David Salazar: Building a Workplace that Represents Our Communities

David Salazar is Vice President of Sales & Marketing for Comcast Cable and the West Division’s DE&I Council Co-Lead. In his role, David manages efforts that serve more than two million residential customers and as a strong advocate for DE&I, he inspires employees to create a more inclusive workplace and drive meaningful change in their communities. Learn more about David in our recent interview below.

Q. You recently received a 2023 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Award from the Denver Business Journal. What does this recognition mean to you?

A. “Denver Business Journal’s DE&I Awards are given annually to business leaders who are embracing equity across all areas of diversity. It is a great honor for me personally to receive this award and I am pleased to be a representative of all the wonderful support and efforts of so many at Comcast.”

Q. How has your identity influenced your career journey and leadership?

A. “My identity has provided both advantages and challenges throughout my career. I am a native Texan with a biological father that was born in Mexico. As such, the Mexican American culture is very pronounced in many aspects of my life. Becoming a business leader, with that as my cultural background, has not always been easy. Many of the ways I lead, build teams, challenge the status quo, resolve conflicts, and gain alignment are different than what is historically rewarded in corporate America. At times it has been a struggle to get others to acknowledge and recognize the value of what I bring to the table.

“Conversely, being a native English-speaking male born in the United States has afforded me opportunities that most people in the world never get. I try to keep these realities balanced in all areas of my life. This serves as a constant reminder to me that there are many dimensions to individuals and teams and that we should strive to be aware of, and recognize, all the different ways there are to add value.”

Q. You are also the West Division (WD) DE&I Council Co-Lead. Why did you take on this role and what are you charged with?

A. “Being part of the WD DE&I Council over the last three years has been some of the most rewarding work I have ever done, professionally and personally. The Council came together at such an important moment in recent history. There was an overwhelming desire by so many historically underrepresented individuals to come together and collectively find our unified voice. The early days of the Council were creative, chaotic, and beautiful – beautiful to see so much diversity come together so easily.

“When I was asked to co-lead the Council last year, I was thrilled to be part of the group to carry on the leadership legacy of the Council and to continue to endeavor for a company/community that is inclusive and accepting of all.”

Q. What kind of talent do you look for as you build and evolve the sales and marketing team?

A. “Diversity of experience is critical. The broader and more varied the experiences of the team, the more likely we are to get to the most unique, effective, and efficient solutions. Lifetime learning is another characteristic I value. We should all continuously strive to expand our knowledge base and skill sets. DE&I is one area where those who have genuine curiosity and a desire to learn have become more empathetic and also better allies. These two characteristics are a great enhancer to the culture of a team.”

Q. How important is it to you to have a workplace that reflects your customer base?

A. “This has become a business imperative. Corporations no longer have credibility with the communities we serve if we remain disconnected from the profile of those areas. It is not a question of sacrificing talent for representation. That is and always has been a false narrative, and I believe the majority of us have grown past that premise. Our task now is to be present where there is diverse talent. We must vigorously seek it out, genuinely welcome them, and develop the talent with great intentionality. Only through this and efforts like it will we remain a trusted part of each and every community that we operate in.”