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CANADA’S BEST DIVERSITY EMPLOYERS 2021
Cooperative values drive diversity at Desjardins
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hether he’s talking about the welcoming workplace culture or the headway he’s already made in his brief career, it’s clear Ismaël Koné is thrilled to be a financial adviser with Desjardins Group. Born in Ivory Coast, Koné came to Canada by way of France. He settled in Sudbury, Ont., where he earned a bachelor of business administration degree at Laurentian University. Koné says that like many recent immigrants, he puts pressure on himself to make up for lost time. In his final year of school, he worked part time as a bilingual customer service agent for Desjardins Ontario Credit Union.
Desjardins sees me and not my race. They focus on what I can do, how hard I work and how well I serve my clients.” — Ismaël Koné Financial Adviser The heavy workload paid off when Desjardins, headquartered in Lévis, Que., hired him full time after graduation. It was the first of three promotions since 2018 for Koné, who today helps clients with their investments and other financial needs. “I’m so happy that Desjardins sees me and not my race,” says Koné. “They focus on what I can do, how hard I work and how well I serve my clients.” Koné is so positive on the work culture that he persuaded his younger brother, Mohamed, who studied accounting at Laurentian, to join him at the organization,
which is now Sudbury’s leading financial institution. Koné adds that the only thing clients have ever had an issue with is his accent. He explains that although he’s bilingual, his first language is French and financial terminology in English is more challenging than everyday language. His colleagues are always eager to help him improve his pronunciation, and his managers and co-workers have been generous with positive feedback and support. Still, he found it particularly significant when Desjardins president and CEO Guy Cormier stated in a webcast that Canada’s leading cooperative financial group stands with Black Lives Matter. “I see myself having a long future with Desjardins,” Koné says. In his webcast, Cormier referenced the cooperative values of integrity, respect and inclusion. He emphasized that Black employees, members and clients can count on Desjardins to help create barrier-free opportunities and build a society that recognizes their value. Desjardins’ standing as a value-driven organization is what motivated Kim Trang Nguyen to join the organization in 2013. After a 25-year career with a global professional services company serving clients in Paris and Montréal, she was ready for a change. “I felt it was time for me to start giving back,” says the IT director, payment and retail lending solutions. “When I saw that Desjardins shared my values, I knew I could make an impact in the community.” Nguyen is also ideally positioned to make an impact for women in IT, a traditionally male-dominated field. She’s one of 13 ambassadors – one for each Desjardins sector –who are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion (D&I) by setting up initiatives and activities. Desjardins’s D&I program is focusing on
We don’t offer you a job. We offer you job satisfaction. There’s a difference.
ISMAEL KONÉ AND COLLEAGUES AT DESJARDINS ONTARIO CREDIT UNION LASALLE BRANCH IN SUDBURY three groups to start: women, young people, and visible minorities and people from cultural communities. The ambassadors share lessons learned with one another so they can have a bigger, cross-sector impact throughout the organization, Nguyen says. In early 2021, Desjardins launched Empowering Women, a Canada-wide network of women and their allies to take female leadership to the next level. Open FEMALE LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH L’EFFET A
to everyone from employees to the boards of directors, the network gives women at Desjardins an opportunity to grow, connect, stay informed and share their stories. Nguyen says that rather than taking a top-down approach, this initiative helps women prioritize their needs themselves. “We want to make sure we’re walking the talk of our cooperative values.”
WORKSHOPS ON UNCONSCIOUS BIAS FOR MANAGERS
Find out for yourself. Join the Desjardins family. desjardins.com/careers