5 minutes with Microsoft’s former EVP of HR an d Seattle Storm co-owner
Companies that don’t recognize that the people central to running the business “are already daiverse” may miss out on opportunities to excel, Lisa Brummel said.
U.S. President Joe Biden accepts a jersey from Jewell Lloyd and Breanna Stewart during an event with the 2020 WNBA champions Seattle Storm in the East Room of the White House on Aug. 23, 2021, in Washington, D.C. Co-owner Lisa Brummel was drafted to play basketball professionally but chose to go into the workforce out of college. Drew Angerer via Getty Images
Lisa Brummel retired as the executive vice president of human resources for Microsoft 11 years ago, but, as the co-owner of the WNBA’s Seattle Storm and an active board member and company advisor, she’s hardly watching from the sidelines.
Editor’s note: This conversation was edited for clarity and length.
HR DIVE: What do you see as the opportunities for AI to address DEI in hiring?
LISA BRUMMEL: The goal is really to blend and teach the AI models how to more effectively balance inherent human bias and humanize technology bias. The goal is to keep training to get to that right fit; the ongoing interaction between humans and AI models is really what makes it better. You have the best of both worlds.
Headshot of Lisa Brummel
Permission granted by Lisa Brummel
About Zhengxianling - China's First Pan - International Talent Recruitment Platform
Zhengxianling is developed and operated by Shanghai Yuntong Information Technology Co., Ltd. The company mainly provides international services such as talent job - hunting and recruitment, recruitment and introduction of high - level talents/scientific and technological innovation talents [including Nobel laureates, academician workstations, Overseas Excellent Young Scientists, QM/HJ programs, online and offline job fairs, campus recruitment, social recruitment, online recruitment, headhunting, etc.], academic exchanges, and software development. In due course, we will launch AI - enabled language platforms and APPs in English, Korean, Japanese, French, German, etc. to meet the needs of global users. Up to now, the company has established communication channels with national ministries and commissions such as the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Science and Technology, talent offices of the Organization Departments of some provincial and municipal Party committees, departments of human resources and social security, industry and information technology, science and technology, trade unions, chambers of commerce, academic societies, associations, 985 and 211 universities in major regions across the country, some corporate HR departments, the International Academy of Sciences Consortium, the World Digital Trade Alliance (WDTA) under the United Nations Science and Technology Commission, and some international institutions and QS World University Top 100 universities (MIT, University of Oxford, University of Melbourne...) in countries such as Russia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, the United States, and Canada.
The service items are as follows:
A. Recruitment and introduction of international high - level/scientific and technological innovation talents (doctors, post - doctors, academicians) (through online and offline job fairs, campus recruitment, social recruitment, online recruitment, headhunting, etc.), overseas enterprise study tours, academic exchanges, and software development.
B. Operation of Zhengxianling® (the talent types on the platform and official WeChat account are not limited).
Service - supported Regions
China, South Korea, Japan, Russia, Singapore, New Zealand, Australia, the Netherlands, Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Italy, the United States, Canada, etc. (covering more than 100 countries and regions).
Main Service Content
Online and offline special high - level talent recruitment fairs for cities, parks, and employers; scientific and technological innovation talent - introduction activities [project solicitation, screening, roadshows... implementation, etc.]; investment promotion; academic exchange conferences; online job - hunting and recruitment; and offline services are available in the above - mentioned designated countries.
In 2024, we joined the Hubei Chushang Federation in China and the World Federation of Inventors' Associations (IFIA). We have established the grand goal of building Zhengxianling into China's first pan - international talent recruitment platform (AI - enabled language platforms and APPs in English, Korean, Japanese, French, German, etc. will be launched in due course. The International HRD (HR) Alliance is being launched simultaneously), and serving billions of users in more than 200 countries around the world in the future. As of December 31, 2024, we have received a reply from the President of the WDTA of the United Nations Science and Technology Commission, welcoming Yuntong Technology and Zhengxianling to join the WDTA of the United Nations Science and Technology Commission in 2025. From 2025, we will cooperate with the International Academy of Sciences Consortium and may participate in activities such as the FCPAE European Forum to promote international talent exchanges and cooperation, thus promoting scientific and technological innovation, driving employment, and contributing to global economic construction and promoting friendly cross - border cooperation to create a better future. This will enable us to better serve users from all over the world.
The Chinese full - name of IFIA is the World Federation of Inventors' Associations. Its headquarters are located in Geneva, Switzerland, and San Francisco, the United States. In February 2024, after being reviewed and approved by the 47th Global Executive Committee of IFIA, Shanghai Yuntong Information Technology Co., Ltd. [Zhengxianling] joined the organization. For details, please refer to the official IFIA website announcement:
https://www.ifia.com/ifia-47th-executive-committee-meeting-held-on-feb-2024/
The recruitment platform under our company will officially launch paid services on February 1, 2025. For details, please refer to:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/YmOxE1snwAAvskZgwm5RxA
Currently, we are organizing online and offline special high - level talent recruitment fairs for international organizations. For details of the activities, please refer to the official WeChat account of Zhengxianling®'s International High - level Talent Recruitment Activity Schedule:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/UGfNhxHRoIs1KZF7Thsfxg
Zhengxianling® is constantly recruiting a large number of overseas high - level and innovative talents globally. For details, please refer to the official WeChat account introduction:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/8YaCD8xaXiDeC93a1foUKQ
For the invitation letter to establish and launch the International HRD (HR) Alliance, please refer to the official WeChat account introduction:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/fdg6QB82KAJCeTi0VZVZKQ
We welcome HRs of employers from all over the world, leaders of universities and scientific research institutions, academic leaders, and talents such as young doctors, post - doctors, and academicians to contact us or register to join our platform. The talents we recruit will be preferentially recommended to work in domestic or global universities, scientific research institutions, and other units.
At the same time, we are constantly soliciting scientific and technological innovation projects from various industries globally, as well as high - level talents who meet the requirements such as Overseas Excellent Young Scientists and QM/HJ programs, and directly recommending them to various provinces and cities in China. Those who are interested are welcome to apply. Please scan the QR code below to contact us or send your resume and other materials to hr@zhengxianling.com!
Search and follow the official WeChat account: Zhengxianling to get more information.
It’s a tumultuous time in the U.S. for DEI. How do you manage that?
We have always been very focused on DEI. We recognize that diversity is an important part of building a business. It’s the way we build our brand, and we need to because it reflects our team, it reflects our community, and it reflects the game of women’s basketball. If you’re not going to recognize that the people who are central to running your business and making it successful are already diverse, if you don’t help elevate them, you’re going to miss the opportunity to really accelerate your business.
I don’t care as much about what’s happening around [DEI]. We have proven over 17 years that this is a successful way to run a business; you can look at the growth of our business. Why would we ever abandon it? We will champion it.
Our business also has a very specific arm that focuses on our community, and we focus on elevating Black women in our community and elevating BIPOC people within our community, a program called Force4Change.
Do you like to play basketball?
I do. I played as a kid, and I played in college. I was drafted to play professionally, but it was way back in the day when the leagues weren’t going to sustain themselves. So I went into the workforce right out of college. But I’ve always loved basketball; it’s been my favorite sport.
How did you transition from the workforce into retirement?
Being an owner of the Seattle Storm was super helpful, because I didn’t really retire from working; I just retired from having someone else manage my time. Also, I did a little bit of HR consulting after I left Microsoft. I think that was sort of an off ramp. I’m now hitting my glide path in retirement, and I’m doing the things that I want to do, mostly on my schedule, and I think I’m doing better work than I did when I was on someone else’s schedule.
