Voices from our DEI effort: Five questions with the team
Toni Ligons (she/her), vice president, diversity, equity, and inclusion
According to Toni Ligons, leaders should be OK with not knowing everything. “Even DEI leaders such as myself don’t have all the answers,” she says. Good DEI leadership means listening to the people around you. Through patience, listening, and nurturing a supporting environment, people can be encouraged and inspired to find the answers within.
Why is diversity, equity, and inclusion a business imperative for Sage?
A diverse workforce brings varied perspectives, experiences, and ideas, which ultimately drive innovation and success at Sage. Embracing DEI is not only a moral imperative but also a strategic one. DEI is increasingly becoming a key factor for customers and partners when choosing companies to do business with.
How would you characterize Sage’s DEI progress to date?
The fact that our DEI work is owned by the business puts us further ahead than a lot of companies today. We still have a way to go in some respects, such as leadership representation, but I think Sage is in a better position overall because of our culture. We have a learning culture and are okay with trying new things. DEI is new, and we are looking to create something that has never been done before: an equitable workplace. This requires us to think outside the box, which will only work if you have a supportive learning culture like the one we have at Sage.
What’s an example of a DEI-related learning or insight that you’ve gained since joining Sage?
Voices matter. Voices give our employees a sense that they matter to the company. Voices inform, inspire, and provide a sense of well-being through the company. Our employee resource groups (ERGs) play a great role in providing this voice for our employee populations.
What are you currently reading?
Stealing Fire by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal. It’s a mind-blowing read using stories from the Navy SEALS and Silicon Valley tech companies to illustrate the impact of nontraditional methods used to accelerate team performance.
What are some of your priorities for 2023?
Increasing representation among our women and people of color, increasing trust and psychological safety throughout the organization, and providing various training opportunities for our team to learn and be accountable for our DEI journey.
Caroline Hedley (she/her), UK DEI advocacy lead
Caroline’s family’s experiences during her teen years sparked her passion for DEI. “I am first-generation Afro-Caribbean, Black British,” she says, “and part of a multicultural family, so I’ve always been surrounded by discrimination of one kind or another, and I’ve always been determined to make a change.” In her professional career, Caroline prioritizes cultural awareness, inclusion, and equity to make a positive difference.
What aspects of your work do you find most rewarding?
It's a very fulfilling career. I get to interact with people across our business in very vulnerable and intimate ways. I create and foster a sense of trust and understanding—that's powerful. Being in a DEI leadership role, you feel very connected to the company and colleagues.
What are you currently reading?
I just finished Jonathan Joly’s All My Friends Are Invisible, a childhood memoir about identity, family, and mental health, and I’m now reading The Colour of Madness by Simra Linton and Rianna Walcott, which explores mental health and race.
What advice do you have for others wanting to get involved in driving DEI?
Think about what DEI means to you and why. Education is key to understanding diversity, equity, and inclusion, so educate yourself: read, watch, and listen. The less we know about something, the more our brains rely on stereotypes.
What’s a personal or professional lesson you learned the hard way?
I’ve learned that not everyone is as passionate about DEI as I am. We are all at different stages of our DEI journey, and I need to adapt and move at a pace that doesn’t leave anyone who wants to learn behind.
What is something that you’ve learned that you lean on daily?
I have learned that every day is a learning day, so I try to learn something new daily. It doesn’t have to be something big, just something that helps me become a better informed or knowledgeable person. I also aim to treat others how they want to be treated and constantly ask myself whether what I am saying or doing is respectful to others.
Malcolm Trotter (he/him), US DEI advocacy lead
In 2020, Malcolm volunteered to lead the U.S. ERG for People of Color to help cultivate a space for addressing workplace diversity challenges experienced by underrepresented people. “At that time, I would not have expected that today there would be an Office of DEI and that I would be able to be a valuable contributor to its initiatives,” he said.
What aspects of your work do you find most rewarding?
The most rewarding aspect of my work is being able to aid in elevating the voices of the ERG leads who elevate the voices of their members. It is very satisfying to work with departments that have previously lacked a diverse perspective and to know that I am helping to change policies and practices that continue to make Sage a great place to work.
What’s something that most people don’t know about you?
I was once a K-12 art instructor. I have always been drawn to education and one of the reasons I joined Sage is because I literally believe in “building pathways to knowledge.”
What advice do you have for others wanting to get involved in driving DEI?
I would advise them to start engaging with the work in the ways that suit them best. DEI work can be overwhelming, so start by supporting in small ways. Everyone can help in driving DEI initiatives by attending ERG meetings and events, being curious, open to learning, and willing to be a part of the conversation.
What are you currently reading?
As a first-time father, I am currently reading We’re Parents! The First-Time Dad’s Guide to Baby’s First Year and Baby’s Sleep Training in 7 days. This is in addition to the usual fantasy books that I read.
What’s a personal or professional lesson you learned the hard way?
Before my transition to the Office of DEI, I was in the College Sales Division. Early in my sales career, I learned valid professional and life lessons about figurative and literal doors closed in your face. I learned not to take “no” personally and that planning, perseverance, and grit play a big part in getting out of life what you put in. My first sales position for a large telecom company taught me so much about determination and making a path where I did not initially see one.
Thelma Landry, executive business partner
Shortly after joining Sage 12 years ago, Thelma saw opportunities to improve its DEI initiatives. “That is why I jumped at the chance to help make much-needed changes in the organization as it relates to DEI,” she says.
What small change has made a big difference in your life?
My mindset to choose my battles and know that some are not worth fighting.
What are you currently reading?
Being Human Being by Dr. Molefi Kete Asante and Nah Dove.
What is something that you’ve learned that you lean on daily?
You never know what others are going through. Be sensitive and try to understand the root of their actions, attitudes, and reactions.
What’s something that most people do not know about you?
I am a fraternal twin to my sister. We are the youngest of 10 children (eight girls, two boys).
What aspects of your work do you find most rewarding?
Knowing that others can depend on me to help them or point them in the right direction.