From Inclusion to Innovation

00:00:00: Hello, I'm your host Adam Brunner and welcome to The Evonix Minute.

00:00:04: Your quick bi-weekly podcast for all the important stories news and announcements.

00:00:09: free Vonix North America region.

00:00:11: today is April sixteenth twenty twenty six And on today's episode we have an exclusive conversation with retiring operations executive Bonnie Tully.

00:00:19: enter a role in establishing Yvonnex employee resource group and their lasting mark On the company.

00:00:25: that story coming up In just a minute.

00:00:36: We sat down with Bonnie Tully, Ivonic's Chief Operations Officer Americas to discuss the impact of Ivonic Employee Resource Groups or ERGs.

00:00:44: Bonnie Tulley who recently announced her retirement has been instrumental in shaping the ERG landscape at Ivonic over The past five years.

00:00:51: ERGs have become a cornerstone Of fostering diversity inclusion and community within the North America workforce.

00:00:57: here is Bonnie Tulle reflecting on how it all started.

00:01:00: In

00:01:01: twenty-twenty, I had been speaking with two other colleagues who have both retired.

00:01:05: So Gene Vincent and Stephanie Wexler And a lot of companies had employee resource groups.

00:01:11: so your DAOs or BASFs.

00:01:13: they already had ERGs But we didn't!

00:01:15: Then COVID hit.

00:01:17: Really everybody

00:01:17: was locked down.

00:01:18: Everybody is very separated from eachother.

00:01:21: One thing that we talked about We need to do something, work on creating community and connection.

00:01:28: And so we said maybe this is the

00:01:29: right

00:01:30: time start an ERG.

00:01:32: The first ERG was Grow Americas our employee resource group for women professionals.

00:01:36: Since it's a three of us woman why don't you start with Women ERG?

00:01:40: And wanted this be about helping women network To grow in their own personal skills as well as professional

00:01:49: skills.

00:01:50: Beyond Grow Bonnie played a pivotal role in the establishment and growth of five additional ERGs followed by EQUALS, which is the Vonix Queer Alliance for Learning and Support.

00:02:09: And ECP or Early Career Professionals at Vonix.

00:02:12: Since their inception ERGs have created opportunities for colleagues to share more about themselves...and highlight.

00:02:17: their skills.

00:02:27: continues to amaze me with their creativity.

00:02:30: For Black History Month in twenty-twenty three, Bild had commissioned a painting depicting several black scientific pioneers together with Avonix.

00:02:37: Daryl Love ,a senior R&D scientist from Birmingham Alabama.

00:02:41: Afterwards the painting was exhibited at Avonics major sites in the region.

00:02:44: I never in a million years would have thought to recognize Dr.

00:02:48: Love...to have a portrait painted of him and then take that painting and move it around the United States so other people can enjoy.

00:02:57: That's phenomenal!

00:02:59: More than empowering individuals, ERGs also enable everyone at The Company to learn share their understanding of one another as a community

00:03:08: have given people an outlet to do some of these activities that help them feel connected with the company and other colleagues.

00:03:16: A perfect example is what you've seen Aspire do, to teach the rest of your organization about The Asian American Story And I think a lot of them being within Aspires gave them permission to learn about it.

00:03:31: It gave them the permission process through and it gave them the permission to teach the

00:03:36: rest of us about it.

00:03:37: Bonnie also reflected on how diversity has been a winning strategy for Ivonic, And

00:03:41: I brought this picture today because i always remember this.

00:03:44: This was at a technical conference...and..this is just an icebreaker!

00:03:49: The group that came closest to winning that was this team.

00:03:53: In this picture we have people who are foreign born France Germany, the Philippines.

00:03:59: We have black-brown white.

00:04:01: we Have people who are businesspeople?

00:04:03: We have People

00:04:04: Who Are technical people with people from The plants!

00:04:06: We have people From home office.

00:04:08: I just think like

00:04:09: yes

00:04:10: This is the winning combination and we should do more of bringing this kind of group together.

00:04:15: Bonnie also shared her hopes Of what lies ahead.

00:04:19: I'd

00:04:19: like to see the ones that we have stay vibrant.

00:04:25: the next chapter for our ERGs.

00:04:49: As Bonnie prepares for retirement, she shared her thoughts on what you'll always remember during your time at Avonok.

00:04:55: I started my career as a project engineer.

00:04:57: When you build things they stick with you!

00:05:00: They're almost like their children...I don't tell them that but they are kind of like my children.

00:05:05: Yeah

00:05:06: once you've built something it's in your heart and i will take those with me.

00:05:15: I think as everybody knows what makes Yvonic different and special is the people.

00:05:20: Smart, dynamic... And if you ever doubt that ask somebody who's come from outside then they'll always tell you it's The People!