Qualcomm Scraps DEI in Leaked Email

In an internal email sent Tuesday and obtained by ABC 10News, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon told staff the company will disband its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) division to comply with "certain regulatory requirements" from the new White House administration. “First, we will no longer have a DEI function,” Amon wrote, adding that select programming will move to HR while other DEI efforts will be discontinued entirely.

Employee groups like the Black Inclusion Group and API Network will remain, but their scope will change. JoAnn Fields from the API Initiative called the shift “disheartening,” warning it could damage outreach and representation. Meanwhile, Amy Reichert of Restore San Diego praised the move, saying it “returns hiring to merit, not identity.”

Despite ending its DEI department, Qualcomm stated that its values remain unchanged, promising fair treatment and merit-based advancement. As political pressure mounts on corporate DEI, Qualcomm’s email signals a new chapter in how companies navigate inclusion.
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