In this episode of Parents at Work, Lori Mihalich-Levin and Jason Levin talk to another amazing dad who is a professional in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)!

Juan Otero serves as Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Comcast Corporation, where he leads DE&I initiatives across Comcast NBC Universal, focusing specifically on governance, public policy, and strategic employee engagement. His responsibilities include the oversight of DE&I analytics; organizational alignment on the company’s public policy positions with DE&I implications; broad activation of employee resource groups and related volunteerism platforms; and development of targeted DE&I workforce education and training. He also supports the integration of DE&I into Comcast NBC Universal’s community impact initiatives.

Juan is married to his wonderful wife, Julissa, and they have an active son, Julian, who is five years old. Juan holds a JD from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and an MPA from American University.

Juan talks about his experience as a parent working in diversity, equity, and inclusion. He discusses his confusion and fear after becoming a parent, the fantastic support he received in the workplace, and how his priorities changed after he became a dad.

Stay tuned to hear about Juan’s life as a dad working in the world of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Show highlights:

1. Juan tells the story of how he met his wife and landed up where he is today in the world of working parents. (2:53)
2. Juan discusses what it is like for him to be a parent working in diversity, equity, and inclusion. (6:13)
3. Becoming a dad helped Juan evolve in his role at Comcast and gave him a different viewpoint regarding various racial issues. (8:03)
4. Juan had a wonderfully supportive boss who understood his confusion after becoming a parent and explained everything Comcast had available, in terms of parental support. (11:14)
5. Juan explains how he had to re-prioritize his life after his son was born. (12:27)
6. The strategies Juan uses as a leader to support his people. (15:15)
7. Even though Juan got all he needed in terms of parental support in the workplace, he would still have appreciated having someone to talk to about his wellness. (18:08)
8. Juan talks about his first paid job and explains how it made an imprint on him. (20:34)
9. What has parenthood taught Juan in terms of career-related skills? (22:58)
10. Juan discusses his part in shaping the conversation around working parenthood. (26:57)
11. How heart-focused breathing can help working parents avoid freaking out. (32:42)

Links and resources:

Comcast Corporation

Juan Otero on LinkedIn

Books mentioned:

A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens

The Godfather, by Mario Puzo

Dog Man, A Tale of Two Kitties, by Dav Pilkey

Pete the Cat, by Kimberly Dean, James Dean, and Eric Litwin

Mentioned in this episode:

Get the new book: Relationships to Infinity, the Art and Science of Keeping In Touch from Ready, Set, Launch

Head over to www.readysetlaunch.net to grab your copy of the book, Relationships to Infinity, the Art and Science of Keeping In Touch.

Ready Set Launch Book