Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is continuing to communicate with employees as ongoing race-related protests continue in the United States and beyond. Nadella has kept frequent contact with employees and the public over the last month.
In a new email circulated internally throughout Microsoft, Satya Nadella has focused directly on racial discrimination. He discusses several steps Microsoft is taking to push for change. Nadella says Microsoft is seeking to improve the “lived experience”.
In the email, the CEO points to Microsoft’s plan to tackle inequality and injustice in African American communities. Satya Nadella says the company is embarking on a five-year plan across three different focuses:
- “Increasing our representation and culture of inclusion. We will build on our diversity and inclusion (D&I) momentum from the past five years by adding an additional $150M of D&I investment, and will double the number of Black and African American people managers, senior individual contributors, and senior leaders in the United States by 2025.
- Engaging our ecosystem. We will use our balance sheet and engagement with suppliers and partners to extend the vision for societal change throughout our ecosystem, creating new opportunities for them and the communities they serve.
- Strengthening our communities. We will use the power of data, technology, and partnership to help improve the lives of Black and African American citizens across our country, including to address the safety and well-being of our own employees in the communities in which they live.”
Ongoing Support
Nadella’s first company-wide email was circulated earlier this month. That first reach-out was focused on Microsoft offering support to protests. However, he has now put a more concrete plan on what Microsoft will do.
However, the CEO has not discussed a movement within Microsoft that aims to stop the company working with law enforcement (LE). OneZero reports a letter has been drafted and sent to Satya Nadella and executive vice president Kurt DelBene. With 250 signatures from employees, the letter asks the company to end contracts with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) and other LE agencies.
