In May of 2019, we celebrated a big milestone at Avanade: the Blacks at Avanade Affinity Group transformed into Avanade’s newest Employee Resource Group (ERG) –INSPIRE|Black Employee Network. The ERG is dedicated to elevating the representation of Avanade’s employees that identify as Black, African, African-American, West Indian/Caribbean, Afro-Latinx or of African descent. These events are pivotal markers of the commitment Avanade has made to drive inclusion and diversity across the organization. These tangible references reflect the many changes in each of our lives, our industry and the world. At the beginning of September, Avanade took another huge step forward appointing our first female and first black Chief Executive Officer, Pamela Maynard.

To commemorate this history and celebrate these changes, Avanade’s INSPIRE ERG, along with Accenture’s African-American ERG, co-hosted From Coder to CEO, a discussion featuring Pam.

It was important to the INSPIRE ERG to create a space and platform for members of the Avanade community to not only connect with Pam, but also for Pam to connect with us. During the Q&A, when I asked questions to dig deeper into her experiences in life and career leading up to her becoming our CEO, she eloquently shared stories of trial and success, especially relatable to women and people of color. She talked about the importance of seeking out mentors and coaches, and the opportunities that can arise when you reach beyond your fears to try new things and accept new responsibilities.

As Pam settles into her new role, she is in the highest position of power, leadership and influence in our company, and with that comes a great deal of responsibility – not only to the company she represents, but also to other women and people of color, like me, who will look to her journey for guidance.

Based on what she shared during our conversation, Pam has an extensive background in the industry (she started her career as a coder!) and in leadership, including experience successfully navigating the corporate world at a high level as a woman of color. The INSPIRE ERG looks forward to learning more about those experiences and using the lessons she shared to continue to grow the ERG, inspire existing and future ERGs and continue to diversify the Avanade community.

Under Pamela’s leadership, the INSPIRE ERG is excited about the future of Avanade!