Rackers Harness the POWER of Mentor Circles

In November, Rackspace Technology® concluded the second annual Professional Organization for Women’s Empowerment (POWER) Mentor Circles for 2021. POWER, a Racker Resource Group (RRG) founded in 2009, invited employees from around the world to grow their global professional network, drive cross-collaboration between organizations, and stimulate thought and action through impactful topics.

185 Rackers from 11 countries participated in the six-month event, which involves a monthly virtual meeting where a mentor, a coordinator and up to 15 Racker mentees come together for an hour to engage in group discussions on various subjects. This year, the themes included strengths, development, challenges, leadership, public speaking and project management.

“I love being part of the Mentor Circles,” said Vicki Patten, Global Partner Manager. “I feel like I learn much more than I contribute as a Mentor! This year, we implemented a chat group to share information. So many in our group were really engaged, and people loved sharing information like TED talks, quotes and books from which they’d found inspiration.”

Breaking Down Departmental Barriers

One of the many ways Rackspace Technology advances diversity, inclusion and belonging is through a wide range of employee led RRGs, like POWER. These groups provide members and leaders with valuable opportunities to meet Rackers from across the globe, engage in mentorship, provide support for each other and practice leadership in a safe setting.

“I truly valued spending time, meeting and communicating with Rackers from other parts of the company and world. I appreciated seeing their perspective on the day’s topic, which is often different from my or my team’s perspective,” explained John Michael Quarantello, Senior Manager Professional Services. “It forces me to think outside of my comfort zone and appreciate other people’s points of view.”

Ultimately, the core mission of POWER is to create a community where women thrive and drive greatness through unity, support and growth in an environment of trust, freedom and accountability. In addition, however, POWER’s Mentor Circles are designed to help all Rackers develop professionally.

Mentor Circles to Enter Third Year

“Mentor Circles is the meeting I look forward to every month. I enjoy the topics, the diversity of Rackers who participate and the insightful conversation. The Mentor Circle is a safe place to grow your skills and develop your career with the support of your peers,” said Judy Vansell, Senior Global Alliance Manager and co-chair of POWER, Education and Development. “I am excited to see what we all shared in POWER in 2022, especially the third consecutive year of Mentor Circles.”

Rackspace Technology is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion at every level in our company. We deliver the future for our customers by creating a culture in which Rackers feel a sense of belonging and can thrive by being their whole authentic selves at work.

Learn more about how our culture empowers our Rackers to deliver a Fanatical Customer Experience.