HPE names new Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer 

August 19, 2021 | Alan May, Chief People Officer

Aisha Washington takes the reins to further HPE’s commitment to unconditional inclusion  

In this article

  • Aisha Washington will assume role of Chief Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Officer and co-lead I&D Executive Council with CEO, Antonio Neri 
  • She brings over two decades of experience in HR leadership across the full talent lifecycle along with expertise in large-scale transformation and DE&I
  • Her leadership will help advance HPE’s belief of unconditional inclusion 

At HPE, our commitment to unconditional inclusion guides everything we do. We know diverse teams make for better teams, that inclusion fuels innovation, and that equity is a fundamental responsibility.

While we believe that every one of our team members plays a role in advancing unconditional inclusion inside and outside of our walls, strong leadership is key to continuing to accelerate our momentum.

This week, Aisha Washington formerly HPE’s head of Workplace Diversity, will take on the role of Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer. We are thankful for the contributions of Michael Lopez and the strides he helped us make over his last two years at HPE, and we wish him the best as he moves to the next chapter of his career bringing his expertise to another industry.

Aisha is an example of the strong, diverse talent pipeline we have built to accelerate our culture and business transformation. She brings over two decades of experience in HR leadership across the full talent lifecycle along with expertise in large-scale transformation and DE&I.  Aisha has already made a tremendous impact during her time here. She has increased support of our employee resource groups that bring together team members of similar demographics and backgrounds. She embedded listening into the fabric of our culture by creating ongoing team member listening sessions that foster open dialogue between our team members and senior leadership about DE&I topics. Aisha’s already a trusted partner of our I&D Executive Council, which she will now co-lead with our CEO, Antonio Neri, to advance their efforts around inclusion, community, advocacy and equity. She led the charge in helping to rollout our Inclusion for All training, has guided the design of our executive sponsorship program, and advanced our campaign to help build advocacy through candid conversations. The momentum she has helped foster will now continue as she takes on this new leadership role.

Aisha is a believer in the power of listening, learning, and taking action to be a #ForceForGood

Aisha’s life experiences have shaped her passion for inclusion and diversity. At an early age she was exposed to diverse communities, growing up in Columbia, Missouri, a college town that brought together people from varying backgrounds, and spending her childhood summers in Miami, Florida, an international city. She embraced the opportunity to learn from variety of cultures and people with different experiences and perspectives from her own. All of this has made her a believer in the power of listening, learning, and taking action to be a force for good.  

Aisha’s leadership will enable us to raise the bar and further our belief of unconditional inclusion

Progress on inclusion, diversity and equity doesn’t happen accidentally. It takes having the right people, in the right roles, with clear accountability and a roadmap to execute against. I am confident we have all these components—Aisha’s leadership will enable us to raise the bar and further our belief of unconditional inclusion at HPE. 

Share this article