Brent Obleton joined Hudson Pacific Properties, Inc. (NYSE: HPP) in 2021 as vice president for diversity and inclusion, bringing with him years of experience leading and developing cross-functional strategies and initiatives to foster a sense of belonging and inclusion in complex global organizations.
Obleton previously served as the senior diversity and inclusion business partner within Genentech, Inc.’s chief diversity office. Before that, he served as the assistant dean of students and associate director for Stanford University's Centers for Equity, Community, and Leadership.
What do you consider to be a successful outcome of DEI training?
When it comes to DEI training, my goal is to introduce perspectives and concepts to employees so that individuals can show up in the workplace as their authentic selves. The most successful outcome of DEI training is seeing those employees and teams putting lessons into practice, adding to a sense of belonging at a company or organization.
How is Hudson Pacific taking steps to diversify its management teams?
Last year, Hudson Pacific announced new representation targets in the company’s 2021 corporate responsibility report. The targets outline our goals to double the representation of Black, Hispanic/Latino and/or Asian employees in management (director and above) by 2026, from a 2021 baseline, and to achieve equal representation of women in management (director and above) by 2026. In step with these goals, our human resources team works closely with external partners like the Real Estate Associate Program and Jopwell to extend the audience for open positions to reach historically underrepresented groups.
What benefits do you see in increasing the use of local and under-represented contractors?
Increasing the use of local and under-represented contractors encourages diversity of thought and experience, providing short-term and long-term benefits for the company and the wider community. As an organization, we know that fostering vibrant, diverse, and inclusive communities is the right thing to do and is also good for our business.
Is there a certain aspect of advancing DEI in 2023 that you are most excited about?
I’m excited about rolling out Hudson Pacific’s diversity and inclusion strategy globally. Last year, we received planning approval for Sunset Waltham Cross Studios and opened our first office in the U.K. In addition, our employee base in Southern California has grown significantly to include production services businesses that are part of our broader studio platform, and those employees will be integrated into DEI initiatives at Hudson Pacific this year.