Building a More Inclusive and Diverse Environment at Cox

At Cox, we carry a shared responsibility to champion a more open environment, where everyone can use their unique talents and tenacity to drive growth – their own professional growth and the growth of our organization as a whole.  And while inclusion requires a united commitment from all of our people, we also know that we need leaders at all levels to drive accountability and action.

The Actions Speak Task Force at Cox is a vibrant example of this, where each member is contributing their perspective and expertise to create our shared vision for the future.  We know inclusion leads to innovation.  But this task force isn’t about business innovation. It’s about driving new ways of understanding and interacting with our employees, partners and customers. It’s about recognizing our shared humanity.  It’s ultimately about ensuring all of our people experience the sense of belonging and equity that comes when they feel a personal sense of value that drives them to fully engage and contribute. 

Meet a few of the leaders of the Actions Speak Task Force who are making their mark and helping us build a more inclusive Cox.

RICHARD COX 

Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer, CIS Operations, Cox Enterprises

I believe it’s incredibly important to increase leadership diversity. To that end, I’m really encouraged by our willingness to have honest conversations at Cox about race and racism.  We’re consciously creating space for these conversations and there’s an openness about our desire to improve, creating an environment where everyone feels more authentically included.

SONJI JACOBS

Vice President, Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Cox Enterprises

I believe that People of Color must see themselves reflected in the leadership of an organization.  It’s how we retain fresh, diverse talent so that we can embrace change and innovate more quickly.  We must be open to learning and growing together. Learning about others, and then developing a true understanding about systemic racism, is critical in making a difference — in the workplace and our communities.

BOB JIMENEZ

Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Cox Enterprises 

Building a more diverse and inclusive Cox should be viewed as an ongoing journey, and we need to stay focused and committed for the long term.  We must create pathways for People of Color to join, grow, and advance their careers at Cox. Just imagine the creativity and innovation we would unleash by leveraging our diversity across the entire spectrum of job levels.

LISA LOVALLO

Market Vice President, Cox Communications — Southwest  

I want the voice of our employees to be heard in everything we do.  I think it’s more important than ever for us to ask our Black colleagues to tell their stories, and to actively listen to those stories so we can challenge and educate ourselves on the systemic and institutional racism that exists in our society and, as a result, within Cox.  Once we listen, we must then act.  Together, we can make real and permanent change.

TIFFANIE MCDONALD

Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion, Cox Enterprises 

I’ve experienced what it’s like to be an outsider and treated differently because of race. It’s important to me to be a part of the change that I want to see for my family, for Cox, and for our country.  We must speak up when we see unconscious bias or exclusion, and make proactive efforts to learn about different backgrounds and cultures so we can develop reflexive inclusion habits.

CODY PARTIN

Senior Vice President, Total Rewards & People Ops Benefits, Cox Enterprises 

I believe we can build off of Cox’s strong foundation of inclusion and diversity to be even more intentional in our efforts.  It’s important that we are all listening and learning more about how other people experience the world.  When we center ourselves around values like empathy, justice and respect for others, we set ourselves on the path to an environment where employees have equal opportunities to compete, grow and thrive.

GEORGE RICHTER

Senior Vice President, Supply Chain Management, Cox Communications

To overcome racism, white people — especially white men like myself — have to be aware of unconscious bias, and open to uncomfortable conversations about race.  We also have to be willing to educate ourselves. We must truly engage and play an active role in addressing the history of racism to understand how we can create a future that removes unfair barriers for those who have been underserved.