48: Dads in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion - Part 2

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:

• 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)
• Juan discusses what it is like for him to be a parent working in diversity, equity, and inclusion. (6:13)
• Becoming a dad helped Juan evolve in his role at Comcast and gave him a different viewpoint regarding various racial issues. (8:03)
• 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)
• Juan explains how he had to re-prioritize his life after his son was born. (12:27)
• The strategies Juan uses as a leader to support his people. (15:15)
• 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)
• Juan talks about his first paid job and explains how it made an imprint on him. (20:34)
• What has parenthood taught Juan in terms of career-related skills? (22:58)
• Juan discusses his part in shaping the conversation around working parenthood. (26:57)
• 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:

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