Cablefax The Magazine October 2022 - 51

Pragash Pillai
EVP, Chief Technology and Information Officer & Customer
Experience
Altice USA
THE WHY? The work Pillai and his team do to continually enhance and
improve Altice's network and field operations has contributed to a significant
boost in customer satisfaction and key field and network performance metrics.
And since adding customer experience to his purview, he's also focused
on ensuring customers have a consistent experience across all touchpoints.
Pillai participates in the company's AAPI Community Together affinity group,
and he serves on NAMIC's board of directors.
HE SAYS... " It is important to recognize generational and cultural differences
that lie within an organization and use those experiences to promote
cross-collaboration and allyship. "
D&I CHAMPION
When Hallmark Media created its
first-ever Employee Resource Council
in 2020, Evans was all in, serving
as one of the founding chairs of the
group. He's led extensive and impactful
Employee Resource Council
campaigns for Pride, Asian Pacific
American Heritage, Jewish American
Heritage, Hispanic Heritage, Earth
Month, Women's History Month,
Black History Month, Black Music
Month, Breast Cancer Awareness
and more.
Starting up an ERG can be difficult,
but Evans said the initiative quickly
took off because of the dedication of
Hallmark's employees. " We are fortunate
to have an incredibly engaged
workforce at Hallmark Media who
leaped at the opportunity to engage
in our DEI work. It has been an inspiring
experience seeing my colleagues
give their time and efforts to support
this important work, " he says.
Notably, during the company's Pride
Month celebration, Evans led a companywide
town hall presentation
that featured a panel dedicated to
transgender lives. He used his own
experience as a gay executive to deliver
a moving panel with honest dialogue
about how to be a dedicated
and genuine ally. " Everyone may not
be comfortable speaking in front of
a crowd, but we can all foster a safe
and inclusive environment by being
supportive allies, " Evans says. " Allyship
is something we can all do to
create a safe and supportive environment
that encourages everyone to
be their authentic selves. "
CablefaxDiversity.com
Though he excelled in his role in the
digital department as Creative Digital
Project and Campaign Manager, it
quickly became apparent that leading
DEI is a true calling. In July, Hallmark
Media promoted him to this new position,
where he develops company DEI
initiatives and helps establish the DEI
framework across the organization. He
is responsible for identifying programs
and cultural efforts that drive business
goals and promote the needs of individuals
by creating a safe and accepting
environment for the Hallmark Media
workforce.
Evans' desire to make the world a better
place for all extends across all aspects
of his life. For the past several
years, he has participated in fundraising
events for AIDS/LifeCycle. He has
practiced after a long day of work to
take on the roles of Beyonce or Princess
Tiana in preparation for phenomenal
drag shows that raise thousands
for the Ride to End Aids. He also trains
for months to be able to physically
make the Ride from San Francisco to
L.A.
Daryl Evans
Senior Director of
Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion
Hallmark Media
October 2022
51
Evans' work has led to Hallmark
Media sponsoring three tentpole
AIDS Walk event campaigns across
the country. " Supporting AIDS Walk
charities across the country is one of
our most significant and sustained
successes. Our cultural celebrations
have also been nothing short of remarkable, "
he says. " Our associates
are great storytellers, and we've leveraged
that talent to create amazing
conversations that celebrate culture
and elevate our understating of diversity
and inclusion. "
DIVERSITY
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Cablefax The Magazine October 2022

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