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New York Life Innovation: The #InclusionMatters Challenge Introduced: 2017 Program Leader: Kathleen Navarro, Vice President & Chief Diversity Officer
Office of Diversity & Inclusion team (l–r): Patricia Gomez-Garcia, Tammy Mata, Kathleen Navarro, Vibha Bhat, and Jeff Mak
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ew York Life has long recognized that the different cultures, experiences, and backgrounds represented by our employees are fundamental to the company’s continued strength and success. We also recognize that we can only unlock the true value of diversity by igniting inclusion. An inclusive work environment encourages employees to bring their “whole selves” to work and to showcase their unique backgrounds, which in turn drives collaboration, performance, and innovation. To foster inclusion, New York Life’s Office of Diversity & Inclusion
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New York Life fosters a wonderful culture of inclusion that I have rarely seen anywhere else. – #InclusionMatters Challenge participant (ODI) kicked off 2017 with an innovative learning solution: the #InclusionMatters Challenge. This month-long team competition allowed participants across the company to learn about the “I” in D&I and compete for the grand prize—a trip to New York City to
have lunch with New York Life CEO and Chairman Ted Mathas. The #InclusionMatters Challenge inspired teams to complete tasks focused on the importance of inclusion, and how to recognize and mitigate unconscious bias. To earn points, participants completed