Susan Cardwell , shown here in Fort Collins , Colorado , in 1979 , was hired as a production engineer to work on the 9874A Digitizer . She followed early trailblazers like Edna MacLean , the first female engineer at HP , and wrote
technical articles for the Hewlett-Packard Journal . At the time , Cardwell described her induction this way : “ At other companies they handed me an organization chart and showed me where my little square would be , and that didn ’ t happen here . ... What impressed me was that HP people were willing to tell me about the projects they were working on , about the problems they were having , and even let me in on some of the solutions they had found . That showed me they cared .” ¶ This collaborative atmosphere , as well as recruiting talented team members regardless of gender , race , religion , or sexual orientation , was part of HP ’ s diversity and inclusion objectives , then and now . But also important was a job that engaged employees in a meaningful way . “ It ’ s very exciting to work on a product and get one that works and does what you want it to do ,” said Cardwell . This emphasis on a thriving HP culture continues today .
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF HP INC .