Three Amazonians share how to cultivate a culture of inclusion
9 December 2021
This is Inside Voices, a new interview series from Amazon Ads that spotlights Amazonians and the work they do to promote a diverse and inclusive work environment. In each interview, we’ll ask various leaders within Amazon Ads about how they foster diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within their teams, the challenges they’ve faced and overcome in their career and their advice to others.
“The festive season” means something different for everyone. Our many cultures, ethnicities and religions shape our festive season traditions and what they mean to us. In this interview, we speak to three members of the Global Advertising Partner Development team – Natalia Alfonso, Kumiko Arai, and Babalola Williams – on what the festive season means to them and how they foster a sense of inclusion among their teams during this time of year, even in today’s virtual world.
Natalia Alfonso, Principal Product Manager
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I am from Colombia but I have lived in New York City for the last seven years. I started my career at Amazon as a product manager after I graduated from college, working on the email channel for an Amazon subsidiary in New York. I then spent several years in different marketing roles, including retention marketing, social media marketing and finally product marketing.
I am now back in a product role working on the Amazon Ads API. My career at Amazon is an example of why I love working here. I’ve been able to try different functions, roles and teams. I would had never known I love working with developers as customers and managing a technical product if I hadn’t had a chance to try it.
What does DEI mean to you and why is it important?
For me, diversity means having different voices within a team, equity means listening to each voice, and inclusion means making everyone feel heard and valued. While there are many reasons why these ideas matter, I can think of two that most resonate with me. First, I think people are most energized when they feel included and valued. For me personally, I feel energised from working on a team that appreciates the unique perspective I bring to the team. I think everyone should be able to feel like that. Second, fostering different opinions and voices is important to get to good business outcomes. We build better products for our customers when we account for different points of view.
– Natalia Alfonso, Principal Product ManagerI think getting the best of people means making them feel included and valued. For me personally, I feel energised from working on a team that appreciates the unique perspective I bring to the team.
What are some of the ways your team has helped promote a sense of inclusion, belonging and equity on a daily basis?
One of the reasons I joined my team is because leadership promotes inclusion. I see this in big ways, like leaders’ commitment to attracting diverse talent, and less obvious ones, like when senior leaders stop a meeting to ensure a more junior team member has a chance to contribute to the conversation. I really love how our leaders seek opinions from team members from different functions, backgrounds and levels of seniority.
What does the festive season mean to you? What are some of your favourite traditions and why are they important to you?
For me, the festive season often means an opportunity to spend time with family and friends. I have a toddler and a baby at home. On holidays, we like to cook together: we make cookies, bake challah or make latkes. It’s a great time to slow down and be with each other.
Kumiko Arai, Senior Programme Manager
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
I’m originally from Japan and joined the Amazon Japan team in May 2010 in the consumer business organisation as an integration manager. Later, I changed my role to a programme manager to support third-party solution providers. While I was supporting developers based in Japan, I had an opportunity to engage with our teams at the Amazon headquarters in Seattle, and became interested in opportunities abroad.
In December 2020, I relocated to Seattle with my family to lead the Amazon Ads API onboarding process. I am grateful for the opportunity to work abroad, and to my family for their understanding during the move. We anticipated challenges, since life would be totally different language- and culture-wise, and everyone has adapted well.
What does DEI mean to you?
To me, diversity is when we have many different insights and perspectives on one thing because of the people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. I strongly believe diversity makes teams stronger and helps us better support our diverse customers. Equity to me means we are recognised equally. And inclusion is to be mindful about the individuals’ situations and backgrounds, and making sure different opinions are heard.
– Kumiko Arai, Senior Programme ManagerI strongly believe diversity makes teams stronger and helps us better support our diverse customers.
What are some of the ways your team helps promote a sense of inclusion, belonging and equity on a daily basis?
Our team creates an inclusive culture in many ways. For example, we sometimes have someone’s kids come on guests during our virtual team meetings. We wave and say hello, acknowledging that being a parent and working remotely is challenging and it’s important to lean on your teammates.
What does the festive season mean to you?
Holidays mean family gatherings to me. During the pandemic, it’s unfortunate we can’t celebrate together, across borders. My favourite tradition is the New Year. In the morning of the first three days of a year, my family gathers and eats traditional dishes called “Osechi”. Each dish has a meaning, for example “Kurikinton” is candied chestnut with sweet potatoes, and the colour becomes gold-ish when you stir it with syrup, so we believe eating it will bring the good luck. Another dish, called “Nishime”, is boiled root vegetables in dashi soup. Those vegetables root in the soil, so it has a meaning of “long-lasting happiness”. After eating “Osechi”, we visit a shrine and spend time watching holiday programmes or playing traditional board games.
Babalola Williams, Expansion Programme Manager
Please tell us a little bit about yourself.
It’s always a delight to hear friends call me Babs (abridged version of Babalola). Interestingly, my upbringing in Lagos, Nigeria, sparked in me this urge to know the world beyond Africa, and Amazon turned out to be my destination. My mum used to say this often, “Education, particularly higher education, will take Africa into the mainstream of globalisation”. This is a quote (I grew up to realise) that was borrowed from an African ex-president. These words drove me to Yale and today into a global company; I am the piece of Africa moved into the mainstream of globalisation.
My professional experience spans across retail banking, consumer electronics, international development and online retail. I hold a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Covenant University, an MBA degree from Lagos Business School and a Master of Advanced Management from Yale School of Management. I live in Edgewater, New Jersey, and I am an Expansion Programme Manager within Amazon Ads.
What does DEI mean to you?
First, as a person, then as a Nigerian in America, I describe DEI as a conscious dedication to equal opportunity; and as a professional, and acknowledging their potential with limitless opportunity. I believe the richness of every team or organisation is its broad and diverse experiences, backgrounds and successes. In the famous words of the poet William Cowper, “Variety is the spice of life, that gives it all its flavour”; this intentional variety breeds the free, intellectual exchange of ideas necessary in today’s world that demands intercultural competency and respect.
This is important because everyone has a role to play in creating an environment where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging. This includes accountability of one’s actions, and equal and equitable opportunity to contribute, learn, grow and succeed professionally.
How do you celebrate diverse cultures in the workplace, especially now that we’re remote?
My team is a beautifully woven fabric of different cultures and ethnicities and we intentionally take time to celebrate each other's identities. My manager once shared how she ate a famous Nigerian delicacy (Jollof rice) and how much she enjoyed learning a piece of Nigerian culture. She was super excited to share this experience with me.
During my one-on-one interactions I try to learn about other cultures. We recently had a team virtual social hour, where we were able to learn more about each other’s cultures and how we sustain or replicate those cultures.
What does the festive season mean to you? What are some of your favourite traditions and why are they important to you?
The festive season to me means spending time with family and loved ones; it’s a time to celebrate and be thankful for all the goodness and milestones accomplished. It’s a season to extend love to others, as we have more time to ourselves. Above all, it is a time to connect with my religious beliefs while we celebrate those of others.
– Babalola Williams, Expansion Programme ManagerIt’s a season to extend love to others, as we have more time for ourselves. Above all, it is a time to connect with my religious beliefs while we celebrate those of others.
In Nigeria, the holiday is a festive season with numerous parties and events to attend. I would take turns in December attending parties hosted by loved ones and crowned it in January with my family hosting for the New Year. Since I do not have travels plans to go Nigeria for the holiday, I will be joining remotely and connecting with my Nigerian community in the US. I’m also looking forward to seeing the ball drop in Times Square this year.
Want to find out more about the work Amazon is doing to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace? Visit aboutamazon.com/workplace/diversity-inclusion. You can also follow us on LinkedIn.