Comcast Business’ national branding, marketing communications and advertising to small, mid-size and enterprise businesses fall under Hasty’s purview—a task she competently handles with two decades of sales, marketing and ecommerce under her belt. Growing Comcast Business’ revenue and market share is job one for Hasty. She also has her eye trained on cyber security, noting, “From accused election hacks to C-level execs losing their jobs over massive data breaches, the battle to protect valuable personal data from bad actors worldwide will escalate to cyber warfare in 2018.”
Who is your favorite current female TV character and why?
I love cheering for an underdog, like June Osborne, renamed Offred in “The Handmaid’s Tale.” In spite of the totalitarian and brutal subjugation challenges she faces in Gilead, she maintains her desire to fight back (in her own ways) and reunite with the better world for women that she knew before.
What industry topic do you think will dominate industry headlines in 2018 and why?
Cyber security – from accused election hacks to C-level execs losing their jobs over massive data breaches, the battle to protect valuable personal data from bad actors worldwide will escalate to cyber warfare in 2018. Discussion and focus will bridge from the IT suite to the CEO, COO suite.
What is one way the industry can continue to evolve in ridding itself of gender discrimination?
I have two here:
Take greater risk in hiring practices… the best person for the role may be the leadership athlete, not the long-tenured, experienced specialist. And, we need to do a better job of vouching for the competence of women leaders. Let’s be proactive in spotlighting women’s accomplishments and successes—by breaking down women stereotypes, we can steer into the incorrect perceptions created by them (that we, as organizations, may have doubts about women’s competence).
Tackle secondary bias, which by definition is unintentional gender discrimination. This has to be more than a training program—it needs to be infused in our policies and practices. Because we are not always aware of our biases, we do not realize when they are influencing our decision-making. When people understand how stereotypes work, they tend to scrutinize their own decision-making more carefully, and that tends to break the tendency to use stereotypes as a shortcut to faster decisions.
What famous woman, living or deceased, would you like to have dinner with?
Madeleine Albright—wicked wicked smart—great blend of grit and grace under pressure. Besides, she’s an active Twitter user at 80 years old!!
Best advice for relieving stress?
For me, a long hike in the woods is the best medicine. Nature reminds me that we are part of a greater, more important ecosystem and that the stresses and worries of today are micro-seconds in the history and cycle of nature.
