Spearheading DEIC by achieving global inclusion

The month of May was filled with discussions and reflections to honor the Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage culture represented throughout the U.S. Global business leaders and employee resource groups (ERGs) joined hands and facilitated rich discussions around bridging cultural difference in the workplace, building effective multicultural teams and developing inclusive leadership.

This year at Cummins Inc., the overarching theme is #GlobalInclusion and Cummins.

Employees from Asian ERGs and networks planned and presented a wide range of celebrations and activities, from a leadership speaker series to keynote and panel discussions.

“Each year at Cummins, we celebrate the rich history and remarkable influence of AAPI heritage. Employees in various Asian ERGs, networks and our allies chose #GlobalInclusion as the theme of the 2024 AAPI Heritage Month Celebration to embrace a sense of belonging within Cummins,” jointly stated by Srikanth Padmanabhan, Executive Vice President Operations and East Asian ERG and South Asian Network Executive Sponsor; Sharon Barner, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer and Cummins Black Network Executive Sponsor; and Paul Bautista, Executive Director Software Engineering and Southeast Asian ERG Executive Sponsor.

Event highlights include:

• The Inclusion Leadership and Value Differences event was jointly made possible by the Cummins Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Culture team, East Asian ERG and GOAL ERG. Keynote speaker, Fernando Rosario, a high-powered speaker and coach, emphasized the importance of understanding and overcoming resistance. He also highlighted the benefits of crafting your own narrative to reflect your values and strength and demonstrated significance of effective storytelling. The breakout room session with Fernando and a group of ERG leaders further empowered ERG leaders to drive inclusion and leadership at Cummins.

• Inclusion in Civic Engagement and Voter’s Rights was co-hosted by Cummins East Asian ERG, Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (“APAPA”) Indiana Chapter and Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights. Considering Asian Americans are the fastest-growing group of eligible voters in the U.S. in the past two decades, APAPA Board of Directors, Ruth M., Joy K. and Michelle L. discussed the importance of empowering inclusion in civic engagement through volunteering and power of educating AAPI community on voters’ rights. Guest speaker Ami Gandhi presented her critical work on reducing barriers to voting and improving civic participation, particularly in communities of color and low-income communities in the Midwest.

• The celebrations by various multicultural ERGs brought personal journeys, fun facts and appreciations of AAPI heritage across borders. The Southeast Asian ERG event featured a couple who started their U.S. journey away from their home country. South Asian Network panel discussion invited cross-functional business leaders from various Cummins business segments and had rich conversations on building healthy South Asian, East Asian and North American workplace cultures. Cummins Software and Electronics Right Environment team featured three women leaders with Asian heritage and organized an AAPI fashion show.

• The panel discussion: China Culture Impact on Business Under the Global Perspective, revealed leadership stories and observations on mindset and behavior differences and how to leverage cross-cultural advantages to ensure successful project deliveries. Panelists with global assignment experiences shared how employee characteristics in China support the integration of Cummins China business into globalized Cummins business. The session broadened business knowledge, valued cultural differences and further enhanced Cummins China employees’ confidence in the global platform. This session attracted more than 500 global participants in China, North America and other regions.

The 2024 AAPI Heritage Month was successfully concluded by a closing event, Culture Differences and Building Cross-Cultural Teams. Participants reflected how leaders play a key role in creating a safe environment for employees to feel comfortable to be themselves, share their origins and choose a different path from what they have always been told. Panelists provided three important qualities for leaders and individuals: never make assumptions, ask questions to keep learning and get back to the fundamentals.

Honoring AAPI heritage is just one of many examples of the value Cummins and its employees place on diversity, equity, inclusion and culture. Visit Cummins.com and learn more about Cummins’ power solutions, employees and culture.