MEETING OF LIKE MINDS
their commitments , and do you get the real feeling that they are present and sincere with you ?
Ingrid : That ’ s for sure . I ’ ve always said that in our work , authenticity is paramount . You cannot do what we do in an inauthentic way – transparency is essential . The authenticity came across initially and in every meeting I had , including with everyone beyond Darren . I spent time on HUB ’ s website finding ways in which HUB was already in the diversity equity and inclusion ( DEI ) space , which really resonated strongly with me . HUB didn ’ t seem to be doing the commercial marketing-speak that some companies put out just because they think they have to have something out there about DEI , but which isn ’ t actually integrated in any meaningful way within their company and how they conduct business .
Honestly , seeing HUB ’ s diverse employee resource groups really had an impact on me – even though that ’ s internal and not external , it was the evidence of an organization that values who people are as individuals . Not just values , but embraces and supports diversity . When I saw that , I realized that HUB ’ s approach is real because that takes some commitment , some awareness , some recognition that people all move about the world a little differently . Plus , in every interaction with HUB from that point forward , there was constant validation that reinforced my initial impressions and instincts .
Darren also made an effort to reach out to team members early on , showing that he wanted to get to know people beyond me - the leadership in our organization - and develop a personal connection with them . It came across as very genuine to those people and so , as we moved forward , I was getting their feedback and when they would interact with Darren , it was more affirmation . That ’ s when it felt that it was a “ meant to be ” moment .
Without going into the details , I will also say that in terms of the manner in which the transaction was structured , we were treated as a valuable company – irrespective of our being minority-owned , or the space that we work in , or anything else . That was affirmation that HUB saw the work that we do as something worth investing in and growing . It ’ s so important , especially with the pushback we ’ ve seen against basic things like inclusivity , to see a company in the commercial market space say , “ You know , this is just good business . This is a new business market development opportunity – of course we ’ re interested in investing in that .” That really hit it out of the park for me , because it gave me the confidence that the legacy and impact of our work would be invested in , would expand , grow and continue – and that was really my goal in terms of this transition for the company .
CT : That makes sense because so much of the DEI information on HUB ’ s website echoes
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