The Why? After years leading Comcast’s Freedom Region and Western New England Region, Mathew stepped into the role this month as CEO for Altice USA. The longtime Comcaster helped improve employment engagement by introducing “Dig in with Dennis” sessions to hear from the frontline. At Comcast, he served as executive advisor for the Northeast Division’s Asian Pacific Americans ERG. He’s also the co-founder of Bloom India, a nonprofit organization that provides education to more than 400 underserved children in India.
He Says… “We should be having conversations with people from all backgrounds; and if we come to those conversations from a posture of listening and learning, we will ultimately have a better understanding of our teammates.”
What community support initiative has your company championed that you’re most proud of? I am proud of Comcast’s commitment to bridging the digital divide through Internet Essentials and now our participation in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federal government benefit aimed at helping lower-income households connect to the Internet. We have worked hard to bridge the digital divide through Internet Essentials for more than 10 years and now, thanks to the $30 ACP credit, families can get Internet Essentials for free – removing cost as a barrier to connectivity. It’s exciting to have this unique opportunity to bridge the digital divide like never before.
I’m also very proud of Comcast RISE, which is helping small businesses owned by people of color and women – those hardest hit by the economic impact of the pandemic – not only survive the turndown but thrive.
Book I wish everyone would read: I wish everyone would read Simon Sinek’s “The Infinite Game.” This booked helped me think about business differently—it’s not always an “I win, they lose” scenario. We should be thinking about the why. In Comcast’s case, the why is our customers: how our services can keep our customers connected to the moments that matter or help their businesses grow. If that’s our motivation—versus short-term goals—we can build a better business and company.
Advice for productive conversation about race in the workplace: In my experience—and this applies to many areas in life—we have to seek to listen and learn first; we can’t assume we know and jump to conclusions. Listen first, be slow to speak. Don’t assume we understand someone’s journey because of what they share—or don’t share—on social media, in the media or in movies. The only way we can truly understand is by listening. We should be having conversations with people from all backgrounds; and if we come to those conversations from a posture of listening and learning, we will ultimately have a better understanding of our teammates.