Q&A with our IMPACT ERG leader, Belinda Boo
At DocuSign, we’re committed to building a diverse, equitable and inclusive workplace for all of our employees. One way we do this is through our wonderful employee resource groups (ERGs). Ahead of this week’s global IMPACT week, we chat to the leader of our IMPACT ERG, Belinda Boo, who is also a Senior Customer Success Architect at DocuSign.
Q. First up, can you tell us about your role and what you love about your job?
I’ve worked at DocuSign for just over three years. In my role as Senior Customer Success Architect, I work with our enterprise customers to help them realise success. I love working with people from different companies and countries, collaborating to address their challenges, and sharing in the excitement of their wins.
On top of my role, I am a lead in the IMPACT ERG and also the events logistics lead for the Women’s ERG. These are my workplace passion projects. And, outside of work, I’m also active in the gender diversity (women in tech) space.
Q. What do you do in DocuSign’s IMPACT ERG?
Our IMPACT ERG is all about how we can positively impact the communities around us, through volunteering and giving initiatives.
As an IMPACT lead, my role is to educate, encourage and support employees across the APJ region, alongside a committee of volunteers from each office. We plan and lead different events throughout the year, aligned with global programs.
DocuSign has around 60 IMPACT leaders around the world, in every country where DocuSign has a presence – including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Mexico, UK and US – and we all meet up every month.
Q. What are some of the recent initiatives you’re most proud of?
Every year across the globe, we hold an IMPACT day or week, where every DocuSign office does charity and community work at the same time. Last year, we did a series of events – spanning donation giving, helping wildlife, creating cards for foster care children, tree planting and female dignity – across all of our APJ offices. It was a huge feat for our team to coordinate, and it was incredible to see so much uptake.
This year, during our Global Green IMPACT week, we’re holding sustainability events across all offices. In Melbourne, there’s a city/beach clean-up. In Singapore, we’re replacing plastic bags with reusable totes. Our Sydney team is planting trees and, in Japan, we’re doing a city clean-up. It’s so wonderful to see everyone across our region rolling up their sleeves to help make our communities cleaner.
Of all the volunteering and giving programs we run, my personal favourite is our ‘dollars for doers’ initiative. This is where DocuSign donates USD $25 for every hour that I volunteer to the non-profit I’m volunteering for. For example, when I spend two hours donating blood at the Red Cross, then not only does the Red Cross get my time and the blood donation, but also USD $50.
Q. How do you measure impact?
There are so many IMPACT programs that DocuSign runs – from volunteering, to employee donation matching, dollars for doers, and so many more. In the last year alone, here’s what we’ve achieved:
- Number of non-profits supported: 2,368
- Total employee volunteer hours: 41,243
- Total employee donations to non-profits: USD $1.6 million
Q. How do you think DocuSign creates a workplace that is more diverse, equitable and inclusive?
DocuSign’s amazing people make me feel right at home. I am in awe of so many of my colleagues – people who are not just good at what they do, but also so supportive and inclusive.
We have many different ERGs, supporting the communities and needs of different people. And we have incredibly supportive leadership, which creates a safe space to suggest ideas and make changes happen. At DocuSign, I can really be me.
Q. Why do you think it’s important for companies like DocuSign to keep working on DEI initiatives?
If everyone thinks and acts the same, there will never be progress. By embracing different people, backgrounds and experiences, we gain a diversity of thought, greater engagement and growth as we learn from those who have experiences different to our own.
As much as I love my job, it’s not the only thing that makes me want to go to work in the morning. Being involved in passion projects like DocuSign’s ERGs – and having amazing, diverse people around me – is important to me, too.