Why Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month Matters
In 1843, a boat containing a 14-year-old Japanese fisherman named Manjiro became America’s first Asian immigrant. Manjiro and his crew were caught in a violent storm during a routine fishing trip. The little boat was carried out to sea, eventually washing up on a desert island some 300 miles away from Manjiro’s coastal Japanese village.
After Manjiro and the crew spent nearly five months on the island, an American whaling ship finally arrived at the island and rescued them, which is how the Japanese boy became the first Japanese immigrant in America. Manjiro was eventually adopted by American Captain William Whitfield, and he went on to not only become a samurai, but also a political emissary between his home country and the West.
Since Manjiro first stepped foot on American soil, the journeys of Asians and Pacific Islanders have been synonymous with America’s journey. They have included Japanese immigrants who came to Hawaii to work the sugarcane fields, and the Chinese laborers who, in May 1869, were integral in building the First Transcontinental Railroad. They’ve included activists such as Larry Itliong, a Filipino activist who was instrumental in creating the United Farm Workers, as well as an array of artists and writers who have produced some of the greatest works of art and literature, ranging from The Ramayana to The Joy Luck Club, as well as fashion icon Vera Wang and the architect behind the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the National Gallery of Art. They include Wong Kim Ark, a Chinese immigrant whose persistence laid the groundwork for landmark legislation on birthright citizenship. And they include technological pioneers who conceived such revolutionary ideas as Yahoo!, YouTube, and the USB.
In fact, Asian and Pacific Islanders’ cultures are inextricably woven into the fabric of American life. As President Ronald Reagan once said, “In a variety of fields that span the spectrum of human endeavor — including art, dance, agriculture, the sciences, medicine, commerce, government, and philosophy — Asian and Pacific Americans have made outstanding contributions to the cultural and technological development of their adopted Nation.”
Palo Alto Networks also benefits from the tremendous contributions of many Asian and Pacific Americans, whose career journeys are a vital part of the story of our company.
They include Hien La, who escaped Communist Vietnam in a small fishing boat with his siblings and cousins, eventually making his way to America, where his determination to teach himself to fix computers helped him to begin a career in asset management. Today, he is Palo Alto Networks’ IT Asset Management Specialist at headquarters.
They include Bobo Yu, a first-generation Chinese American who took STEM courses in college as a default because she was a stereotypical “good-at-math” Asian student who wasn’t confident to speak in public. As a woman in engineering, Bobo earned an internship in Hawaii with the U.S. Coast Guard and an opportunity to participate in a rotational leadership program while at her first job. After a sabbatical, during which she traveled through five continents, she returned to the U.S. and began working as a yoga teacher, enjoying this chance to practice what she needed and do what she loved. Eventually, she returned to technology and earned a Systems Engineer role with Palo Alto Networks, utilizing her engineering skills as well as the public speaking skills she developed and her talents for putting others at ease.
They include Jerry Poon, who immigrated with his family from Hong Kong to Toronto, Canada, when he was only three. His family began their life in North America with almost no belongings of their own, finding discarded mattresses on which they could sleep. Jerry’s early love of computers led to him earning a degree in IT support services, working his way to Palo Alto Networks’ Sales team. Today, he works as a Sales Engineer for Channel Partners
They also include Yumei Peterson, Go To Market Strategic Program Manager. Born in Korea, Yumei moved with her family to New York City when she was just eight years old. After starting her career with a degree in education and experience operating a daycare center, Yumei took a risk and connected with a representative from HP at a career fair, indicating her interest in working in IT. The risk paid off. She eventually worked her way up through the organization by exceeding sales goals and joined Palo Alto Networks four years ago. Since coming here, she has earned three promotions, built enablement programs for the Inside Sales team, built the Sales Academy program in collaboration with the LEAP team for early-in-career graduates, and is now executing strategic initiatives for our WorldWide Shared Services organization.
These are just a few of the many members of the Asian and Pacific Island American community whose backgrounds, experiences, and contributions we celebrate.
Empowered To Be My Authentic Self
Upon university graduation, I was so scared of entering Corporate America because I was different. I have had internships where I have heard and seen, a Director make fun of the way I talk and even mimic my mannerisms around the office. From that moment on, I was genuinely scared that I wasn’t going to be taken seriously in Corporate America because of my age, the way I sound, or because I identify as LGBTQIA, but this was definitely not the case at Palo Alto Networks. Palo Alto Network’s vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before, starting with its people.
Since the moment I stepped foot into this organization, Palo Alto Networks has never once made me feel different but has actually made me feel empowered to celebrate my difference. This company has given me an opportunity to scale my career as an Executive Recruiting Researcher, partnering with our top-level executives to build their next-gen teams, while allowing me to overcome my preconceived fears of corporate America. But what I am most thankful for is the opportunity to co-lead our amazing LGBTQIA+ Employee Network Group. Through the work of the Employee Network Group, we are able to foster an inclusive and safe working environment for our employees, while also building ties to the community at large.
During covid, we partnered with the Open House Senior Center in San Francisco to create 20 covid-safe care packages, for LGBTQIA+ Seniors consisting of no-sew scarves, hats, and gloves. Our Employee Network Group also hosted a Family Planning Webinar to promote our inclusive adoption, fertility, and surrogacy benefits offered to our employees and families, including those of the same sex. To further promote an inclusive culture and equal rights, PANW has also declared its support for the #EqualityAct, a federal legislation that would provide the basic protections to LGBTQ people as are provided to other protected groups under federal law.
Through our work volunteering with the LGBTQIA community, inclusive company benefits, and declaring our support for the #EqualityAct, I am excited to share that for the second year in a row Palo Alto Networks has achieved 100% rating in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and achieved designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. Palo Alto Networks is taking its stand for equality and letting its employees know that they have our back. With our growing accomplishments year over year, I am excited to continue to help make PANW a “safer and more secure” environment for current and future LGBTQIA+ employees.
Go Palo Alto Networks!
Found in Translation: How learning English from TV and movies helped me escape a war-torn Iraq and start a new life in America
By Fadi Fadhil, Cybersecurity Strategist
As a child growing up in Baghdad, Iraq, I developed a passion for computers from watching the American movie WarGames. I thought, “That’s exactly what I want to do!”
My family was not your average Iraqi family. I was born the same year Saddam Hussein took power, in 1979, and I knew nothing but war. But my parents, in their own way, were kind of rebels, starting when my dad married my mother, an exchange student from Jordan. My siblings and I were raised with their “free-thinking” mentality, which didn’t jive well with Saddam and his regime. The Ba’ath Party controlled everything, including what was on TV. In fact, VHS tapes containing western media content like news, talk shows, or even MTV were banned, like most other things. We grew up having our parents tell us, “What we talk about here at home, you are not to say in school,” because people were truly being executed for everything. There was nobody in Iraq who didn’t have a relative who had been executed. I know someone who had been jailed for talking about a dream he had to visit a neighboring country. People were dispensable, let alone their thoughts and dreams.
I learned English from American movies. Some people would put satellites on their rooftops and cover them with bedsheets so they couldn’t be detected by helicopters. I smuggled VHS tapes under my shirt and carried them home on my bike — I could have been executed for smuggling Hot Shot! Part Deux, in which they make fun of Saddam.
When you reached a certain age in Iraq, you were supposed to sign a paper swearing allegiance to Saddam’s regime. If you didn’t, they would execute you, so of course, everyone lied and signed it. Sometimes the papers would be sent around at school, or government officials would come door to door in the neighborhood. When it came time for me to sign, I told the school, “I signed that in my neighborhood,” and when they came to our door at home I said, “I signed that at school.” I would not sell myself to the Ba’ath Party, and nobody knew I was getting away with it, not even my family. I got my college degree in computer engineering, then my master’s degree, and I hadn’t been caught. But on the day of my graduation for my master’s, at the ceremony, someone from the Ba’ath Party was doing spot checks. That’s how I got caught.
They put a bag over my head, to make a spectacle out of me, and I was taken to political prison to be executed. There was no trial in court or anything, I just got a number and waited to die. We called it the meat grinder. My family and I gave up hope for my survival.
But this was 2003, the year U.S. forces invaded Iraq. After two weeks in prison, on the morning of April 9, I awoke to silence. The guards were gone. American troops were in Firdos Square in Baghdad, toppling the statue of Saddam. This was my moment — I got a second shot at life. I escaped prison and began running, saw American tanks on the streets for the first time, found someone to give me a ride, and I made it home. Still today I can’t believe I was this fortunate.
A few weeks later, on a busy street in Baghdad, I came across American soldiers and their commander trying to communicate with the local people; they had no interpreter. Here, at this point, I was angry at the world from the injustice of it all, and I saw a way to thumb my nose at the regime. A U.S. soldier was yelling at a local Imam, or cleric, “Where is your power plant? America is trying to help you!” and the Imam was yelling in Arabic, “Don’t raise your voice, this is still my country!”
Here was my chance. Drawing on the English I knew, I spoke my first English words ever to a foreigner: “Dude, I can help. I can translate.”
The soldier was shocked. “You speak English? Did you just call me dude?”
I quickly explained that I knew some English from movies and TV, and when he saw I could help, he immediately let the other Americans know, and they took me with them.
I was fortunate to develop a good relationship with them. Although most translators working with the Americans covered their faces, to protect their identities, I saw that as having no integrity, so I never covered mine. But others like me were being executed one by one by the insurgency and the foreign Jihadists who came to Iraq seeking a “holy war against the crusaders.” One day I came home from the army base, and my dad showed me a threatening note that had been left at our house. “Don’t worry about the family,” he told me. “Just go. Do what you need to do.”
That was the last time I saw my family for 10 years. I moved to the U.S. Army base, so they wouldn’t pay the price for my “calling,” and they moved to a safe house. Soon after that, our family home was bombed.
In 2005, a production company came to the base to make a documentary about the invasion of Iraq, and when they learned my story and realized they needed a translator to help subtitle their film, they offered me the opportunity to come to New York. So with a special visa, only $700 in my pocket, and instructions from the military guys to “eat at Subway,” I came to New York. (Unfortunately, they never told me it was a sandwich shop, so for three days I starved because I kept going to the subway station looking for food!)
I eventually figured things out, and when my work in New York was through, I went to Fort Hood in Texas for reunification with the military unit I had worked with last. I also got to connect again with an Army colonel with whom I had worked as a personal interpreter back in Baghdad. He was originally from Minnesota, so after my six months of working with the unit were finished and he was preparing to retire, he said to me, “I’m about to start a new life as a civilian. You’re about to start a new life, too. Have you seen snow before?”
I told him I hadn’t, and he said, “Well, there’s a football team there called the Vikings, and they’ll keep letting you down. We survived a roadside bomb. Let’s go survive Minneapolis.” So in 2006, I was given political asylum and followed the retired colonel to Minnesota, and was lucky enough to get my first job at Saint Paul school district working with computers: unboxing and imaging them for schools. In 2013, I officially became an American citizen. It was one of the happiest days of my life, similar to the day I got out of prison.
Before long, someone realized I had a master’s degree in computer systems networking and telecommunications, and I was given a promotion, and then another. I worked my way up to IT Services Manager for Saint Paul Public Schools, then to Director of IT Services Management at Minneapolis Public Schools, then to its Chief Information Officer (CIO). And in 2019, I became the CIO for the City of Minneapolis, where, in 2020, when Covid hit and the death of George Floyd sparked riots, I first worked with Palo Alto Networks to secure the city’s information infrastructure. I was so impressed with the company’s cybersecurity work and its impact that when a position came up at the end of the year, I applied and was eventually hired.
I’ve never had a bad day since I came to America. Every morning, when I wake up, hear people speaking English, and see the snow falling outside, I realize I’m an American, and I’m safe. I feel gratitude every day for this. Although my mother passed away from cancer and I never got to see her again, I’m happy to say that my father, brother, and sisters all managed to escape Iraq, settling in Sweden and England. We are all safe.
I don’t think people truly understand how fortunate we are to be Americans, or what many of us who have immigrated here have experienced. To explain what Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month means to me, I’ll share a story. The other day, I was in an Uber, and the driver was from Mexico. We got to talking about many things, particularly the corruption in the governments of our home countries. We had a conversation about how this doesn’t happen in America, and we started wondering what makes Americans different from people elsewhere in the world.
Then we started thinking about this country’s history, all it has gone through to become what it is today, and eventually we came to the conclusion that there is no such thing as Americans. What makes this country special is that it is made up of people from everywhere — Europe, Asia, the Middle East, South America, Africa… This month is important because it’s one way in which we can celebrate the contributions of every immigrant in helping to make America what it is today.
Turning the Tide: How I sailed away from Communist Vietnam to begin life as an American.
By Hien La, IT Asset Management Specialist
This May, which is Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, marks an important anniversary for me. It was this month in 1975 when my home country of South Vietnam ceased to exist, and Vietnam became a unified country under Communist control. And it was in May of 1982 when I fled the communist regime, becoming a refugee.
After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, many people in democratic South Vietnam made plans to escape the grip of communism, which had made our living conditions unbearable, with starvation, loss of livelihood, and even re-education in camps where torture, starvation, and hard labor were common. To escape, I would become one of the thousands of Boat People who escaped by sea to freedom.
Boat People
Boat is similiar to mine which was 7m (21 ft) which carried 45 of us
I was 16 years old when my sister and brother and I, along with several cousins, left Vũng Tàu in South Vietnam in a tiny, rickety, open fishing boat, with 44 other refugees. Our parents stayed behind because if you left your house for longer than a day, the government would confiscate it and the family, if they were not successful, would have nowhere to go. Leaving would give my siblings and me a chance at a better life.
We had to escape at night, illegally, hiding in people’s homes until we reached the beach. Every person on the boat was supposed to bring a 20-liter can of either water or oil, for just over 20 cans each. But as we approached the beach, rumors reached us that the police were chasing us, so we all ran to the boat.
In our rush, many of the escapees dropped their cans. As we began to sail for our destination, Malaysia, we realized that we only had 22 cans total, and 20 of them were oil. We only had two cans of water for 45 people on what was a 10-day journey by sea, and much of it had already been drunk. We began to ration our water by the spoonful; each person would get a teaspoon of water a day, just to keep our mouths wet. At first, we felt strong, but soon the seasickness came over us, and that made the lack of water worse. Our bodies began to deteriorate after several days at sea. At one point, I felt so thirsty that I tried to drink some of my cousin’s urine — it tasted terrible!
Pirates were the biggest concern for those sailing in the Gulf of Thailand, as they had been known to slaughter innocent people, so we took the long way to avoid them, meaning that our journey took 10 days instead of the three we’d expected. And we frequently saw ships that we hoped would save us, so we waved at 65 of them (yes, I counted personally), but only one saw us — it turned out to be from the U.S.S.R., one of communist Vietnam’s allies, so we had to turn away from the ship. But I also saw one of the most beautiful sights of my life during the two-week voyage. The sun was setting and a school of dolphins began racing our boat, jumping out of the water, almost close enough to touch.
Our journey took place right before monsoon season, and we suffered a massive storm that tossed us around so much we had to wrap the boat in a fishing net to keep us from falling out. But we were so happy because it was raining; we used ponchos to collect water, so we had enough to drink until we reached land.
Bataan picture was taken in Bataan Refugee camp
Smoother Sailing
An army ship on the island directed us to the refugee camp in Malaysia, where we would find out where we’d end up next; only a few countries were accepting Vietnamese refugees. Because one of my brothers worked for the U.S. government before the war, we were allowed to go to the United States. In two and a half months, I transferred to a transitional camp for several months to learn some basic English and American culture, and then we were sent to Tucson, Arizona, where there was a family who was willing to take us in. After two months there, we received refugee aid money from the U.S. government, and my brother left Texas with his family and picked us up, and all of us relocated to Silicon Valley, California, where I have lived ever since.
Because we didn’t have much money, we had to move every couple of years, but I was lucky to be able to attend a local city college, where I studied electrical engineering during the day. At night, I would work from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. as a semiconductor tester. I also really loved music and wanted to learn how to make music. Of course, I really wanted a Macintosh computer for this, but I couldn’t afford that, so instead, I bought a cheap computer with one megabyte of memory and 40 megabytes of hard drive. But it broke all the time, so I had to learn how to fix it because I couldn’t afford to pay anyone else to do it.
Because I had taught myself to fix my computer, I applied for a job at a company called Digital Equipment Corporation, or DEC. I told the hiring manager, “Just give me a one-week trial. If I don’t cut it, and if I can’t serve your computers appropriately, you don’t even have to pay me.” So he did. One of the site managers, Joe Dixon, was so happy with my work that years later after he’d left the company, he gave me an opportunity at his new company. After that, every couple of years, I was given opportunities to continue moving forward. I was officially granted U.S. citizenship in 1987, and I eventually grew in my career to become an Asset Management Specialist at Palo Alto Networks, where I have been very happy!
In the last couple of years, I have been frustrated, angry, and sad to see what’s happening at America’s borders, where immigrants have been refused entry, despite the horrific conditions in their homelands, and separated from their families, robbed of their dignity and basic human decency. I think about my difficult journey by boat, surviving dehydration and storms, and I think about the opportunities I’ve received that they are being deprived of. That’s why I’m so happy to see us celebrating Asian and Pacific American Heritage Month, because even when immigrants succeed as I have, we can’t forget the people we leave behind. I’m honored to be able to tell my story and look back to see that I have achieved success and am happy. We need to work to make this a country that celebrates its diversity so that others have the same opportunities that I had.
Turning Words Into Action: On Being Executive Sponsor for Ujima, the Black Employee Network Group
Malcolm X said, “Usually when people are sad, they don’t do anything. They just cry over their condition. But when they get angry, they bring about a change.”
For many people, seeing George Floyd murdered by a police officer in the spring of 2020 was that inflection point — the moment when people were finally angry enough to bring about change.
Born in Queens, New York, and raised just outside Washington, DC, I attended a magnet school in a low-income community where the majority of my peers were Black, Vietnamese, and Latinx. They were my community, and though I certainly can’t say I know what it’s like to live the Black experience, I saw it every day reflected in my closest friends. I saw how the treatment they received was different and usually worse, than that given to whites, me, or others. I saw enough of it to know early on that no one should be treated that way. So after the deaths in early 2020 of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, I was like many who felt so angry that I simply had to do something, to add my voice to the conversation. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “A time comes when silence is betrayal.”
In June 2020, I wrote an article on LinkedIn where I described the evidence of systemic racism in America and some ideas about how to recognize it and combat it. My colleagues at Palo Alto Networks saw that I am vocal and passionate about this issue, someone willing to talk about it and do something about it. So when the executive sponsor of Ujima, the company’s Black Employee Network Group (ENG), was asked to move into another ENG position, I was approached about taking on the role with Ujima, and I jumped at the chance.
Being an executive sponsor would provide me with a platform to actually put my words into action. Writing an article in which I shared data, statistics and ideas for addressing racism is a small first step, but they’re just words without action. If, as a company, we were going to talk about being committed to diversity and inclusion, we have to walk the talk, and from this vantage point, I could help us to do that.
I sat down with the outgoing executive sponsor, who had written his own thought piece, about the need for national police reform, as a former member of law enforcement and the U.S. military. Together, we worked to create a list of recommendations, drawn from the data and ideas we’d shared in writing, for what the company could start doing to make internal systemic changes. They included a stronger commitment to actively recruiting employees from the Black community, working harder to retain existing Black employees through mentorship and sponsorship, and implementing more rigorous unconscious bias and anti-discrimination training. Our thinking was, if only one person benefits from these efforts, it’s worth it, though we knew we could affect many more.
As an executive sponsor for an ENG, I have a platform in which I can be part of the change I’m seeking. Palo Alto Networks is a leader in the cybersecurity industry, and there’s no reason we can’t be a leader in diversity efforts as well. But I also know and have seen that the Black community may feel they have to think small — they’re so used to encountering a ceiling on what’s possible. But there’s never been a better time, since the civil rights movement of the 1960s, to capitalize on people’s awareness and willingness to knock down that ceiling.
In my role, I can help the ENG to think bigger, to take the existing paradigms, and suggest that we throw them out. I can help channel the energy and funnel it in a productive way toward actual progress within the organization. I can identify talented people in the Black community who are looking to grow within the company and introduce them to people who can help make that happen. I can share the input and stories I’m hearing with the executive team. I can offer guidance, and I can be a roadblock remover to keep us from hearing “no.” If we need money for an event, a connection to a particular speaker, a platform we want access to, or a message that needs to be conveyed across the organization, I can utilize my position in the company to help make those things happen — or to identify the folks who can.
I’m so proud to say that Palo Alto Networks isn’t just talking about diversity and inclusion but is actually doing a lot, too — both in facilitating important discussions of race and in demonstrating its commitment to equity. For example, Palo Alto Networks regularly has compensation reviewed by a third party and makes sure it isn’t paying employees differently based on gender or race.
Obviously, there’s much more to do, and I’m happy to play a small part in making that happen in my role as Ujima’s executive sponsor. But you don’t have to be in my position to make change happen. It can be hard to know where to start, but as Dr. King reminds us, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” Speak up, add your voice to the conversation — that’s where change begins.
Understanding Faith Without Fear
By Carl Borsody, Vice President of Sales – Americas Majors and Globals
When companies talk about wanting their employees to feel safe bringing their “whole selves” to work, it’s important to realize that a person’s whole self may be inextricably linked with their faith.
While people of all religions have confronted prejudice and even demonization throughout history, those who practice the Islamic faith have arguably faced the most misrepresentation and discrimination in modern times. Though it is the second-largest religion in the world (behind Christianity), Islam is frequently misunderstood, particularly in the West. The impression of Muslims as extremists to be feared is, unfortunately, pervasive. And for an organization such as Palo Alto Networks, a global organization committed to inclusiveness for its 9,000+ employees, one important way to help combat such misunderstandings is to offer a safe space in which to discuss concerns, find connections, and build bridges instead of walls. That’s why Salam, the Muslim Employee Network, was established.
It may seem odd that I, a middle-aged, white American man, would be asked to assume the role of executive sponsor for this group. When I was offered the role just a few months ago, I certainly asked whether I was the right person for the job. But the role of executive sponsor — the person who provides executive-level support, advocacy, and guidance to an Employee Network Group (ENG) — means providing a much-needed outside perspective that can be valuable. Part of an ENG’s charter is to address negative stereotypes, so someone in my shoes can play an important role in heading those off. Plus, if cross-cultural understanding is the goal, a great place to start is with an executive sponsor who is open to learning more and can act as an advocate and facilitator of important discussions and activities.
With an active membership of roughly 180 employees, Salam is the only faith-based ENG at Palo Alto Networks. It may surprise you to learn that while our members live around the globe, particularly in the Middle East, a large percentage of them were born and now reside in the U.S., and about 60% of them identify as female. Discussions among members frequently revolve around the Islamaphobia and racism directed at them, from both other Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Many have indicated a desire to break down the mystery of Islam, to shed light on the various differences that exist between them and the extremists they’re often associated with. There seems to be a real sense of fear and confusion about their faith, which often leads to people presuming they are bad people. Education is the only way to move past such misconceptions. It’s appropriate, then, that salam, an Arabic word meaning peace, was selected as the name for the ENG.
Though the pandemic has affected the group’s ability to bring people together for events or discussions, we are increasingly finding ways to connect virtually. Though I’m still learning about my new role as executive sponsor and how I can best serve, I am happy to be someone to bounce ideas off, to raise important questions, and to give structure and consistency to the group from an executive level.
Though I often saw flyers in our company elevators promoting various ENG activities (before the pandemic sent us all home to work), and though I knew Palo Alto Networks was committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce and creating an atmosphere of inclusiveness, I didn’t truly understand the value of ENGs before taking on the role of executive sponsor. I’m sure I’m not alone in that. I’ve truly enjoyed getting to know the power of these groups and seeing the influence they can have on the company as a whole. In fact, in the last six months alone, the company has received roughly 1,800 referrals for potential employees from ENGs across the company, which will significantly bolster our diversity efforts.
Overall, serving as executive sponsor for Salam not only provides me with greater understanding of and exposure to other cultures, but it will help me to see my team with new eyes, to think more about how diversity can improve our business. Of course, though Palo Alto Networks is making huge strides toward being a robustly diverse company, it — like many other businesses — has a long way to go. The more voices and perspectives there are in the room, the better our decisions will be. ENGs are a first step in making sure everyone’s voice can be heard.
Research repeatedly shows that ENGs benefit both employees and employers, boosting employee engagement and satisfaction, generating greater opportunities for professional development, increasing employee retention, and improving recruitment efforts. The leaders at Palo Alto Networks understand that ENGs are good for business. If you’re an employer, consider how to make ENGs a part of your community, and continue to be vocal about their value for everyone on your team.
If you’re an employee, I encourage you to seek out an ENG that interests you, whether you’re technically part of that affinity group or not — the learning, connection, and personal growth that often take place are sure to be valuable.
Building Community in the Workplace: The Power of Employee Network Groups
For today’s tech companies, fostering inclusion and diversity are top priorities. Diverse and inclusive teams are simply stronger and more capable than non-diverse teams. But how that works in practical terms varies from business to business.
It isn’t simply a matter of hiring more women, people of color, or individuals with different abilities or backgrounds. It also goes way beyond the hiring process, to ensure those employees continue to feel included, heard, seen, and valued. This is where employee network groups, or ENGs, can be invaluable.
At Palo Alto Networks, our numerous ENGs provide individuals working at all levels of the company an outlet where they can share concerns, seek advice or input, forge connections with like-minded people, strategize ways to support and grow our inclusion efforts, and learn from each other. I’ve had the opportunity to work with many of the leaders of our ENGs and have been blown away by how amazing they all are and their dedication to helping their colleagues. The value they provide led me to volunteer for the role of executive sponsor for our women’s ENG, the Women’s Network Community (WNC).
I’ve been colleagues with several of the members of WNC since the company’s early days. But getting close to their work in this way has given me insight into the value of this group, not just the members, but for the entire company. In the last year, I’ve seen the WNC offer tremendous moral support and needed human connection at a time when many women felt isolated and overwhelmed. I’ve also found they provide a critical perspective of what’s working and what’s not that provides me and others in leadership positions actionable insights. And its commitment to bringing in speakers and creating professional development opportunities have been incredibly valuable.
ENGs like this one are powerful for companies in a number of ways:
- They help people to see the breadth and strength of people like them in the company. One of the things WNC does really well is showing how vibrant a community of women we have at Palo Alto Networks. At one of the group’s last in-person events (pre-COVID), about 500 people — most of them, but not all, women — came together. It was a great reminder of the diversity we have within the company and that although we have a long way to go in terms of attracting more women to the field, their numbers are strong and growing.
- They identify and share challenges — for the good of the whole company. For example, in recent months, a lot of the group’s discussions have related to challenges in working from home, including the difficulties involved when the boundaries between them are blurred and work-life balance is disrupted. Some of our discussions have centered on finding ways to encourage people throughout the company to take more time for themselves, to disconnect and find more balance. And in my role, I can take that message to the Product team as well as the executive staff to amplify it across the organization.
- ENGs also help create a sense of place, comfort, and familiarity that comes from talking with others who have had similar experiences. And they do a phenomenal job of including other genders, ethnicities, and backgrounds so that we can all learn from each other. Although they’re affinity groups, ENGs are not — and never should be — exclusive. The whole point is education and connection, which can’t happen in a vacuum.
As with any ENG, this group gives women a voice to enhance their visibility, which sends a powerful message that these are voices the company truly wants to hear. In this way, ENGs can help attract prospective employees by demonstrating our diversity and our commitment to inclusion.
I urge all companies to discover for themselves the power of ENGs. For those already utilizing them, I encourage everyone, whether you consider yourself a part of that affinity group or not, to participate in whatever way you feel comfortable — by listening to understand, joining a conversation, attending an event, taking a leadership role, or advocating as an executive sponsor.
Building a Culture of Inclusion Employee Network Groups Offer Support and Amplify Voices
Mathew Donoghue, Vice President of Global Marketing
Originally posted on Palo Alto Networks Corporate Blog
The many changes we all faced in 2020 have led people to look more actively for communities to support, where they can share views and amplify their voices. As an Australian citizen living in the United States who is unable to vote, I found myself searching for other ways to support human rights and add my voice in some way. So when an opportunity to serve as executive sponsor for Palo Alto Networks’ LGBTQIA+ Employee Network presented itself, I immediately raised my hand.
Laying the Foundation
I’ve never been someone who has been “out” publicly in the workplace — fortunately, my sexuality has never been a problem for me at work. However, when I joined a Palo Alto Networks’ Employee Network Group (ENG) webcast on understanding privilege, I found it incredibly informative and eye-opening. It was a wake-up call of sorts, reminding me that far too often, many people’s basic human rights are infringed upon, and I saw how privileged I’ve been in my career to not be the subject of discrimination. It was at that moment that I decided I needed to become a voice for those around me who have not been as fortunate. I reached out to our Chief People Officer and let her know that I was interested in doing my part to contribute or give back in some way, and before long, I had the executive sponsorship role.
Palo Alto Networks hosts several ENGs, not just for LGBTQIA+ members but also Black, Asian, Muslim, LatinX, women, veterans, and early-in-career employees, all of whom face their own challenges and concerns in their lives and the workplace. The groups provide a sense of community for people who may at times feel isolated, unseen, or unheard. They offer a forum in which to share experiences, unify, validate, and amplify their voices to deepen understanding and promote advocacy.
In the LGBTQIA+ Network, I was surprised to discover that we had a membership of only 200 employees, including those who identify as members of the group as well as allies. It seemed astonishing to me that our numbers would be so small, particularly given the size of the company with thousands of employees across the globe and the fact that queer people tend to be generally fabulous. Upon reflection, it became clear that life can be quite different for some. In several countries, it is illegal to be gay (even punishable by death). For certain cultures where it may not be illegal, there’s still considerable shame associated with it.. People who live under these circumstances are forced to live in the shadows, often in fear and suffering in silence. This realization only increased my determination to help in any way I could.
I’ve learned a lot from participating in this ENG, which continues to be incredibly rewarding. One of the first things I learned was the language related to how members identify themselves, which can be critically important to a person’s sense of self. When someone is referred to with the wrong pronoun, it can make them feel disrespected, invalidated, dismissed, or alienated. Asking and correctly using someone’s pronouns is one of the most basic ways we can show respect for someone’s gender identity. We offer a safe space to ask questions and gain understanding so that we can all be better colleagues, communicators, friends, and allies.
Inclusion and Diversity at the Heart
Diversity of experience, thought, and background really does drive creativity and innovation, and I’m very pleased to know that the leaders at Palo Alto Networks are behind this notion every step of the way. They have intentionally and thoughtfully made this company a very safe and inclusive space that welcomes all people, and I’m seeing the ENGs making huge strides in connecting people, offering safe spaces in order to have frank conversations, and addressing injustices in real, tangible ways.
The hard work put in by our employees, leadership, and LGBTQIA+ group is showing results as Palo Alto Networks, for the second year in a row, has received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) and has been named a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality. The CEI is the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality. This recognition is a testament to Palo Alto Networks’ commitment to inclusion and diversity.
Finding Purpose
As an executive sponsor, I have discovered a sense of purpose, and I look forward to the continued opportunity to help others — people who for whatever reason may have been denied rights or told they are not worthy — to feel that they are important and to know that what they say matters. In my professional role with the company and as a member of the marketing leadership team, I elevate ENG members’ voices, further drive awareness of issues across the organization, and champion members’ efforts with our executive team. This involves organizing and consulting on events, identifying and sharing resources with the ENG, or helping to clear roadblocks that might stand in the way of their efforts. Or it may mean listening to members’ ideas and concerns and then sharing them with the people who are in a position to make a difference. One of our initiatives is a book club, where we read literature that contains LGBTQIA+ characters or topics that might spur discussions between people of all backgrounds within the company. Ultimately, the goal is to help people find a way to connect with each other, recognize and address stigmas, and educate them about the many ways they can help, not hurt, others.
We’re making great progress at Palo Alto Networks, but there’s still work to be done, and I’m excited about the road ahead. With great pleasure and immense pride, I’m able to play a role in ensuring EVERYONE at Palo Alto Networks is not just accepted but welcomed and celebrated!
Asking the Questions that Matter: Sponsoring an Employee Network Group
Amy and her “grandpuppy,” Tucker.
Career development has been a passion of mine and an important part of my career since long before I joined Palo Alto Networks three years ago. So, it was a fortunate coincidence that I was asked, within two months of coming to work here, to step in as an executive sponsor for the company’s Early in Career Employee Network Group (ENG).
In fact, the opportunity landed on my lap — my colleague, who was the sponsor at the time, was unable to attend the group’s meet and greet and asked if I could take his place at the event. Soon afterward, he realized that his schedule didn’t really allow him to continue as a sponsor, and it made good sense for me to take on that role. After all, it was congruent with my position at the company, which at the time was Vice President of Corporate Sales — a role that, among other things, involved bringing on new talent through LEAP, the company’s early-in-career recruitment and training program.
The Early in Career ENG plays an important part in helping employees who are just starting out in their careers to make connections, seek advice, share concerns or frustrations, and develop their skills. It doesn’t necessarily mean its members have to be fresh out of college — some have been working for many years but are just starting out in cybersecurity. Issues that crop up for members include such things as establishing work-life balance, navigating finances, finding answers to work-related questions, strengthening time-management skills, identifying mentors, finding training opportunities, building professional and personal confidence, forming friendships, and finding their voice. Events range from book clubs to speaker sessions, educational presentations, training webinars, the occasional virtual happy hour, and much more.
The year 2020 has presented additional challenges, including isolation — many are recent grads and single, living alone — or feelings of disconnectedness from peers. Socials and meet-and-greet events are often a lifeline for those starting out in their careers, and with those opportunities taken off the table due to the pandemic, finding alternative ways to connect and network is essential in helping these employees stay engaged. For those fresh out of college or new to full-time employment, basic infrastructure, such as desks or designated work areas, is lacking, which adds to the difficulty of working from home. The support, advice, and connection this ENG provides are especially valuable to this group of employees, who appreciate being able to share their experiences with others who “get it.”
Being an executive sponsor doesn’t make me a leader, but rather a sounding board, advocate, cheerleader, and advisor. All the various ENG groups at Palo Alto Networks develop programs and events that are intended to be meaningful to constituent members and drive visibility across the organization. This involves considerable planning and budgeting, which I participate in. Because of my background, I can assist them in building their personal brands and bring vision to the group. I can also help spread the word about issues or concerns facing these employees or opportunities for others in the organization to participate in events or be more inclusive of early-in-career employees.
I also see raising questions as an important part of my role — questions related to what outcomes they’re seeking and how they can achieve them. I see it as the executive sponsor’s responsibility to raise questions they didn’t think to consider, to tease out their thinking and help them come up with solutions.
We all remember our first or second job, and we remember the people who were there to help lift us off. That’s why the Early in Career ENG — as well as the many ENGs we have here at Palo Alto Networks — is so important. It offers a sense of belonging as well as opportunities to both lead and follow, growing their confidence as they do. I avidly study social psychology, and one person known in this space, Brené Brown, once wrote, “We’re hardwired for connection.” Without connection in a company as large as ours, a person can easily get lost. An ENG creates a community where a person can feel safe and understood, and in turn, it helps them to feel more closely tied to the company. It not only benefits the individual but as a result, the company enjoys less turnover and happier, more productive, more engaged employees.
A company always has to be cautious that it doesn’t become exclusive in its efforts to be inclusive. That’s why an ENG is valuable for every employee, whatever affinity group we identify with. Participating in an ENG, even if you aren’t early in your career, offers a window into the issues facing those employees, as well as a deeper understanding of their ideas and perspectives, which can aid in innovation as well as recruitment and retention efforts. We’re never too experienced to learn from others which is why establishing and sponsoring ENG groups is a worthwhile investment.
Frog in a Well: Employee Network Groups Expand Your View of the World
There is an old Hindi tale about kupamanduka, which translates to “frog in a well.” In the story, the frog imagines his well is the largest water body that exists and that the small circle of sky he sees above is the limit of the horizon. In his ignorance about the world, he is happy, but the tale offers a cautionary note about the dangers of insularity, which can lead to intolerance and a lack of personal growth or understanding of the world. In the technology sector, where innovation relies on a wealth of diversity, staying in the well can keep you from being successful.
I am originally from a small valley in the Kashmir region of India, where we were isolated and had limited visibility and access to the rest of the world. In short, I was a bit like kupamanduka. It wasn’t until I left for college in urban Bangalore that I came to realize how many different cultures and languages were spoken within India, and I began learning the nuances of other people’s culture like never before. It was only the beginning of my personal transformation as I moved to the United States soon after my bachelor’s degree to work and study for MBA at University of Arkansas.
We often hear of people in technology coming from Asia to the Bay Area, where it is possible to remain inside a bubble with people just like me. I believe if I had done that, to begin with, I wouldn’t have learned as much about American culture as I did. I was in the middle of nowhere and took a job working for Walmart — an American institution I had never heard — and I was one of the first Indians they had hired. It was a very monochromatic culture, mostly white and a few African Americans, so I really stood out as different. I am intensely curious by nature, and during my time there I learned a lot about American culture, had my portion of cultural gaffes, understood better the way Americans do things, and I built a lot of friendships. But I also experienced, outside of work, instances of racism and bias that are inherent with people who are ignorant or don’t know enough about other cultures beyond the stereotypes they’ve heard. I had to overcome that and was extremely fortunate to have really good friends and mentors who stood by me; we learned from each other and expanded our horizons as a result.
There are 48 countries in Asia, and roughly 25 of those are represented by employees here at Palo Alto Networks. For many non-Asian people, their understanding of those countries as distinct, and of the great diversity found among Asian people, are a lot like the frog’s — greatly limited. Ensuring that our Asian employees feel heard, understood, and supported and that others within the organization have the opportunity to learn from them and expand their understanding of the world, are top priorities in this organization. That’s why the InnovASIAN employee network group (ENG) was established in early 2020, joining a whole host of ENGs for a wide range of underrepresented populations within Palo Alto Networks. When I was approached about being the executive sponsor for this new ENG, I saw it as a great opportunity to expand horizons for myself and our employees.
As executive sponsor, I’m not leading or making decisions for the group, but I’m helping by offering guidance, advocating on behalf of the group to inform decision- and policy-making, and lending executive-level perspective to education and events. I can help spread the word about activities and discussions the group is developing, and lead by example by participating in them.
I’m able to use my role to offer guidance on career growth among our company’s Asian community — providing advice on finding mentors, taking on new responsibilities, and developing professional skills — and I can play an active role in trying to eradicate biases by helping our group to be external facing and educate others about our cultures, mentorship programs, through activities such as fares of Asia, making foods native to their countries, or participating in cultural holidays or observances. For example, for Diwali, the Festival of Lights, we welcomed our company CEO and Chairman Nikesh Arora and President Amit Singh to participate in making chai (tea) and share what Diwali means to them. It’s education that feels approachable, not onerous, and yet is powerful in how it allows people of different backgrounds to feel connected.
Since coming to America, I’ve seen that what makes us great is the diversity of thought and ability to surround ourselves with people from all walks of life and learn from each other, regardless of caste, color, or creed. It is only by doing this that we “frogs” can see beyond our wells and truly understand the world. That’s the power of an ENG.