Chang’s responsibilities only grew this past year, adding distribution responsibilities for the Turner nets, HBO, Cinemax and HBO Max. Under her guidance, content powerhouse HBO expanded even more this year, thanks to the launch of the company’s streamer. She helped HBO Max reach over 4 million subscribers in the service’s first month, despite lacking distribution on Roku and Fire TV. She’s the executive sponsor to HBO’s resource group for Asian employees and has been a champion of diversity throughout her career. “I believe that our imperative as leaders is to build teams who aren’t similar to us but rather complement us. Teams don’t exist to make us feel good. They exist to make us be better,” she says.
The conversation about racial injustice in 2020 has been… invigorating because it feels like “this is the moment” but disappointing in that again, we don’t seem to have gone far enough with the conversation to have sustainable positive results.
How have you been a champion of diversity & inclusion in your professional life?
I have been a champion of diversity throughout my career – from hiring a diverse team to ensuring that my managers are building diverse teams. I believe that our imperative as leaders is to build teams who aren’t similar to us but rather complement us. Teams don’t exist to make us feel good. They exist to make us be better.
Diversity of experiences and voices are critical to building better leaders, better businesses and a better world. It doesn’t matter if you are a manager of one person or of many. You have the power to say YES to someone – someone who doesn’t look like you, someone who speaks a different language, someone who comes from a different place.
Which current shows (on linear and streaming) best embrace diversity?
It’s great to see so many more programs that feature diverse experiences. While I can’t always relate to Awkwafina’s character in “Nora From Queens,” I really enjoy seeing a primarily Asian cast in a series that doesn’t just rely on Asian stereotypes for its humor.
HBO’s “Insecure” is one of my favorite comedies. Its viewing audience demonstrates that you don’t have to look like the characters in order to relate to and enjoy the stories.
Lastly, I think “Hamilton: An American Musical” is a great example of how a story of white men and women can be successfully told with largely a diverse cast.
