SharkNinja Case Study
Household products innovator applies its relentless drive for improvement to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Overview
SharkNinja is known for its obsessive focus on improvement and innovation in the household products space. But amid the racial reckoning in the US in the summer of 2020, the CEO realized they hadn’t applied that same laser focus to diversity, equity, and inclusion. With the help of ITBOM, SharkNinja went from the early stages of awareness to a serious start on culture change, including hiring its first director of DEI.
Situation
Seeking to make an authentic response
Like most of the country, in the summer of 2020 SharkNinja CEO Mark Barrocas was reeling from the murder of George Floyd and the unrest that followed. He knew he wanted to respond, but he wanted to make sure his response fully encompassed the issues. “We didn’t want to just go out with, ‘we condemn what’s happening,’” said Barrocas. “We wanted to actually learn and figure it out, in true SharkNinja way.”
Barrocas had some insight into issues of prejudice and discrimination, being Jewish and married to a Venezuelan woman, but he knew there were limits to his understanding that he couldn’t overcome alone. He asked his then chief of staff to find a consultant who could help him not simply navigate what to do as an organization but to learn and dialogue.
Shari Dunn, CEO of ITBOM LLC, was the right fit. Her customized approach and business experience aligned with SharkNinja’s culture of out-of-the-box thinking and decisive action.
Barrocas had some insight into issues of prejudice and discrimination, being Jewish and married to a Venezuelan woman, but he knew there were limits to his understanding that he couldn’t overcome alone. He asked his then chief of staff to find a consultant who could help him not simply navigate what to do as an organization but to learn and dialogue.
Shari Dunn, CEO of ITBOM LLC, was the right fit. Her customized approach and business experience aligned with SharkNinja’s culture of out-of-the-box thinking and decisive action.
Solutions
Working together to form a statement
Dunn and Barrocas went to work immediately. She provided training and background reading, but primarily, they talked. She shared her story as a Black woman and how systemic racism had affected her in ways both big and small. He talked about his experiences of discrimination and hate. The dialogue was free-flowing and truthful. Barrocas took it in and processed what he learned, often bringing the discussion to his family dinner table, where his three children challenged and encouraged him.
Barrocas was clearly committed to the work. “I have worked with lots of CEOs in both the public, private, and nonprofit sector,” said Dunn, “And the way Mark came into this, open, challenging, and with respect for my expertise, skills, and knowledge, really distinguishes this project.”
Barrocas was clearly committed to the work. “I have worked with lots of CEOs in both the public, private, and nonprofit sector,” said Dunn, “And the way Mark came into this, open, challenging, and with respect for my expertise, skills, and knowledge, really distinguishes this project.”
Finally, the speech was ready.
Barrocas had never given a speech like this, but he knew he’d been well-prepared.
He delivered it to the entire company, and it was very well-received. In fact, it had a profound effect. Not only was Barrocas addressing an urgent concern with honesty and depth, but he was also instigating a major shift in the company’s “business first” way of doing things.
The direction had been set. Now the work began.
Barrocas had set three areas of improvement for the company around DEI: education, health, and diversifying the company. A daunting task. But per SharkNinja’s style, they planned on tackling it immediately. They quickly realized they would continue to need help if they wanted to bring the company’s DEI competence up. Dunn’s contract was extended.
The direction had been set. Now the work began.
Barrocas had set three areas of improvement for the company around DEI: education, health, and diversifying the company. A daunting task. But per SharkNinja’s style, they planned on tackling it immediately. They quickly realized they would continue to need help if they wanted to bring the company’s DEI competence up. Dunn’s contract was extended.
First, listen
Dunn’s first approach was to listen.
With Barrocas’ approval, nothing was off-limits. She investigated all areas of the organization, from the US and the UK to China and Canada. She spoke with the marketing and engineering teams, legal team, and the executive teams. This comprehensive approach is key to ITBOM’s strategy. By getting to know the company intimately, the interventions are personalized and therefore, lasting.
Education, discussion, storytelling
ITBOM has designed several in-depth trainings that prepare organizations for change.
For SharkNinja, Dunn presented a “level set” training that shows how systemic racism operates, from legal, governmental, and banking systems to education and housing. She also shared trainings on unconscious bias, cross-cultural communication, and race in consumerism, which was customized for SharkNinja.
These trainings were followed by discussion and storytelling sessions in which Dunn would invite employees from traditionally marginalized groups to speak about their experiences of bias. Acknowledging there are many forms of bias and discrimination, Dunn deliberately focuses on race because it is the most fraught and difficult to discuss. The sessions allowed hard, sometimes painful topics to be brought to light. By creating a nonjudgmental environment, Dunn helped participants felt safe to express themselves and ask questions.
These trainings were followed by discussion and storytelling sessions in which Dunn would invite employees from traditionally marginalized groups to speak about their experiences of bias. Acknowledging there are many forms of bias and discrimination, Dunn deliberately focuses on race because it is the most fraught and difficult to discuss. The sessions allowed hard, sometimes painful topics to be brought to light. By creating a nonjudgmental environment, Dunn helped participants felt safe to express themselves and ask questions.
Forming of committees
Trainings and discussions were quickly followed by the formation of committees. At this point, the DEI work was volunteer-based. There was a tremendous amount of enthusiasm and drive, and, importantly, direction from Barrocas that the work was a high priority. Staff lined up to get involved.
Dunn cocreated the framework for the formation of an international employee DEI committee, which grew into many subcommittees addressing a wide variety of topics, such as:
The subcommittees presented monthly to an executive team made up of Barrocas and the chief procurement officer and chief legal officer, with Dunn present as an advisor. This helped leaders understand how wide-ranging the issues were and ultimately helped cement the idea that a full-time DEI director was needed.
Dunn cocreated the framework for the formation of an international employee DEI committee, which grew into many subcommittees addressing a wide variety of topics, such as:
- DEI in business processes, in particular, how to make internal product testing more diverse
- Affinity groups
- Recruiting
- Investment opportunities and community partnerships
The subcommittees presented monthly to an executive team made up of Barrocas and the chief procurement officer and chief legal officer, with Dunn present as an advisor. This helped leaders understand how wide-ranging the issues were and ultimately helped cement the idea that a full-time DEI director was needed.
DEI in a global environment
SharkNinja is an international company based in Needham, Massachusetts, with offices in the UK, China, and Canada. This presented challenges around diversity, equity, and inclusion beyond what is typically seen in the US. Through her listening tour, Dunn was able to uncover SharkNinja’s pain points both within and between these locations.
SharkNinja’s London office was primed for ITBOM’s involvement. Dunn’s trainings and discussion groups were eagerly received. As in the US, race is a primary issue, and Dunn focused attention there. But there are other issues particular to the region. For instance, class divisions tend to be more clearly delineated than in the US. And while not an issue for the SharkNinja UK team we know that bias based on accent is common in the UK.
Staff in the China office likewise were open to ITBOM’s involvement. Gender-based inclusion, especially in engineering, is an issue they are starting to address. Being included in the company’s business is a pain point because of geography and language.
SharkNinja’s London office was primed for ITBOM’s involvement. Dunn’s trainings and discussion groups were eagerly received. As in the US, race is a primary issue, and Dunn focused attention there. But there are other issues particular to the region. For instance, class divisions tend to be more clearly delineated than in the US. And while not an issue for the SharkNinja UK team we know that bias based on accent is common in the UK.
Staff in the China office likewise were open to ITBOM’s involvement. Gender-based inclusion, especially in engineering, is an issue they are starting to address. Being included in the company’s business is a pain point because of geography and language.
Results
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Recruit, attract and retain.
Changing the makeup of the company was a priority for SharkNinja. They amped up their engagement with universities, making efforts to attract candidates of color. But they also saw that the interventions needed to start sooner. They engaged in initiatives to get kids from underrepresented communities as young as seven interested in engineering.
Additionally, they are providing scholarships, funding, internships, and apprenticeships to help increase access to education and training.
This involvement with students and youth has multiple benefits. Of course, it can increase the diversity of the workforce to hire from. By amplifying their efforts through public relations, SharkNinja is also building their reputation as a company that stands behind its commitment to DEI, thus increasing the probability of attracting and retaining workers who share those values. Having SharkNinja staff engage with youth from marginalized communities helps broaden their perspective, not to mention boost their morale and dedication to SharkNinja. -
Strategies for every region.
Dunn helped the UK teams see how “accent bias” in the UK and race, though not the same, can present issues related to inclusion and diversity.
With the China team, Dunn helped raise the voices of women engineers and provided context on issues related to race and class in the US and the UK for the China team. Overall, the trainings and discussions made significant impacts in those regions. Said Head of HR Asia Jolly Liu, “I can see with Shari’s help that the China team’s DEI sense has increased a lot.” -
Product design improvements: The hairdryer. Chief legal officer Pedro Lopez-Baldrich noted that one of the most profound effects of Dunn’s work was that employees felt empowered to speak up and share their ideas and concerns. This led to a breakthrough in product design.
In the UK office, a hairdryer was in its final stages of development. An employee working on the project, who was Black, raised the issue of the hairdryer not being designed for Black hair. He had brought it up before, but this time, he spoke directly to Dunn. She had made it clear her virtual door was open. Dunn flagged leadership, and they responded immediately; they were starting to understand the importance of DEI.
Per SharkNinja’s ethos, the design team leapt into action. The visited Black hair salons and talked with Black employees and customers about their needs. They redesigned and tested the hairdryer, and within a year it was in market, this time with a diverse set of models on the packaging to reflect the changes in design.
This was a turning point for SharkNinja. While the DEI initiative began as a moral imperative, it was becoming clear that focusing on inclusion and encouraging input from employees, especially for a household products company, could mean broadening markets. “The hair care piece was a real light bulb for us,” said CEO Barrocas. “It was great that Shari was able to be at the center of that.” -
DEI Head is hired. The culmination of ITBOM’s work with SharkNinja came a year after she began. Responding to the overwhelming reasons that pointed to a need for a full-time DEI leader, the company hired Franchesca Carrington as SharkNinja’s first director of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
“We ultimately realized we needed to bring a full-time person in-house to run DEI,” said Barrocas. “We needed to apply a budget against it. We needed to start thinking of it, not as one-off things that we were doing, but part of a strategy across the business.”
Dunn stayed on for a few months while Carrington got acclimated to the job. But Carrington was pleased and surprised to find SharkNinja was ready for her. “This is the first time I've stepped into a DEI role and immediately received such buy-in,” she said. “You usually have to work hard to get that buy-in.” She credits Barrocas’ commitment and ITBOM’s foundational work for receptivity.
Conclusion
SharkNinja applied the same rigor and curiosity to their DEI mission as they do to product innovation. In two short years, DEI has become embedded in their processes. The company’s notions of DEI have expanded to include not just race and gender, but geography, language, and accent. The organization understands that DEI is critical to attracting and retaining talent as well as to being true to their mission to “positively impact peoples’ lives in every home around the world.” Most significantly, they invested in a full-time position to steer the DEI work going forward.
Of course, there is still work left to do. Changing culture is not an overnight venture. But SharkNinja is well on its way. Said Barrocas, “There’s always more to do. But I think, on the whole, our heart’s in the right place, our head’s in the right place, our actions are in the right place.”