In this interview, we speak with Scott Van Nice, a seasoned professional at Procter & Gamble with over two decades of experience in IT and Law. Scott shares his journey with the Generation Valuable programme and offers valuable insights into how large corporations like P&G are working to create more inclusive environments and leverage diverse talents to better serve their global consumer base.

Please tell us about yourself, your role at P&G, and how you became involved with the Generation Valuable programme. 

I’ve been with Procter & Gamble for 22 years and my background is in IT and Law. P&G asked me to become involved with the Generation Valuable Program because the company was aware of my passion for disability inclusion to support our business and organization. In addition, I liked the soft opportunities that were present,  e.g. how can I help raise awareness about the importance of disability inclusion and how can I measure the impact disability inclusion could have on individuals and organizations internally?

How has participating in the Generation Valuable programme influenced your career trajectory and leadership approach at P&G? 

What I appreciated was how Valuable 500 offered ideas for helping senior leadership at P&G gain insights into best practices for disability inclusion and develop strategies to foster an inclusive work environment.

Can you share a pivotal moment or key learning from the programme that significantly impacted your professional development? 

Generation Valuable provided me many excellent discussions about how you could go at enhancing employee engagement and education at your employer. There, I was exposed to different set of ideas for organizing workshops, training programs, or awareness campaigns that was designed to educate and empower employees for an inclusive culture. In fact, this was what led to a new program that I developed internally which resulted in a series of executive leaders being taken on a full day trip to a well-known university for the Deaf.

How has your relationship with your mentor contributed to your growth as a leader? 

P&G is a global consumer goods company with over 100 thousand employees so having strong project execution skills and effectively bringing stakeholders together is a critical skillset. My mentor has consistently provided invaluable soft coaching in considering how to navigate complex projects, make informed decisions, and foster collaboration. In addition, my mentor has provided me many helpful tips about how I should think about delivering results while prioritizing effective communication, relationship-building, and stakeholder alignment.

Based on your experience, what do you believe are the most valuable aspects of the Generation Valuable programme for developing inclusive leadership skills, particularly in the context of your role at P&G? 

Generation Valuable has done an excellent job asking each person to engage in ongoing self-reflection to identify and challenge their own unconscious biases and actively listen to their team members, seeking to understand their experiences and perspective.
These are important skillsets because if done properly,they can go a long way in helping the leader create a workplace that honors the individuality and unique contributions of our employees. These skills also ensure that all employees can show up to work as their whole, authentic selves and feel comfortable in doing so.

Can you describe any specific initiatives or changes you’ve implemented at P&G as a result of your participation in Generation Valuable? 

P&G is launching multiple internal projects aimed at enhancing accessibility across various domains, including application UX design, facilities, and manufacturing. This initiative requires collaboration and expertise from both internal and external sources.
With that in mind, Generation Valuable provided me the confidence along with its resources all aimed at creating a special consulting pilot. In this pilot, P&G will be leveraging the unique experience of graduate students, with a disability, who can help drive research projects as part of their graduation requirements with a focus on accessibility and personal experience. I am looking forward to seeing what learnings will come out of this effort.

Looking ahead, how do you plan to apply the insights and skills gained from Generation Valuable to further your career and impact P&G ‘s approach to diversity and inclusion? 

P&G has over 65 brands that services more than 5 billion consumers! As a result, it is critical to continue to be more mindful about actively seeking out diverse perspectives and experiences when making strategic decisions and ensuring that we serve all consumers and each consumer group. I believe the insights and skills gained from Generation Valuable will be invaluable in this respect.

What advice would you give to future participants, to help them make the most of the Generation Valuable programme? 

Seek to understand. Adopt a fluid thinking approach. Read all recommended works of writing. Participate. Ask questions. It’s okay to disregard if you don’t agree but at least give the speaker a chance and just listen.