May is recognised in the U.S. as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, with different parts of the world celebrating Asian heritage throughout the year. We are proud to recognise the contributions of Asian American and Pacific Islander employees at UPS and celebrate their successes – today and every day.
Our employee-led Asian Business Resource Group (ABRG) includes over 1,000 active members across eight international chapters. These dedicated UPSers have helped build a strong community, educate allies and promote equality throughout the company. Hear from some of the UPS voices leading the way and driving change:
Nate Woodward, security manager, 28 years with UPS
Nate was adopted from Vietnam when he was only six months old and came to the U.S. as part of Operation Babylift in 1975. He is happily married and a proud dad to four children.
'I began my career at UPS in 1995 as a part-time parcel handler then secured promotions and rotations in different preload and security positions. Now, I oversee a team of six full-time security supervisors and am in charge of four states.'
Why ABRG? 'I am proud of my Vietnamese heritage and want to connect with people and organisations that directly support and engage with the AAPI community. I work with extremely talented and hardworking people who feel passionate about giving back to their communities while balancing work and family life.'
Vivien Hung, enterprise account manager, 34 years with UPS
Vivien – the oldest of six girls – immigrated to the U.S. from Hong Kong when her parents decided to search for a better life for their children. She is a first-generation college graduate and NYU alumna.
'I started at UPS in 1990 as a management trainee and gained experience by rotating into various business development positions. After being promoted to area sales manager, I worked with many sales professionals, and I continue to grow from my interactions with both internal and external customers.'
Why ABRG? 'Creating awareness for the AAPI community is important so others can understand our strengths and struggles. Those in our ABRG are like-minded UPSers who believe in diversity, equity and inclusion. We all believe everyone should be given the same chance no matter their race, gender, economic or social background.'
Marc Rocillo, health and safety manager, 12 years with UPS
Marc was born and raised in San Francisco and has a degree in business management and finance from University of California. He is passionate about mentorship and actively mentors children from the Bayview area.
'My first gig at UPS was unloading trailers. Then I started loading delivery vans and got promoted to part-time supervisor. I ran all parts of the preload and eventually got promoted to full-time health and safety manager.'
Why ABRG? 'I am proud of the people in our BRG and love to see their growth – they want to be better. We believe that iron sharpens iron and when this group is together, watching how much better they make each other is what makes me most proud. It is the culture that they built.'
How we show up year-round: UPS and The UPS Foundation have an ongoing commitment to support and uplift the AAPI community through local, national and global organisations and programmes.
- Since launching the Women’s Exporters Programme, we have equipped women-owned-and-led small businesses across the Asia-Pacific region with the skills to grow and develop their companies’ export capabilities.
- We are proud to share that our Asian talent in U.S. management has more than doubled the national average. According to the latest census, Asian Americans represent nearly 3% of the U.S. population, in 2023 UPS achieved 7.1% Asian representation in full-time management roles.
- To date, 85 Asian UPS leaders have enrolled in McKinsey & Company’s Connected Leaders Academy programmes to develop UPS’ diverse talent pipeline.
- Last year we put AAPI-owned small business in the spotlight with our Proudly Unstoppable campaign highlighting the rich heritage of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.
- Since 2022, The UPS Foundation has invested over $2M to advance initiatives supporting the AAPI community globally and domestically, including supporting youth leadership development through the Organisation of Chinese Americans.