From increasing the diversity of our workforce and industry to reducing our environmental impacts to empowering our communities through philanthropic investments and volunteering, corporate responsibility (CR) touches every aspect of Symantec’s business. We’ve defined our strategy and are continually working towards our goals to operate as a responsible global citizen.
In addition to our dedicated global corporate responsibility team, every day Symantec employees across countries and business units collaborate to deliver on our mission of protecting our customers, our communities and our planet.
We are happy to feature a quarterly series – Inspired, United, Ignited: Symantec’s Corporate Responsibility Champions- that profiles stand out examples of our how our employees directly contribute to the implementation of our CR strategy. Some are leaders in our CR team, members of our Green Teams or champions for our employee resource groups, others are innovating to address needs in their function or region. All are inspiring others, uniting communities and igniting change to make Symantec a leading corporate citizen and to make our world a safer place.
Today we highlight Fran Rosch, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Consumer Business Unit at Symantec, passionate about supporting Symantec’s corporate culture of responsibility.
- Please describe how your role supports Symantec's Corporate Responsibility initiatives and strategy – both globally and within your region?
I want to create an organization that is supportive of volunteerism and other corporate responsibility (CR) activities. Where our leaders walk the talk and demonstrate to employees that CR is a core value of the company, that we are making room for our employees to contribute to our CR initiatives or those they are passionate about.
To achieve this, we are embedding volunteerism into how we do business, using it as a way to empower employees, to channel their passions and to connect with each other in new ways. Just as relationships are built jointly achieving business goals, they can be built and strengthened achieving impact for our communities.
We have set a goal to reach four hours of volunteer time per employee. At present, 22.1% of employees log at least four hours of volunteer time through our support of over 200 nonprofits.
As the executive sponsor of Symantec’s LGBT employee resource group PRIDE, diversity of our workforce is a personal passion. I am working with global diversity leaders to ensure that the business identifies targets and diversity is integrated into recruiting and retention plans. I believe we have come a long way, but still have much farther to go.
Participating in activities helps us move forward as a business. I have seen the power of volunteering, the joy and satisfaction after returning from an activity. I also see the direct benefit of diversity on teams on a daily basis. We don’t thrive when we all bring the same perspective and experiences to the table. The more diverse we are – whether it is socioeconomic, gender, race, culture – the more ideas and options we present leading to successful growth and innovation.
Lastly, business is personal, and people like to buy from people, especially those that share your values and respect. I believe that universally people value organizations that share their values, support their communities. Diversity and community giving at Symantec is often a common ground where I connect with customers and business partners. A focus on creating social impact makes us more well-rounded as individuals and companies, it builds stronger relationships.
- How did you move into this role? Was it due to a personal passion/interest, development opportunity, project opportunity?
My passion for making a difference in the lives of others really stems from my childhood. I grew up in a family where inclusivity, respect and thought for others was central to our family ethos.
Sometimes you take for granted how the values instilled at a young age make an impact on your life later on. I was a brother to three sisters and there was never a differentiation in how we were treated, the expectations of us, the opportunities that our parents supported us in pursuing. That has played a direct role in my passion to ensure everyone is supported in this way, at Symantec and in the broader community.
I am in a very lucky position at Symantec. My broader responsibilities as a leader of Symantec's Consumer Business Unit has allowed me to take my passions for diversity and service and promote them throughout the organization. I have the opportunity to bring ideas to life and to hopefully positively influence on a large scale.
Additionally, having a dedicated team focused on CR and diversity makes all the difference. With a team looking at how corporate giving and diversity can strategically be embedded in our business gives that much more purpose to the individual actions of our employees. This team is constantly creating unique opportunities and employees appreciate this, they see the connection to our business and the world, and want to do their part to support this.
Fran Rosch, EVP and GM, Consumer Business Unit at Symantec shares his passions and inspiration for supporting a culture of corporate responsibility at Symantec.
- What advice would you give to encourage employees to become involved in corporate responsibility at their company? Especially those that may not feel their knowledge/skills are relevant, or understand how corporate responsibility relates to what they do?
First off,find your passion and channel it.
What has your personal and professional journey taught you? What passions have you developed along the way? How can those be applied to achieving impact.
Additionally, people get motivated in different ways – some thrive on a busy schedule, some are most productive if they feel like they have a balanced life. Find the balance that works for you.
Second, prioritize.
One person cannot do everything and we are all extremely busy in our professional and personal lives. I can’t, and don’t, take part in every opportunity that comes my way. Find opportunities that suit you and your schedule, and don’t forget that every bit counts.
Instead, I look for ways that giving back can complement my role. For example, I encourage our business unit employees to bring CR opportunities to team meetings. Whether it is supporting STEM education or going to the Food Bank, it is a great way to get to know each other. We often integrate giving opportunities into off sites for those who may not be aware of opportunities or be able to take the time outside of office hours.
Additionally, Symantec has done much of the hard work of finding and developing points of engagement. All you need to do is take part! For example, our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer activities around specific areas such as LGBT or gender diversity, supporting our young professionals. Through Global Service Week you can take time off to volunteer, the matching grant program means that your donations are automatically doubled, and through Dollars for Doers volunteer hours are matched with donations.
Through all of this your impact is multiplied – meaning your one hour a year, or one hour per week, can always go one step further.
I hope you will join me, and thousands at our company, to find your passion for giving back, channel it and make a difference in the lives of others.