Learn how Sammy D., a senior manager in Inside Sales, goes beyond his role to foster a culture of learning and growth.
Watch V Teamer Sammy D. share what Black History Month means to him.
Army Veteran. Mentor. Friend. Sammy D. is proud to wear many hats on the V Team, but for him, one of the most important is serving as a team leader for his colleagues.
As a senior manager in Inside Sales, Sammy leads seven teams across the country that are responsible for offering product solutions for our small- to medium-sized business customers. Under his team leadership, the group delivers exceptional customer experiences.
Servant leadership is one of the many skills Sammy brought with him after he transitioned from the military to the civilian workforce. Now a V Teamer for 20 years, Sammy continues to lead with integrity, while always finding ways to help his team learn and grow.
Helping others move forward in their careers.
In 2015, Sammy partnered with fellow V Teamer Gamal C. to form a program to help provide guidance and support for people of color at Verizon. Their goal was to create a space for members to learn and grow while focusing on topics like professionalism, emotional intelligence, and the authentic self in order to help build essential skills.
“These conversations were unheard of five years ago, but we were given this great opportunity,” Sammy shared. “With the support of our VP at the time, we scaled this program across multiple territories in the region. This was by far some of the most rewarding work I had ever done at the company.”
Sammy’s work was integral in preparing him to bring his authentic voice to driving meaningful change with racial justice as a part of Verizon’s Black Originators, Leaders, and Doers (BOLD) employee resource group (ERG).
Exhibiting BOLD leadership skills.
As the Global Programs and Event Lead for BOLD, Sammy demonstrates incredible team leadership by planning and managing all of the ERG’s events. He does this while supporting BOLD’s mission of building partnerships that help to shape Verizon’s culture of inclusion.
He also plays a major role in motivating other BOLD members and V Teamers to play their part in fostering an inclusive culture at Verizon. Looking back on 2020, Sammy shares that BOLD had a unique opportunity to serve a huge need in the business.
With the racial justice movement in full swing, Sammy said, people from all different backgrounds and walks of life needed outlets that would provide meaningful conversations — and BOLD was able to deliver just that. From Courageous Conversations and Sister 2 Sister to BOLD Men Speak and BOLD Thinking, each of these ERG events served as a much-needed forum for even the most difficult conversations.
Learn more about how Verizon is going Beyond the Conversation this FIC BLOG LINK==> Black History Month.
