The reason Affirmative Action exists is because white people are at an inherent advantage. We've held all the important positions for a long, long time. So when you're talking about, as an example, executive positions, well, white guys already make up the bulk of executives, so they've got experience, which makes them more qualified. So the positions keep going to white men. Add in to that the fact that a lot of jobs are based on who you know, and the people already in power mostly know other people like them, and so hire people like them - more white men. On top of
that, since white men are the ones in power, they generally set the tone in a workplace, which is generally going to wind up being to the detriment of women and minorities. White guys will tell racist and misogynistic jokes, and when they complain, they get seen as not being "team players." Women get sexually harassed, and when they complain, it hurts their careers.
Straight white men have a huge advantage, simply by being born straight white men. It's an unfair advantage, especially the higher up you go. The only way to really combat that is to get more women and minorities in positions of power, which is generally going to mean giving them a higher priority in hiring practices. If you've got a woman who's only slightly less qualified than a man, go with her. If you've got a Latino who's only slightly less qualified than a white guy, go with the Latino.
Or, at the very least, when the qualifications are effectively equal, go with the person who's not a straight white guy.