Therese Van Ryne and Natalie Bodus of Zebra Technologies
By Natalie Bodus | April 29, 2022

Inclusion and Diversity Action Report: Bringing Outside Thinking in to Accelerate Progress

If we want to help others, we must first understand them. Likewise, we must seek inspiration from leading best practices and act with intentionality to advance our own internal inclusion and diversity journey.

If we want something to change, we must take action and sometimes, the most effective actions are based on best practices which we adopt by partnering with others externally to increase our impact. We have taken a lot of initiative in recent years to drive greater diversity in our company and foster a culture of belonging where inclusivity and acceptance are the only practice – not just a best practice. Yet, we still have work to do if we want to realize our vision of being a leader in this space.  We are constantly looking to others for inspiration, staying abreast of the latest research and guidance when developing resources, hosting events, and making efforts to refine our I&D practice, as I explained to Therese Van Ryne when we sat down for the Q1 2022 I&D Action Report.

Tune in now to find out more about:

  • [:27-4:34] The new I&D initiatives we have developed and kickstarted in recent months in response to the feedback provided by our global employee survey, as well as what we’ll be focusing on in 2022. (Spoiler alert: We are actively equipping our leaders with the tools and data they need to be better change agents and ensure I&D is woven into the fabric of our culture – not just something discussed at a surface level by select groups of people.)

  • [4:35-7:29] How we are drawing inspiration from best practices and programs that have proven successful for other organizations and then tailoring them to Zebra’s ambitions and interests.  

  • [7:30-9:37] The hands-on role that Zebra’s leaders have played in the evolution of our I&D initiatives, the influence they’re having on our I&D vision, and how they’re expanding their involvement in I&D initiatives.

  • [9:27-11:00] What cues Zebra – and Zebra leaders – are taking from others to ensure we’re making changes that will positively impact our employees, customers, partners and communities from an I&D perspective and accelerate progress toward our goals.

Topics
Corporate Social Responsibility, Inside Zebra Nation, Podcast,
Natalie Bodus
Natalie Bodus

Natalie Bodus is currently the Senior Director of Inclusion and Diversity and Employer Brand for Zebra. In this role, she leads a team focused on ensuring that all employees are seen, heard, valued, and respected based on Zebra's Inclusion and DIversity principles. 

Natalie and her team are also driving the employer value proposition through purposeful efforts intended to elevate Zebra as an employer of choice. This includes the recruitment of external talent as well as the retention and re-recruitment of Zebra's existing employee base. As a result of these efforts, Natalie was named to the Crain’s Chicago 2021 list of Notable Executives in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Prior to assuming ths role in September 2020, Natalie served as the Human Resources (HR) Director for Zebra’s EMEA region. She was responsible for leading the HR function to ensure the right talent strategies are implemented to best support Zebra’s unique business objectives in the region.

She has more than 10 years of experience in HR and has served in various HR roles for Zebra’s global Finance, IT and Legal organizations, partnering directly with each executive leader and their teams to advance their talent initiatives.

Prior to joining Zebra, Natalie held HR roles across a number of industries supporting commercial teams, global functions and operational business units. Throughout her career, she has dedicated time to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association (HBA), specifically assisting in their college relations and mentorship programs. More recently, Natalie has channeled her passion for driving change and making an impact into her role as Co-Chairperson for Zebra’s Women’s Inclusion Network.

Natalie hold a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with a focus in Human Resources and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.