From the Desk Of…Tracy Skenandore, Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Light & Wonder

“From the Desk of..." is a series from the G2E Insider written by G2E community members to share their knowledge with the wider gaming industry. Hear from Tracy Skenandore, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Light & Wonder about how they are tackling diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) internally, its impact on their corporate culture, and how efforts like these improve the larger gaming community.

The emphasis that companies have placed on corporate social responsibility in the last decade symbolizes the realization that prosperity is best achieved in a more inclusive society. It is also an acknowledgment of responsibility as an employer to take the lead around social and environmental issues.

At Light & Wonder we’ve identified priorities that advance DEI not only within our walls, but across the global communities where we are proud to work, live, and play. We believe that diverse teams produce great results, and we continue to focus on building the right policies, educational opportunities, and programs that contribute to a culture of belonging and inclusion for our employees, whom we call creators.  

Our DEI standards are the foundation of our DEI pillars of work that span across five key areas: listen and learn; educate and develop; equity and belonging; engagement and inclusion; and measure success. Each pillar is directly aligned to our DEI commitments and broader strategic roadmap to maintain a clear focus on what we are aiming to achieve.

While we have made significant progress in our DEI journey in the last 24 months, we also recognize we still have work to do, so we established a DEI Council and DEI Task Force to govern and drive meaningful results.

The DEI Council serves as the Board of Directors liaison with governance oversight, ensuring we uphold accountability measures and are actively advocating for inclusive practices.

The DEI Task Force manages and executes our DEI Workstreams into all human capital parts of the organization. The Task Force consists of four key workstreams: retention and belonging; learning and development; talent acquisition and recruiting; and equitability. Each workstream has a community of DEI ambassadors and advocates that provide key insights on strategic DEI initiatives globally.

In 2022, we also launched our first set of six employee resource groups (ERGs) and have seen incredible movement and positive change occur in the ways our creators engage with one another and contribute to shaping the culture of our organization. Establishing these voluntary, employee-led groups was critical in our DEI journey to ensure all creators have a voice and feel a sense of belonging. Our first set of ERGs represent the following populations and underrepresented groups: women, multigenerational, AAPI, Latin and Hispanic, Black and African American, and LGBTQ+ with a goal to add a new ERG each year to the Light & Wonder community.

As an industry, we have an incredible opportunity to come together, break down barriers, and serve side by side as partners and collaborators to champion change for the greater good of our communities, our players, and our people. We welcome industry partnerships and look forward to advancing this important work together.