In this week’s podcast, Leila McKenzie-Delis, CEO and Founder of DIAL Global speaks to Asif Sadiq, Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer at Warner Brothers Discovery
"At Warner Brothers Discovery, I'm looking at the internal elements. I'm looking at productions. I'm looking at our content. You know, how do we make it more diverse? How do we tell authentic stories? And that's how D&I should be positioned. In a way that you are really aligning to the internal and the external so that the messaging and what you truly believe in is consistent."
You'll hear about:
- A whistlestop tour of Asif's personal and professional journey including his early experience in different industries, his thoughts on authentic storytelling that is aligned with D&I, his Kenyan heritage, his family, race as a huge element while growing up and his views on disability inclusion
- The need for D&I efforts to move away from alignment with the dominant culture, to give other minority cultures a chance to contribute and explore their own journey with alignment to company values
- The need for safe spaces that allow for open conversation, the fact that diversity does not mean agreement on everything and importance of taking every opportunity to create a learning environment rather than jumping to cancel someone
- How alignment in D&I helps create a sense of belonging within an organisation and a feeling of alignment with organisational values
- The value of having a D&I role that reports to the CEO and has a seat at the table to shape how D&I fits into organisational culture and influence strategy
- Authentic storytelling that represents the richness and diversity of a culture and its success stories