Diane Solinger named Director, Change Management & Strategic Communications

UC Systemwide Procurement (SWP) is excited to welcome Diane Solinger into the newly created role of Director of Change Management & Strategic Communications as of October 21, 2024. With an extensive career in leading global human resources and organizational initiatives, Diane brings a wealth of knowledge in effective change programs, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communication.

Diane’s background in human resources, learning and development, program management, and social impact, coupled with her passion for building strong, collaborative relationships, makes her uniquely skilled in guiding change management efforts. Her expertise in fostering inclusive workplaces and navigating complex organizational landscapes will be a tremendous asset in working across the UC system.

Diane’s career includes leadership roles at Google, where she spearheaded several transformation projects, including the implementation of a new performance management system and led change management efforts for Google’s Hybrid Work/Return to Office initiatives. Diane also helped develop learning programs for Google’s 30,000+ managers and led teams and cross-functional partnerships across disparate systems during challenging COVID-19 pivots. Among other roles, she was director of Googler Engagement, Google’s global employee volunteering and charitable giving arm, managing annual charitable contributions of over $160M, and increasing employee giving and volunteering participation from 34% to 70%.

You may have gleaned that Diane is deeply committed to volunteer service. She served as the Chairperson for the Center for Ethics and Social Responsibility at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and recently stepped down from the board of the International Association for Volunteer Effort. She continues to provide pro bono consulting work to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent.

On the personal side, Diane is a proud mom to Cole and Sarah, a role she describes as her “longest running, hardest, and best job.” She is also the youngest of five sisters, all of whom share a close-knit bond and a love of traveling the world together. An avid hiker, skier, and snowshoer, Diane has spent the past five years exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest and the Cascade Mountains. And when it comes to food, Diane is passionate about pie—especially olallieberry pie from Swanton Berry Farm on the San Mateo County coastline, which she describes as "to die for!"

Please join us in giving Diane a warm welcome to the team!