Kamilah Thomas Brings a Wealth of Experience to Avaya by Continuing to Evolve the Company’s Culture while Better Aligning People and Processes

Avaya, a leader in enterprise customer experience (CX) solutions, is excited to announce the appointment of Kamilah Thomas as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer (CPO), effective June 3. Based at Avaya’s headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey, Thomas will report directly to CEO Alan Masarek and play a pivotal role in shaping the company’s culture and DEI&B strategies.

Kamilah Thomas Joins Avaya as CPO:

• Role and Responsibilities:

  • Leadership Transformation: Oversees Avaya’s global HR functions and culture transformation.
  • Mission Focus: Advances the company’s Destination Place to Work journey to foster a high-performance culture.
  • DEI&B Initiatives: Leads Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) efforts and manages Avaya United employee resource groups.

• Statements:

  • Alan Masarek, CEO: "Kamilah’s extensive experience in transforming organizations and building inclusive cultures is the right fit for Avaya."
  • Kamilah Thomas: Excited to contribute to Avaya’s mission to create a dynamic, inclusive, and high-performance work environment.

Kamilah Thomas’s Professional Background:

• Previous Experience:

  • Roku: SVP, People and Workplace Experience, grew workforce by 56% and supported profitable growth.
  • Dow Jones & Company: Chief People Officer, led digital transformation and supported 7,000 employees across 50 markets.
  • A+E Networks: Co-head of People & Culture, facilitated CEO transition and led HR transformation for 2,000+ employees.

• Notable Achievements:

  • Organizational Scale: Proven track record of scaling teams and driving successful workplace transformations.
  • HR Leadership: Extensive experience in strategic HR roles with a focus on growth and cultural development.

Avaya’s Vision for Culture and DEI&B:

• Culture Development:
  • Destination Place to Work: A strategic initiative to evolve Avaya’s workplace culture into one where every employee can thrive.
  • Equitable Work Environment: Commitment to creating an inclusive and supportive work environment through DEI&B efforts.

Future Goals for Avaya’s HR Strategy:

• Cultural Evolution: Continued focus on developing a high-performance culture and inclusive workplace.
• DEI&B Focus: Expanding DEI&B initiatives to support diverse talent and foster a sense of belonging for all employees.

Kamilah Thomas’s appointment as Senior Vice President and Chief People Officer at Avaya marks a significant step in the company’s ongoing efforts to transform its workplace culture and advance DEI&B initiatives. With her extensive background in global HR leadership and organizational transformation, Thomas is poised to lead Avaya’s efforts to create an inclusive and high-performance environment for its employees.