Kathleen Navarro Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer New York Life Insurance Company UNIQUE BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERIENCES LEAD TO SUCCESS
New York Life knows unique backgrounds and experiences lead to success and the company is embracing this through a richly diverse corporate culture. “The business case for diversity is simple - companies with a diverse workforce outperform more homogenous organizations. This has been proven time and time again and is key to innovation, stronger group performance, and improved financial performance,” said New York Life Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer Kathleen Navarro. “Diverse teams can offer a variety of viewpoints and a wider range of experiences, as long as they are operating in an environment where their perspectives can be heard. Diversity is just one side of the equation; an inclusive environment makes diversity thrive,” she said.
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FUNDAMENTAL STRATEGIC STRENGTH Over the years, as New York Life’s customer markets became increasingly diverse, the company’s agent and employee workforce kept stride. This has become a fundamental strategic strength within both the company and the community. “Diverse candidates look to New York Life as a leader in diversity and inclusion due to our targeted development, sponsorship programs, Employee Resource Groups (ERG), and strong partnerships with external organizations,” Navarro explained. “A world where we embrace differences, and appreciate and value those differences is a much more interesting place to live,” she added. New York Life has three significant programs that sponsor and accelerate the development of employees.
PROFILES IN DIVERSITY JOURNAL • Winter 2016
They are the Career Development Program, Career Management Initiative and the company’s Accelerated Leadership Program. Further development and networking is provided through the ERG offerings. These include a mix of development programs, mentoring, volunteering activities, networking events, external and internal speakers, panel discussions, educational offerings, and activities with external partners. “These impactful, synergistic strategies provide our diverse employees with support and development opportunities, resulting in a more powerful diverse workforce that can rise to the challenges of the business,” Navarro said. PDJ