Welcome Karen Pavlin, ServiceNow’s new chief equity and inclusion officer

  • About ServiceNow
  • Culture
  • Jacqui Canney
  • 2022
January 10, 2022

Karen Pavlin, Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer, ServiceNow

From my point of view, fostering an inclusive culture is the future of work.

At ServiceNow, we’re leading a once-in-a-generation opportunity to redefine work. We have a great foundation with a culture of winning as a team. Inclusion is core to who we are, and it will be one of the keys to our company’s growth for many years to come.

For the next step in our journey, we’re thrilled to welcome Karen Pavlin as our chief equity and inclusion officer. In this role, Karen will lead ServiceNow’s global efforts to strengthen the inclusive culture, ensure equity across the entire people talent ecosystem, and create an even deeper sense of belonging.

Leading by example

Karen is a proven leader. At her core, she believes in transparent leadership that gives people the courage to care and advocate for one another. She believes in building trust and meaningful connections. She believes in prioritizing psychological safety and nurturing a workplace in which everyone feels valued, seen, and heard.

As I’ve gotten to know Karen, I’ve been deeply inspired by her approach:

  • Be bold: Start by listening and learning.

  • Be brave: Get comfortable being uncomfortable.

  • Be benevolent: Share your empathy and compassion.

  • Don’t be a witness to other people’s lives, but empower and lift the people around you.

Karen is passionate about helping companies grow and deliver on their commitments to be more inclusive. Most recently, she served as managing director and North America inclusion and diversity leader at Accenture.

She was responsible for strengthening and accelerating Accenture's efforts to foster inclusion and fusing the role of technology and human ingenuity in driving change. She did this by systematically influencing processes, building community across the enterprise, and creating an environment of leadership accountability.

She joined Accenture in 2017 after spending more than 20 years at Xerox as a global managing director, managing the firm’s largest and most strategic financial services clients and global profits and losses.

Blazing a path from a young age

Karen’s personal journey is just as inspiring as her career. As a Black girl growing up in New Jersey, she was in the minority in her community. Her dad was one of the first African Americans drafted into the NBA, and sports played a central role in Karen’s identity.

She attended the University of Virginia on a full track scholarship, where she trained hard to become an NCAA All-American 400-meter hurdler. Her experience in sports helped connect her with people from all different experiences and backgrounds, setting her on the path she’s blazing today.

I’m grateful to welcome Karen into the ServiceNow family, and I’m excited to work with her to help all our people grow and thrive.

Find out more about ServiceNow’s commitment to diversity, inclusion, and belonging.

© 2022 ServiceNow, Inc. All rights reserved. ServiceNow, the ServiceNow logo, Now, and other ServiceNow marks are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of ServiceNow, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Other company names, product names, and logos may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

Topics

  • HR shared services: workers moving about an office
    Employee Experience
    Streamlining business with HR shared services
    HR shared services is a model that aims to boost the strategic impact of HR teams by streamlining and consolidating HR technology and resources. Learn more.
  • Employee productivity: female worker smiling at her laptop
    Now on Now
    Turning down noise, upping employee productivity with a nudge engine
    The time is right for a more effective, AI-driven, human-sensitive smart assistant that boosts employee productivity: a nudge engine. Find out why.
  • 3 ServiceNow employees and two U.S. sponsors who helped Ukrainian refugees
    Culture
    Employees build app to match Ukrainian refugees with US sponsors
    Millions of Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes and found themselves in urgent need of international support. Find out how ServiceNow is helping.

Trends & Research

  • Total experience companies outperform: prism refraction with an arrow pointing to the right
    Employee Experience
    Survey says: Total experience-focused companies outperform
  • Customer service: smiling businessman on phone walking outdoors
    Customer Experience
    Survey: 3 tips to deliver world-class customer service
  • Enterprise SRE (site reliability engineering): where service reliability and business agility meet
    Application Development
    Service quality and the rising need for enterprise SRE

Year