Freshworks Inc., a leading software company empowering businesses to delight their customers and employees, announced the appointment of diversity advocate Randi Bryant as the company’s first Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. Bryant brings more than 20 years of experience to Freshworks, having helped large and complex organizations like Comcast, McDonald’s, the New York Transit Authority, and the U.S. Department of State, to equip employees with the tools to foster an inclusive work environment.

Over the last year, Freshworks improved diversity across all levels, with women and people of color composing a majority of its recent leadership hires. Currently, 80% of its executive team are people of color and 20% are women. The company has more than 1,300 women employees globally and recently issued a pledge to increase representation of women in its workforce to at least 40% by 2023.

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Bryant’s expertise will be critical to ensure diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) continues to be woven into every part of the Freshworks organization — from hiring and supporting employees to partner vetting, product strategy, and beyond.

“I’ve spent my career disrupting the way legacy organizations manage diversity and inclusion and it was clear right away that Freshworks is a kindred spirit in its approach to upending the status quo with a better way,” said Randi Bryant, chief diversity and inclusion officer of Freshworks. “I was impressed by Girish’s leadership during the pandemic, as the company went above and beyond to support a global team with innovative programs, no furloughs or massive layoffs, and vaccination assistance for our employees and their families in India. The company has already made impressive steps in DEI and I look forward to building on that momentum across the company.”

Before Freshworks, Bryant was founder and president of Bryant Consulting Group, where she helped Fortune 500 companies and government clients navigate DEI issues and achieve “aha moment” breakthroughs across groups that advanced greater teamwork and productivity. She is the author of “Neversays: 25 Phrases you Should Never Ever Say to Keep Your Job and Friends,” which provides practical advice on how to have tough conversations around race, ethnicity, gender, religion and more. Throughout her career, she has focused not just on diversity in recruiting, but on ensuring diverse team members feel included, embraced, and seen by the company.

“Freshworks has been a global company since day one and we’ve long been committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace,” said Girish Mathrubootham, founder and chief executive officer of Freshworks. “Now we are at a place where DEI merits a strategic leadership function of its own to ensure a holistic, integrated approach for global scale. Randi’s expertise from working with a wide variety of companies and governments will be invaluable for our DEI initiatives as we continue to grow.”

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