Earlier this year, I wrote a blog post spotlighting some of my amazing colleagues at Cox Automotive (you can read it here). Today, I'm continuing that series by introducing you to three more people who are transforming the way the world buys, sells, owns and uses cars. Keep reading to learn about Rachel, Annette and Austin!
Spotlight on Rachel Vigliotti, Lead Product Manager
Q. Can you tell me about your role at Cox Automotive?
I’m the Lead Product Manager on the Storefront Global team for Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader. My team and I lead the homepages for the sites, as well as a collection of other pages.
Q. Do you identify as being part of any specific community? Whether culturally, ethnically, or otherwise?
I’m half Indian and half Eastern European, but I’m not sure how a part of either community I am. My grandmother moved to the US from Poland when she was nine, so certain dishes, music and styles were shared. I feel a stronger affinity for various parts of my Indian roots, though I didn’t grow up with any Indian culture being part of my life.
Q. What advice would you give to leaders looking to attract diverse talent?
The best way to attract diverse talent is to retain diverse talent. There are few things more powerful to encourage (or discourage) behavior than word of mouth. The largest and most well-known companies, specifically in tech, struggle to retain diverse employee bases, which eventually leads to difficulty in attracting talent. My advice would be to do things other organizations aren’t doing with their talent. Be willing to give marginalized employees a seat at every table, including leadership roles. Take part in frequent diversity and inclusion assessments. Ask your employees what could be done to better support them and then take the steps to make those things happen.
Spotlight on Annette Chang, Lead Product Manager
Q. Can you tell me about your role at Cox Automotive?
I lead the Private Seller product on Autotrader.
Q. Do you identify as being part of any specific community? Whether culturally, ethnically, or otherwise?
Yes, I'm Hispanic. Most of my favorites (music, food, etc.) are a bit eclectic, not specific to being Hispanic. However, some of my favorite foods closest to my heritage are probably Guacamole (dip), Horchata (rice drink), and what I call Mexican Jell-O (Mosaic Jell-O) .
Q. What advice would you give to leaders looking to attract diverse talent?
Connect with groups that are made up of diverse talent in and outside of colleges, i.e., Latinas in Tech, Women in Product, Women of Color Automotive Network, Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Internships, etc.
Spotlight on Austin Morris, Associate Editor
Q. Can you tell me about your role at Cox Automotive?
I am an assistant editor for Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader. I help come up with new story ideas, write and edit articles, update articles to improve Google rankings and manage projects.
Q. Do you identify as being part of any specific community? Whether culturally, ethnically, or otherwise?
I am African American, and an Atlanta native.
Q. What advice would you give to leaders looking to attract diverse talent?
My advice would be to give everybody a fair chance and give them the opportunity to showcase their true abilities and capabilities.
