Cablefax The Magazine October 2022 - 26

D&I CHAMPION
When Thomas Petit walked through
the door at AMC Networks in November
2020, she was tasked with developing
and serving as the company's
first-ever DEI Officer. She quickly
established three areas of strategic
focus for progress: talent/workplace
practices, content and establishing
industry leadership in demonstrating
diversity as an imperative for success.
She's helped AMC Networks make
inroads on all three. On the content
side, she's provided strategic guidance,
including with the launch of
" Can We Talk About This, " an on-air
short talk-show series created to
offer conversation around classic
films with outdated, often upsetting
or insensitive content when viewed
through today's cultural lens. The series
eventually expanded to include
a documentary series including 12 titles
covering themes of race, justice,
and equality. Internally, Thomas-Petit
helped launch " Crucial Conversations, "
a series of events bringing together
employees with leaders and
artists to discuss some of the most
pressing issues of the day. She also
oversaw " Self-ID " and culture assessment
campaign that gave production
staff the opportunity to anonymously
disclose their identity including gender,
race/ethnicity,
LGBTQ+ status,
veteran status, or disability status and
determine if participants feel included,
listened to, valued, respected, and
able to reach their highest potential.
Such endeavors can be delicate.
Thomas-Petit's advice is to build trust
through transparency. " You have to be
honest with the people you're working
with on any project, whether that's
your employees or your production
partners, about where you are on your
journey and what you're committed
to from a strategic perspective, " she
says. " You also have to be open to listen-open
to hearing what they need
from you, celebrating wins and also
addressing any concerns. Communication
can't ever be one directional,
it needs to be an ongoing dialogue to
build that level of comfort and connection
so that people feel like they're
heard, like they belong, and like they
can affect change. "
In February, Thomas-Petit's title expanded
to include overseeing AMC
Network's people and culture strategy,
including leadership development,
benefits and compensation-a sure
sign that management
likes the direction
she's taking the company. The
role is her first in the entertainment industry,
and she feels right at home. " In
my previous roles I was very much focused
on making an impact on policy
and on people practices but at AMCN,
Aisha
Thomas-Petit
Chief People &
Diversity Officer
AMC Networks
Eric Jackson
SVP, Diversified Sports Content & Content Operations
Turner Sports
THE WHY? Jackson leads Turner Sports' internal division dedicated to
diverse storytelling. The group helps produce a steady stream of content
centered on the intersection of sports, culture and community. He's also a
producer for " The Arena, " which brings together voices from sports and civic
leaders to discuss events happening off the court. Standout features include
an MLK Day special highlighting voting rights and a discussion in the wake of
the murder of George Floyd.
HE SAYS... " It is equally important to me to be equitable in the development
of all employees under my leadership or under my mentorship both inside and
outside of my organization. It's a legacy I'm most proud of. "
ORGANIZATION YOU'RE PROUD TO SUPPORT? Besides my church,
Christ the King Church, I am proud to support the Atlanta-based nsoro Educational
Foundation, which provides scholarships for students that age out of
foster care.
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October 2022
CablefaxDiversity.com
I also have the ability to work on projects
and services that are viewed
by audiences around the world, " she
says. " What also made me want to
make the jump was how ripe the industry
was and still is for change. Both
on screen and in the corporate offices
that develop the content, media has
not always been the most diverse of
places, but even in just the short time
I've been here we've started to see
such incredible and affirming change,
especially as we have been so focused
on the connection between what we
see on screen and who's behind the
scenes working on it. "
DIVERSITY
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Cablefax The Magazine October 2022

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