AMC Nets’ first-ever chief DEI officer, media industry newcomer Thomas-Petit, already put her stamp on the company’s culture during her first year on the job. She oversaw the launch of two employee resource groups, rolled out an internal Mentorship Collective program and instituted new DEI educational resources for staff, including virtual instructor-facilitated workshops. She also is spearheading important partnerships in the content and programming space, including partnering with the Geena Davis Institute. “There’s real power and impact… in an organization seeing strong allyship men extend to women at work,” she says. “It opens people’s minds and opens doors that may otherwise have stayed closed.”
Do you have an example of male allyship that made a difference to you?
I think for a woman in a senior level role in any corporate structure, more times than not, you’ll be reporting to a man. To get to this level, it’s not just about hard work. I’m here because many men have mentored me, sponsored me, and counted me as a trusted advisor in addition to with my work ethic. These examples of allyship aren’t just important to me, though. There’s real power and impact in other people in an organization seeing strong allyship men extend to women at work. It opens people’s minds and opens doors that may otherwise have stayed closed.
What one female empowerment book do you think every woman should read?
“Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person” by Shonda Rhimes. I listened to it as an audiobook and what really stood out for me, aside from the impactful life lessons, was Shonda reading it in her own words. At the time, it was one of the only instances I could think of hearing the voice of a Black woman, representing herself in that format. I literally stayed on my treadmill longer just to keep listening to the book.
