Black History Month: 'There's tremendous value in it,' HP exec says

Ron Guerrier is no stranger to the micro-aggressions that come with being a Black man in the U.S.

But HP's (HPQ) chief information officer has learned how to turn potentially embarrassing interactions into "teachable moments." And he's been doing so since before "micro-aggression" became a term in popular culture, Gurrier told Yahoo Finance in a recent interview.

"I would go to conferences, I would actually be the keynote speaker, but people would not know that. Several times...they would assume I'm the valet. Or I'm the coffee attendant, and they would ask me where's the coffee?" Guerrier said.

"They assume that I'm the only person of color in the room, therefore ... they assume I'm the one to help serve them," he added.

Recalling his mother's words, he has learned to turn these moments into opportunities.

"I have a conversation with them. I say, 'I think you were mistaken. I'm actually the keynote...I'm a peer of yours. Let's talk about this,'" Guerrier said during an interview on Yahoo Finance's "A Time For Change."

Sometimes, he says the interaction goes well, even resulting in friendships. But other times, the person coldly turns away.

Guerrier's career path is a testament to the American Dream. A Haitian-American who started as a car sales representative, he has spent the past dozen years in the C-suite of some of the largest companies, as well as serving as the CIO and Secretary of Innovation and Technology for Illinois.

His first executive experience came from the very same car company he once sold cars for, Toyota. He then moved on to Farmers Insurance and Express Scripts (CI). Guerrier has also served in several leadership positions on boards and prominent councils, like Equinix (EQIX) and the Forbes Technology Council.

'There's tremendous value in it'

It's why Guerrier understands the value of Black History Month.

Corporate America rallies around the racial and cultural awareness months with discussions, forums and parties. And while some critics have previously said the efforts should last more than the month, the country's political and social divides have lead to books being banned, and educators find themselves in sensitive positions.

Guerrier agrees that efforts should last all year, but says that the month being highlighted continues to benefit him.

"I do believe there's tremendous value in it," he said.

"It gives kids, young kids of color, an opportunity to really learn and focus on their history. I learn new things all the time. My background is Haitian-American, and I still learn a lot from my African-American friends and colleagues," he added.

Without the pomp and circumstance around the month, it wouldn't create the needed sense of urgency to discuss important and sensitive topics in the workplace. Corporations would not be held to account without these efforts, he said.

"(With) the absence in conversation, it just falls in the background as white noise. And it shouldn't be white noise, it should be brought to the forefront," Guerrier said.

Follow Anjalee on Twitter @AnjKhem

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