Charisse R. Lillie
Lillie oversees the company’s corporate and foundation charitable giving, providing strategic guidance for each of Comcast’s national community partners. As the company’s most-senior African American female executive, Lillie plays a prominent role in strengthening Comcast’s overall diversity strategy as well, serving as a mentor in formal programs through Philadelphia NAMIC and WICT. However, she feels even more can be accomplished. “Cable can better support diversity by creating environments which are both diverse and inclusive,” Lillie says. “Nurture your people and support your people, and they will work hard, remain loyal and deliver results.
What’s your biggest professional accomplishment in the past 12 months?
As Community Investment continues to grow at Comcast, we have seen Comcast Cares Day grow by leaps and bounds, with over 100,000 volunteers doing community service in 2015. The Comcast United Way campaign is one of the largest campaigns in the nation, reaching the top 37 this year. Our digital literacy partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, My.Future, is creating opportunities for enhanced education and future employment for children all over the country. Comcast’s commitment to closing the digital divide continues to advance, as we now are serving more than 500,000 families through Comcast Internet Essentials. My service to the Community Investment team and the Internet Essentials team is my greatest professional accomplishment in the past 12 months.
Best business advice you’ve ever received?
The best business advice I have ever received was from a wise man who told me that the customer is always right and that your people are the most important asset of any company. Nurture your people and support your people, and they will work hard, remain loyal and deliver results. People will leave a boss, never a company.
How can cable support diversity?
Cable can better support diversity by creating environments which are both diverse and inclusive. Companies which support employee resource groups, create external and internal diversity boards which provide insights, constructive criticism and knowledge regarding best practices, expose all employees to leadership and management training, especially diverse employees, and train managers in recognizing and overcoming implicit biases, will support diversity and inclusion and will foster measurable change in the industry.
