The tech industry is currently undergoing a cultural transformation, driven by the growing recognition of the importance of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) in the workplace. Companies are increasingly being held accountable for their actions and are expected to align their words with their actions when it comes to DEIB initiatives.
Never has it been more important for companies to be transparent about their efforts, both in terms of their successes and areas for improvement. Despite the growing focus on DEIB in the tech industry, many industry events such as keynotes, panels, and conferences still lack diverse and inclusive representation. This highlights the need for continued efforts to promote diversity and inclusiveness in all aspects of the tech industry.
In working with many key tech and semiconductor industry players, the SEMI Foundation witnesses numerous focused DEIB initiatives and stand-alone actions that are crucial to transforming company cultures, knowledge representation, and the overall perception of the industry. Yet a broader, more collaborative approach is necessary to really make an impact.
As a member of the SEMI Foundation Advisory Council, EMD Electronics, Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany is determined to lead the discussion around more diverse speaker lineups to help propel the tech industry’s cultural transformation. Following are perspectives on DEIB from Katherine Hutchison, Ph.D., Executive Director, Head of Technology Strategy and Roadmap, and Anand Nambiar, Executive Vice President and Global Head of Semiconductor Materials, at EMD Electronics.
Katherine Hutchison on gender representation
Statistics illustrate the imbalance in the representation of gender, nationality or ethnicity and culture in the tech industry. In the U.S. tech sector, only 26.7% of jobs are held by women. White Americans hold 62% of tech jobs while only 20% are held by Asian Americans, 8% by Latin Americans and 7% by Black Americans (*Scott et al., 2017). This is a reality witnessed in meeting rooms, board rooms and at industry events.
At EMD Electronics we believe that working towards our 2023 DE&I ambitions comes with a clear focus on deliberately developing diverse talent, championing equity and fostering a sense of belonging through inclusive leadership. We aim to create diverse panels at events and inclusive communication at work to enhance representation and drive change.
I believe that key industry players must unite to create more modern, diverse, and representative speaker agendas for industry events. We owe it to businesses in attendance, employees seeking inspiration and insights, and stakeholders that expect leading-edge innovation. I know that expertise and the right fit for panels, keynotes and presentations are independent of someone’s title. A fast-moving industry quickly develops subject matter experts and thought leaders. I am convinced we can discover speakers and thought leaders beyond our Rolodex if we leverage diversity in our committees and are more deliberate about event agendas and key messages.
At EMD Electronics, we ask industry event hosts, agenda committees and thought leaders to consider DEIB an integral part of the future of our industry. By incorporating DEIB into event planning, we are demonstrating that diverse and inclusive agendas foster a deeper audience engagement through broader representation.
Anand Nambiar on sponsorship
I am a firm believer in the power of sponsorship to achieve better representation of a diverse workforce in our industry. At EMD Electronics, sponsorship – as opposed to mentorship – describes a purposeful, proactive relationship between an executive and under-represented talent pools, including advocacy for an individual such as providing access to influential networks and career advice. These efforts can strengthen a more diverse leadership pipeline and impact the sense of belonging for all.
By embracing the concept of sponsorship and making it a habit, the semiconductor industry can take significant steps towards improving diversity, equity, and inclusion within its workforce. This proactive approach, which involves executive advocacy and support for underrepresented talent pools, can lead to a more diverse leadership pipeline, a stronger sense of belonging for all employees, and a culture shift towards modern, inclusive practices.
For under-represented talent and education pipelines, we continue to encourage returning-to-work mothers, veterans, and technical and community college students to become a part of our team. For our current female colleagues, we have formed an internal task force Women in Semi to help drive toward gender parity in our materials organization. On a broader scale, our Semiconductor Materials team has formed a chapter within the Women Success Network for female colleagues worldwide to access. Regionally, we’ve also formed chapters in San Jose, California; Tempe, Arizona; and at our hometown facility in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania.
Gender parity and all forms of DEIB progress are critical to fueling our culture and meeting future business objectives, with women accounting for 36% of leadership at Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany. Our goal is to achieve gender parity by 2030 in leadership positions across all three of our group’s business sectors: Electronics, Life Science, and Healthcare. Leaders like Belén Garijo, Chair of the Executive Board and Merck Group CEO; Sally Chiu, our Hsinchu Site Director; Laura Matz, our Chief Science & Technology Officer; and Khadija Ben Hammada, Merck Group EVP and Global Head of Talent Development and Recruiting and many others continue to pave the road for female leaders in our industry.
At the end of the day, representation matters more than we see. Although our industry has made progress in prioritizing workforce diversity, we need to continue to strive for representation in high-profile forums such as panels. The reason is that diversity plays a crucial role in shaping the perceptions and aspirations of our current and future workforce by allowing them to see individuals like themselves in leadership positions, prompting the all-important thought, “I can see myself.
I encourage event committees to take proactive steps to sponsor speakers from underrepresented groups, such as women, young individuals, and those with disabilities for their events. We are excited to partner with the SEMI Foundation to support this culture shift towards a more diverse, inclusive and honest representation of our amazing industry to spur greater innovation, collaboration and a sense of belonging.
Daryl Condry (second from left), West Megasys Manager at EMD Electronics, participates in the Hiring Heroes – A Path from Military to a Civilian Career panel at the SEMICON West 2022 Workforce Development Pavilion.
*Scott, A., Klein, F. K., & Onovakpuri, U. (2017, April 27). TechLeavers2017. Oakland; Kapor Center for Social Impact.
About the Authors
Katherine Hutchison is Executive Director, Head of Technology Strategy and Roadmaps in the EMD Electronics CTO organization. She has more than 20 years’ experience in the semiconductor industry, where she has held various roles in strategy, business development and marketing. Hutchison received her B.A. in Chemistry from Cornell University and her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Anand Nambiar is an Executive Vice President and Global Head of Semiconductor Materials at EMD Electronics, the Electronics business of Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany. Nambiar has over 25 years of experience in the semiconductor industry. He has headed the Semiconductor Materials business for the past five years, overseeing its high-profile acquisition of Versum Materials and Intermolecular. He previously led Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany’s Biopharma and Consumer Health business in India.