Manulife Financial and its U.S. division John Hancock are investing more than $3.5 million over the next two years to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and in the communities they serve.
In a press release, the organizations said the goals of these investments are three-fold: to increase the representation of diverse talent at all levels in the organization; to create greater inclusion across the company through enhanced training; and to support organizations helping Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities.
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“We recognize that driving change means taking action, which is why we are making these important investments in building greater diversity on our team and a deeper awareness of the role we can all play in being an ally and supporter of inclusion,” said Roy Gori, Manulife’s president and chief executive officer. “Through candid discussions with our team, we’ve developed this plan based on their feedback, focusing on areas they see as the most critical levers to helping us create long-lasting change.”
The program covers three pillars of initiatives:
- Building representation of Black, Indigenous and other racialized professionals through graduate programs, focused leadership recruitment efforts and accelerated mid-career development;
- Programs designed to educate and train all employees that go beyond the company’s mandatory unconscious bias training; and
- Supporting communities through donations and volunteerism focused on financial education and career mentorship.
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