Innovative Thinking A Time to Stand Together I wanted to share with you what I shared with Intuit’s employees today. This is too important of a topic to be kept just within an organization’s own walls. To make a difference together, we must have these conversations now. *** Hi team, I wanted to reach out and share with you how I am Written by Sasan Goodarzi Published May 30, 2020 - [Updated Nov 9, 2022] 2 min read I wanted to share with you what I shared with Intuit’s employees today. This is too important of a topic to be kept just within an organization’s own walls. To make a difference together, we must have these conversations now. *** Hi team, I wanted to reach out and share with you how I am feeling. The senseless deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery are infuriating, heartbreaking, and incredibly painful. What’s worse is that these are not isolated incidents in the United States. This racist violence risks further tearing people apart at a time when it’s more important than ever that we come together. I believe we can no longer be silent about the deep-rooted racism in our society. I will no longer be silent. We must openly discuss the realities that black people face. Only by having honest discussions, however difficult that may be, will we ever be able to get to a better place. I have always believed that diversity and inclusion is a core part of who we are and what we stand for. It’s an important part of what makes Intuit so special. But this week’s events, and the unfathomable pattern they are a part of, have made me realize that we are often silent, starting with me, on the racial injustice and discrimination that our colleagues and friends face every day. Not talking openly about racism allows it to grow in the shadows and helps seed the horrific events we have witnessed. There are no easy solutions to these problems. Racism has been with us for far too long, and its roots go deep. It’s time to start having conversations about racism. I want to learn more; we need to learn more. I don’t know yet where this journey will take us, but I do know we need to start it together. If we begin by working on awareness and acknowledgement, my hope is that we can get closer to a world where we value and cherish everyone, and stand united in our pursuit of equality, dignity and justice for all. To start the conversation, we will host an all-employee fireside chat to check in with all of you, and to start the dialogue on how we move forward together. Stay tuned. Until then, know that you are not alone. We are family, we care and support each other. I encourage each of you to reach out, talk to your colleagues, be open to learning, have understanding and compassion. I realize that many of us don’t yet know how to have the conversations we all need to have, but the first step is to welcome having them. We can make a difference; we will make a difference. Sasan Previous Post Lessons Learned from an Intuit Accessibility Champion Next Post International Women in Engineering Day: 6 Lessons Learned for Owning… Written by Sasan Goodarzi Sasan Goodarzi is the chief executive officer (CEO) of Intuit, where he leads the company in delivering on its mission of powering prosperity around the world. Upon becoming CEO in 2019, Goodarzi declared Intuit’s strategy to be an AI-driven expert platform with data and artificial intelligence fueling innovation across the company. Under his leadership, Intuit has transformed from a tax and accounting platform to a global financial technology platform. During Goodarzi’s tenure, the company has delivered record revenue growth and been recognized by Fortune and others as one of the world’s best companies to work for. Intuit has also been recognized as a diverse, inclusive, and innovative workplace. Previous to becoming CEO, Goodarzi successfully led Intuit’s two largest businesses – its consumer tax business and its Small Business and Self Employed group. Previously, his roles at Intuit included serving as Intuit’s chief information officer, as the general manager of Intuit’s ProTax organization, and as the general manager of Intuit’s Financial Services Division. Before Intuit, Goodarzi worked for Invensys, a global provider of industrial automation, transportation, and controls technology, serving as global president of the products group. He also held a number of senior leadership roles in the automation control division at Honeywell and served as the CEO and co-founder of a technology startup, Lazer Cables Inc. Born in Tehran, Iran, Goodarzi immigrated to the United States as a child. He earned his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at the University of Central Florida and a master’s in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Goodarzi is also a member of the board of directors at Intuit and Atlassian. 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