It’s About the How: Siemens USA’s Juan Ignacio Diaz on Promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

March 9, 2021 LRN Corporation

“It’s about the culture of not focusing on the what--what color, what country, what sex, what religion, what neighborhood, what university--that’s too much what. I think this is about the how--how we behave, how we lead, how you approach topics, how you perform.”

- Juan Ignacio Diaz

ABOUT JUAN IGNACIO DÍAZ

Juan Ignacio Díaz is senior vice president and chief compliance officer for Siemens USA, based in Atlanta. Diaz is responsible for the overall strategic management and direction of the compliance organization in the United States and Latin America. Since joining the company in 2008, Diaz has served in various functions in Mexico, Chile, and South America, first as general counsel for Chile and then for the South American region.

In 2013 he was appointed CEO for Siemens Chile, and was responsible for its mobility division. In 2018 he was named Siemens country CEO for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean. He served as board member for Siemens Gamesa Latin America, and as a vice president of the World Energy Council (Chile & Mexico).

Díaz holds an MBA from UAI-Chile, a master of laws from Duke University, and a law degree from UFT-Chile. Prior to joining Siemens, he worked as an attorney at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, and before that as a lawyer for LATAM Airlines.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN THIS EPISODE...

[1:30] What sparked Diaz’s interest in ethics and compliance, and how has his career path led to him to where he is?
[3:30] What does Siemens do?
[5:35] As the compliance chief for both the U.S. and Latin America, how does Diaz structure and operate the program for each region?
[7:00] What are the biggest adjustments Diaz has made to his program in the past year due to the pandemic?
[10:13] What diversity and inclusion policies has Diaz implemented, and what, if any, issues has he faced?
[11:27] What can companies do to create a better pipeline for people of color and people with diverse backgrounds?
[13:08] Who has been a mentor to Diaz, and how have those relationships helped him?
[14:29] What advice does Diaz have for individuals interested in ethics and compliance?