Company Updates

From CSR to Powering the Possible

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For the past two years, I’ve been lucky enough to work with an inspiring and pioneering team at Dell that spends each day delivering on promises to make a difference in our communities and our planet. We understand that with the help of technology, we can accomplish a world of good. Whether it’s helping a child receive life-saving cancer treatment, assisting a young businesswoman to launch a company to help rural Indians, or giving our customers increased computing power while reducing their demand for natural resources: we realize that few things can’t be made possible through the power of technology.

As we announce the launch of Dell’s FY12 Corporate Responsibility report today, we are also announcing a new commitment to put technology and expertise to work where it can do the most good for people and the planet. Dell “Powering the Possible” is our new corporate responsibility platform that drives everything we do here. We hope it captures the innovative spirit by which we can make a positive difference in the world.

Our efforts are rooted the following areas:

  • Communities: Working with nonprofits, we give technology, expertise and funding to solve pressing social challenges and transform our communities.
  • Environment: Through innovations in packaging, energy efficiency and electronics recycling, we’re giving our customers the power to do more while minimizing their environmental footprint.
  • Our People: Our inclusive workforce brings people of diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives and talents together to foster innovation..
  • Supply Chain: We uphold the highest ethical standards when working with our supply chain partners, and we enable them to do the same.

This report is the first articulation of our new Dell “Powering the Possible” platform. While we know we have more to do, we want to share the progress we made in FY12 in each of our key focus areas. We met our ambitious packaging goals, donated more than $44 million to charitable causes, increased our employee resource group (ERG) chapters, and hosted more than 100 suppliers at capability-building workshops. Starting today, we will publish a series of posts that will detail our work in these areas.

To see Dell Powering the Possible in action, watch the video below, and stay tuned for more updates on our corporate responsibility efforts.

About the Author: Trisa Thompson

Trisa Thompson is the Vice President of Corporate Responsibility at Dell, with responsibility for Dell's global giving and sustainability. Previously at Dell, Trisa served as Vice President, Legal, for the Global Operations, Marketing and Product Groups, and was a member of the Legal Team for 12 years. She was the founding co-chair of the Women's Networking Group, W.I.S.E., at Dell, and also serves on the PRIDE Executive Board. She is also a member of the Global Giving and Sustainability Councils. Trisa joined Dell in June 1998 from the Washington, D.C. office of Seyfarth, Shaw. Trisa was a partner with Seyfarth in its Government Procurement Law practice. She specialized in federal, state, and local procurement law and litigation. She joined Seyfarth directly out of law school in 1986.
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