Monica Diaz

Diaz brought more than two decades of experience in the HR field when she joined ESPN in 2012. She now coaches franchise leaders and business executives in areas of organizational development, inclusion and sponsorship. When it comes to mentoring, Diaz believes in starting with minority students in middle schools, colleges, and universities throughout the U.S. and Latin America. And while diversity and inclusion often get referenced together, Diaz sees a distinct difference between the two: “Diversity is about who’s on the team. Inclusion is about who gets to play.”

Best business advice you’ve received?

The best business advice I’ve received is to always stay ahead of the game, to have a plan, but be open to serendipity.

How do you define diversity? How do you define inclusion?

Diversity is about who’s on the team.  Inclusion is about who gets to play. This is the definition we coined for ESPN – tied to our business and relevant to all our employees. When leaders and employees at ESPN think about who to bring to the roster, when we check who is on the field – participating in discussions, in decision making – and who is on the bench, we identify strengths and talent gaps. We strive to always have the wide range of skills, experiences and perspectives that make a winning team.

How do you define success?

For me, success is reaching happiness and fulfillment, every day. It’s about making sure I make a positive difference in people’s lives. My work in diversity, inclusion and wellness at ESPN gives me the amazing opportunity to fuel innovation and business excellence, to fully leveraging diverse perspectives and experiences, so our employees and fans can say “I am important to ESPN.”