Sujata Gosalia

Gosalia was a powerhouse before the pandemic, but she’s worked harder than ever before to take Cox and the communities it serves into the future. She headed the launch of a new telehealth service as well as the development of a coronavirus information center on Cox Contour. Gosalia has also led Cox in new directions, and hasn’t been afraid to make bets on companies or initiatives that could make a big impact on our future. She joined the board of directors for edge compute platform StackPath in March following Cox’s investment in the startup. During the pandemic, she’s made a point to find time to just simply catch up remotely with her team. “We need to show grace, and quite frankly admiration, to the superwomen (and men) who are simultaneously working, teaching, and caregiving in this difficult moment,” she says.

What is one of your proudest moments during the pandemic? I am proud of the role we at Cox have played in ensuring our communities stay connected. Our expanded programs to help bridge the digital learning divide and provide small businesses free advertising during the shutdowns show Cox values in action.

Some research has suggested COVID-19 may set women in the workplace back half a decade. How can we ensure the progress made isn’t erased? We cannot afford to let the pandemic push us backwards. It is a business and social imperative. The playbook – which includes actions like corporate goals on representation and evolving hiring practices – is still relevant in this virtual world. We have learned that flexible work arrangements can be successful at scale, and I believe many will continue this post-pandemic. This practice should help progress on gender equity. In the meantime, we need to show grace, and quite frankly admiration, to the superwomen (and men) who are simultaneously working, teaching, and caregiving in this difficult moment.

How has your leadership style changed during the pandemic? I love checking in with team members informally to hear what they are working on and how they are doing personally. I used to do that by just stopping by someone’s desk or grabbing lunch together. Remote working during the pandemic has caused me to be more intentional about setting up time to simply connect and catch up.

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