01/07/2025
Empowering the Workplace: A Conversation with Tracey Doi on Diversity and Inclusion, Mentorship, and Breaking Barriers
I’m a proud supporter of the Business Resource Groups at Pentair, which foster a sense of belonging across the organization, and provide an opportunity for employees to develop connections, share experiences and perspectives, and support each other in professional and personal development.
Recently Pentair’s Asian and Pacific Islander Resource Group (API), in collaboration with the Women’s Resource Group (WRG), had the honor of hosting Tracey Doi, Pentair Board of Directors member, at our office in Golden Valley, Minnesota. As the Executive Sponsor of the API, I was excited to sit down and talk with Tracey who shared valuable insights about her career experience as a Japanese American woman in the workplace and her journey to become the Group Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Toyota Motor North America. Tracey also shared inspirational advice for motivated professionals regarding mentorship, networking, and breaking barriers.
Hear from Tracey Doi, Pentair Board of Directors Member
Here are a few key takeaways from my conversation with Tracey:
On Empowering Individuals in the Workplace
“The advice I typically give women and people of color is to think about elements that are within your control. One is delivering high quality results, especially early in your career when you’re honing your technical skills. Make sure your contributions are visible. It could be a simple email or one-on-one with your supervisor to show the finished product and what you did as part of a team. Another element is building relationships. Consider who you work with on a regular basis and how you can strengthen those relationships to ensure smooth hand offs and quality work.”
On Entering a New Culture or Environment
“Find a buddy. Find a lot of buddies. Find trusted partners that are willing to share their knowledge, give great advice and are comfortable telling you ‘You really messed up, you said the wrong thing, you offended people, here’s how we’ll fix it’ and they always have your back.”
On Mentorship and Networking
"Create a personal Board of Directors. Rather than just one mentor, reach out to several colleagues that you can count on for valued feedback. Your Board may evolve over time depending on the stage of your career. I encourage you to think about where you want to grow, develop, and stretch and the people you admire, internally and externally. If you ask to meet for coffee to chat, people are more than willing to help.”
On Motivated Leadership
“If you are aspiring to be a leader, just remember that we have leaders at all levels. You can lead even if your title does not say manager. What will it take to get to the next level? Sometimes it is more education or additional training, and sometimes it is just being given the chance to try something new.”
I’m grateful we have such a thoughtful, talented, and motivational leader like Tracey as a member of the Pentair Board of Directors. Her dedication to Pentair and commitment to supporting women, people of color, and future leaders is truly inspirational. Her leadership skills and advice are something that we all can try to replicate to strengthen ourselves, our teams, and our entire organization.
