John Hewitt on diversity and inclusion
From An Invitation from John Hewitt · · Matrix Service Company
“When you think about bringing that diversity into a room at work, it's an opportunity to be inclusive, to bring everybody together and get really great ideas instead of everybody who maybe grew up in the same town, went to the same high school, all played in the same football team and now they all work together, they're all gonna think the same.”
On , John Hewitt, Chief Executive Officer, President & Director at MATRIX SERVICE CO, spoke about diversity and inclusion during An Invitation from John Hewitt on Matrix Service Company.
About John Hewitt
In a September 2020 video, John Hewitt discussed his personal commitment to inclusion and diversity initiatives at Matrix Service Company. He stated that the topic "has to be led from the top" and that he feels "personally invested and engaged" in it. Hewitt described the company's first "Day of Understanding" on February 25, 2020, as an event where employees can share experiences related to harassment or bias, and he said he believes creating an inclusive environment is "the only way we're going to make a change in society." He also said that diversity brings "really great ideas" to the workplace and that every employee should have an opportunity "not because of how they look or what the race is but because they earned their spot." In a 2016 interview, Hewitt discussed his career building tax preparation businesses, including Liberty Tax Service. He said he has "brought in over 5,000 franchisees" who have hired "over 50,000 employees." Hewitt described his approach to business as managing "income and structure" in sync, and said he has "built several billion-dollar companies" by balancing the two. He also stated that his current focuses are on Liberty Tax and on fighting world hunger, noting that he has "founded three world hunger organizations" and that the most recent effort aims to stop starvation in Nicaragua by working "one country at a time."