Meet Aisha Washington, a trailblazing leader in the field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) who has made a remarkable impact on the corporate landscape. As the Global Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), she has solidified her position as one of the most influential women in the DEI realm. Aisha Washington is an inspiring role model for professionals across industries whose visionary approach, firm commitment, and transformative initiatives have earned her recognition as one of Savoy Network’s “5 Most Influential Women in DEI to Follow, 2023”. Her passion for driving positive change and dedication to creating inclusive workplaces recently earned HPE several accolades including:
- Newsweek’s 2023 “America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity”
- Fortune’s 2023 “100 Best Companies to Work”
- Seramount’s “100 Best Companies”
- Seramount’s “Top Companies for Executive Women”
- 100% Score on HRC Corporate Equality Index
- 100% score on Disability: IN Best Places to Work
Perspective on Success
When it comes to defining success, Aisha emphasizes the importance of acknowledging both small and significant milestones.
“I have witnessed individuals often focus on one monumental milestone of achievement to define their career success, only to discover they failed to relish in the journey. Celebrating small, intentionally defined wins along your journey is important in defining and recognizing your personal vision of success.”
Aisha attributes her success in DEI to intentionally setting dynamic goals, continually listening and learning from the lived experiences of others, and a willingness to adapt her strategic approach to meet the evolving needs of the workforce. She further highlights that self-awareness of her actions and taking responsibility for unavoidable shortcomings are crucial for sustaining success as it reinforces accountability and builds trust “Activation is how we live up to be upstanders, taking the necessary steps to engage the community and initiate movement to make sustained improvement,” explains Aisha.
As a global leader, Aisha instills these principles of accountability, trust, and adaptability by fostering a culture of unconditional inclusion and psychological safety for all HPE team members. She recognizes there are moments when the outcome don’t align with expectations. In these moments, success arises from failure only if one is willing to acknowledge and learn from their shortcomings. Success means embracing a full range of experiences, both positive and negative, and celebrating each chapter of the journey for the lessons they teach you.
Creating Inclusive Spaces and Fostering Inspirations and Beliefs in DEI Leadership
Aisha’s inspiration to embark on the journey of DEI leadership is rooted in the concept of faith: encompassing intentionality, persistence, resilience, self-awareness, and courage. All of which she views as essential qualities for effective leadership. However, she emphasizes that when dealing with human behavior, the core of DEI work lies in transforming systems and structures. Rather than treating DEI as its own function, Aisha believes it should be integrated into the overall business strategy. Unconditional inclusion requires every team member, spanning from execs to the most junior employees, to take responsibility for activating, engaging, and supporting one another throughout the talent lifecycle. Integrating DEI into HPE’s business strategy involves attracting the best talent, providing a platform to express their voices, and creating an environment where individuals can bring their authentic selves to the workplace. Aisha asserts that it’s the responsibility of leaders to foster a sense of belonging, provide support, and serve as a talent incubator to retain top talent.
“I am constantly inspired by the opportunity to create an inclusive space for every voice, particularly those historically marginalized. I am continually amazed by the unique ideas, perspectives, and innovative thinking that arises from these groups.”
Aisha understands how empowering it is to be in an environment where individuals embrace their true selves which requires building a culture where all identities are valued, solidarity is cultivated, and there is a strong foundation of psychological safety.
Entrepreneurial Beginnings & Influencing the Next Generation of Women Leaders
Thriving in the industry as a woman in leadership has presented its share of difficulties for Aisha Washington. She compares her journey to that of a gemstone, solid yet marred by the societal and internal pressures that make jewels as extraordinary and unique as they truly.
Her path to success has sometimes gone against family traditions. Few of her closest family members pursued higher education or worked in corporate settings, leading to questions and skepticism regarding her ambitions to climb the corporate ladder.
Moreover, Aisha and her partner have managed the imposition of gender stereotypes at times, sometimes adding layers of complexity. Aisha acknowledges the importance of feminism and womanism, recognizing the intersections between these movements and the need for women to navigate multiple identities simultaneously. As a woman of color, Aisha’s experiences have further influenced her leadership journey.
Throughout her career, Aisha’s goals have centered on carving her own path and overcoming both self-imposed and societal barriers. She has learned the importance of getting out of her own way and charting a course that aligns with her vision of success as an African-American/ Black woman in leadership.
“For the next generation, I would encourage them to reinvent, reinvent, reinvent. The world changes constantly, and we must evolve with it so as not to be left behind. Do not wait for someone to do it for you; look for settings where you are appreciated and can appreciate and leave the door open so the next generation have an open door!”
Lessons Learned and Personal Growth in Professional Journey
Aisha’s trailblazing professional journey required overcoming various roadblocks, both external and internal, along the way. Aisha notes that a key to her success was dedicating efforts to continually upskilling. Early in her career, she proactively developed a comprehensive plan for her growth. She also learned the importance of taking up space at decision-making tables where she fought to earn a seat, all while remaining authentic to her identity and background. Aisha found it challenging to find a sponsor with the courage to be a dissenting voice and speak out about social issues and longstanding inequitable systems. Not having access to this type of mentorship early in her career strengthened her resolve to become a leader who boldly spoke truth to power, even when it went against normalized systems.
“No one was going to do it for me; to get to the next phase of my career, I had to do it myself.”
Transformative Solutions: Hewlett Packard Enterprise and its Host of Services
Aisha Washington describes Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) as a global edge-to-cloud company that empowers organizations to unlock the value of their data worldwide. HPE’s comprehensive offerings encompass Cloud Services, Compute, High-Performance Computing & AI, Intelligent Edge, Software, and Storage. Each day, HPE leverages its technological expertise to assist customers in developing new business models, enhancing engagement, and improving operational performance. They do so through extensive customer interactions which equips them to deeply understand customers’ goals, challenges, and needs.
As the global IT industry experiences exponential growth, HPE knows the importance of developing services that focus on both environmental and societal impacts. HPE is mindful in their sustainability efforts, maintaining a proven sustainability track record by investing heavily in research development, including a $2 billion allocation in 2022. In addition to their continual sustainability efforts, Aisha also notes the brands focus on building customer trust through advanced analytics. Harnessing the power of AI and data enables HPE to uncover actionable opportunities that empower customers to prioritize technology and enhance their experiences.
Aisha relishes the opportunity to lead DEI efforts at an organization that recognizes the transformative power of technology to create positive global change. Each year, HPE participates in Tech CEOs roundtables focused on driving meaningful outcomes and advancing the quality of people’s lives and work. Internally, HPE applies the same level of rigor to its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Analyzing data trends, including which aspects of their culture attract or detract talent, equips HPE to make informed investments into their ongoing DEI efforts. They continually validate their findings through ongoing internal conversations and insights gleaned from external inputs ranging from the World Economic Forum to Coqual to Harvard research reports.
Impact on Redefining the Industry: Enhancing Growth and Vision at Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Aisha Washington’s leadership has propelled Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to new heights by redefining the industry through innovative ideas and a strong focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Aisha knows that driving the accountability necessary to create a holistic experience of inclusion requires aligning DEI with the mission and purpose of the business, which starts from attracting customers and extends to creating shareholder value.
Below are some of the significant accomplishments and programs implemented during her tenure:
- Learning & Upskilling of People: HPE enables its employees to develop and thrive through ongoing opportunities to learn, upskill, and grow. Aisha knows the importance of bringing people’s experiences together to foster value creation, and this holistic approach to learning and upskilling enhances the organization’s ability to innovate, collaborate, and ultimately shape the future of the industry.
- Tech as an Enabler: HPE leverages its technological capabilities to develop talent across all levels of the organization. By using technology to facilitate real-life examples and experiential learning, HPE remains at the forefront of talent development, empowering its employees and driving industry innovation.
- Count Me In: HPE harnesses equity and talent management data, including efforts to better understand team members’ demographics through the Self ID initiative. This data informs strategies that drive equity throughout the talent lifecycle, from recruitment to developing senior leaders. By attracting and retaining diverse talent, HPE ensures its continued success.
- Digital Inclusion: HPE is committed to empowering underrepresented communities by offering pathways into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Through the STEM Discovery Program, HPE promotes STEM education, equipping individuals with the skills necessary to participate in the digital economy and advocating for digital inclusion.
- Bias Disrupters: Washington knows how important it is to equip people leaders to manage inclusively, which is why all HPE people leaders are provided bias disrupters and evidence-based adjustments to processes, practices, and systems that counter implicit bias. By implementing clear and specific performance criteria and other measures, HPE aims to eliminate bias in hiring, interviewing, performance reviews, promotions, compensation, and other areas.
- Bold Aspirations: Tracking progress in representation allows HPE to set ambitious goals for representation and diversity and review progress toward these goals every quarter. By continually monitoring and assessing their efforts, HPE ensures they stay on track to achieve their transformational aspirations.
Promoting an Inclusive Culture at HPE through Accountability, Education, and Collaboration
Aisha Washington highlights the shared responsibility of fostering an inclusive culture at HPE, emphasizing its importance in driving innovation and collaboration. The company holds its leaders accountable for upholding these values by tying aspirational goals of incentivizing progress in workforce diversity to executive compensation. The Board conducts quarterly reviews to assess diversity advancements, while the HR and Compensation Committee ensures compliance with equal opportunity employment requirements, actively monitoring HPE’s DEI efforts. To establish a shared understanding and implementation of DEI principles among team members, HPE offers a voluntary course called “Inclusion for All.” This course draws upon behavioral sciences and tailors content to address specific regional nuances. HPE’s Open Door Policy encourages open dialogue at all company levels, fostering an open environment for employees to share constructive feedback. HPE is dedicated to building a high-performance culture, and part of this involves establishing team norms and best practices across four key areas: Engagement, Wellness, Inclusion, and Execution. HPE continuously strives to advance its culture further, aiming to become a modern, flexible, and inclusive workplace both now and in the future.
The Importance of Employee Feedback
Aisha knows employee feedback is a crucial factor to succeed as a leader. Each year HPE conducts an employee engagement survey that includes a key metric, the People Leader Effective Index (PLEI) score that reflects how one’s direct reports perceive their manager’s performance. To encourage honest responses, the feedback provided in the survey is entirely anonymous. Aisha knows her personal rating holds immense value in gauging her performance so that she can make necessary adjustments and foster the development of those on her team as well as personal growth as a leader. Reviewing the survey results is a gratifying experience for Aisha, as it empowers her to continuously evolve and adapt in her leadership role.
“I always relish the opportunity to connect and reconnect with current and former team members and see their progress on their own journey to success. Knowing that I helped someone on their journey motivates me to keep giving of myself, my experiences, and my capabilities.”
What is in Store for Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Relentless innovation continues to drive both HPE’s culture and ongoing success. Aisha affirms that the organization’s focus remains steadfast on creating and delivering products, services, and solutions that proactively cater to the evolving needs of its customers and align with emerging technological trends.
In the upcoming years, HPE will continue making substantial investments in research and development (R&D) to drive the design and development of groundbreaking, high-quality offerings, ultimately fortifying its competitive position in the market. HPE’s commitment to innovation knows no bounds, spanning from cutting-edge modeling to the creation of the world’s fastest supercomputer and advancements in cybersecurity and resilience.
To foster an eco-system conducive to innovation and creativity, HPE continues to nurture an inclusive culture that prioritizes its team members’ long-term growth and well-being through providing a safe and secure work environment that empowers employees to unleash their full potential.
