agree.

Jason, this was such a fun conversation. I learned so much about Toshiba today, and I know our listeners will too.

If you want to learn more about Toshiba and Jason, check out the links in our show notes.

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