Google Executive Chairman called out for interrupting woman panelist during diversity talk

Google Executive Chairman called out for interrupting woman panelist during diversity talk
Google Executive Chairman called out for interrupting woman panelist during diversity talk
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The News Minute | March 17, 2015 | 11:20 am IST

Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and acclaimed Steve Jobs biographer Walter Isaacson were wrapping up an interactive panel focused on diversity, when an audience member pointed out that the two men were interrupting their fellow panelist, the United States' Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith.

Ironically, the audience member who posed the question was Judith Williams, who's in charge of Google's unconscious bias program.

The three members were on stage for a panel called "How Innovation Happens," where the hour long talk spoke about how the U.S. government and companies like Google can get more women and minorities involved.

Always common in moderated panels, the talk saw both men interrupting Smith several times in the heat of debate, which came to the notice of Williams who pointed it out considering the day's topic of diversity.

Williams, who is Google's Global Diversity and Talent Programs manager stood up during the Q & A Session and said "Given that unconscious bias research tells us that women are interrupted a lot more than men, I'm wondering if you are aware that you have interrupted Megan many more times," which immediately saw the room fill up a round of cheers and applause.

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