Promoting Diversity & Inclusion through Empowerment & Equity

Best practices for creating a diverse organization, emphasizing equality Empowering dealer partners in their D&I journey Ensuring equitable access to financial literacy for consumers Panelists: Ashley Brundage, Vice President, Diversity & Inclusion, PNC Bank Charita Henderson, Vice President of Leadership Development, Exeter Finance Shunda Robinson, Global Vice President of Diversity and Inclusion, GM Financial Moderator: Amanda Harris, Associate Editor, Auto Finance News [toggle title="TRANSCRIPT"] JJ Hornblass 00:45 Hi ever Hi everyone and welcome to day three of the auto finance summit. Good day to you all our 20th annual auto finance summit hope that you've had two great days of session and we're looking forward to another great day of sessions and networking here at the Auto Finance summit. If you haven't checked out our event coverage at auto finance news dotnet I would encourage you to do that as well. So to continue your learning and and see our coverage of the sessions. I also wanted to mention before we started today, that we are planning to return to Las Vegas for the auto finance summit next year. The 2021 Auto Finance summit is slated for October 27 to 29 at the Wynn Las Vegas. We are hopeful for return to Las Vegas next year and we hope that's the case. Again, I want to deeply thank our sponsors for their support. Our diamond sponsor, alpha or platinum sponsor, FiOS, and sponsors call center services Cox, automotive DDI technology defi Solutions experienced a nova tech, open lending PDP group, Chronicle CenturyLink smart auction, and Walters klore. It is is now my pleasure to hand over the virtual podium to Amanda Harris, Associate Editor of auto finance news for this session on diversity and inclusion. As we all saw this year, diversity, diversity and inclusion is a critical topic not just for auto finance. But for America at large. We are very, very proud to present this panel is the first time we are focusing solely on diversity and inclusion here at the Auto Finance summit. And I also want to mention that General Motors financial was a leading advocate for this session. So we thank GM financial for that. And so now without further ado, let me welcome Amanda Harris to the podium, Amanda.Amanda Harris 03:10 Thank you, JJ, for the introduction. And thank you to Alfa for sponsoring our session 13. And now here is a brief message from our sponsor.03:21 This is Alfa systems, the software platform that supports the entire auto finance lifecycle. unify, connect and adapt Shunda Robinson 03:30 in one versatile platform. 03:33 Future Proof your auto finance. Amanda Harris 03:40 Great thank you again Alfa and now to turn to the topic at hand promoting diversity and inclusion through empowerment equity. Against the backdrop of a global pandemic civil unrest marked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Brianna Taylor and Lewisville Kentucky has sparked a nationwide call to action amid protests across across the country. This year has forced entire industries to reevaluate how they transact with customers and demand and institutions take a hard look at social and justices representative diversity and economic equality. The auto finance editorial team recently took an in depth look at this issue in our October cover story. Through that process, our eyes were open to how much work still needs to be done in auto finance, inclusion and diversity have recently been prioritized as lenders work to bridge the gaps in racial ethnic and gender equality. But like any worthwhile cause, the success of such an undertaking will require the sustained effort of every lender in the auto finance community as they address the change within their own corporate cultures and and how they provide services in diverse communities. I'm happy I get to moderate this session on diversity inclusion because it is a passion of mine as well. I believe we need a diverse set of voices and representation to truly be successful in everything we do. I'm excited to welcome our panelists today. Ashley Brundage, Vice President of diversity and inclusion for PNC Bank Charita Henderson, Vice President of leadership development at Exeter Finance, and Shunda Robinson, global vice president of diversity and inclusion at GM financial. Hi, everyone. Shunda Robinson 05:29 Hi there. Amanda Harris 05:31 I want to dive right into this important topic. But first, I want to ask you all to tell us a bit more about you. Since you have each taken a role within your company focused on diversity inclusion, why don't we start with you sharing what led you to seek that opportunity? And why don't we start with actually just going in alphabetical order? Ashley Brundage 05:50 Thank you so much. Um, so I kind of accidentally uncovered diversity and inclusion. And it started when I entered the financial world. About 10 years ago, I was looking for employment. And I had faced so many different discriminatory situations from employers telling me that they would never have anyone like me working in their organization, I actually had one employer slam a door in my face. And I had I got trust passed. The police called on me about being my authentic self as a openly transgender woman. My experience was really shocking at the beginning. But I started to realize that diversity and inclusion was the way in which I was going to get foot in the door, and I was going to have that be my conversational starter. And it led me to finding an inclusive employer, PNC Bank, who was excited to have me on the team, and I worked in the financial world of the retail banking division for about five years, and while all advocating during that timeframe for diversity and inclusion, and volunteering, through diversity, inclusion programming, and then that led me into my current role as VP of diversity and inclusion that served in the last five years advocating for marginalized communities and increasing visibility. Amanda Harris 07:31 Do you want to go next? Charita Henderson 07:33 Absolutely. Thank you, you know, much like Ashley, I just kind of accidentally happen to fall into this space, I was brought up with a lot of diversity, you know, coming from a Baptist minister, as a father who sent us to Catholic schools, and one of my first relationships was with someone who was of Islamic faith. So I've always had exposure to differences and have always truly valued them. At a previous organization, I had an opportunity to get involved in some diversity training and starting some network groups in the organization. And I found that I really enjoyed it. I mean, the simple fact is, I just really, and truly believe that having a diverse organizational culture creates a better company. And and I simply wanted to be involved in the work around diversity, and inclusion and equity that helps to make it not only approachable, because it is something that's tough sometimes to talk about. But something that's also actionable. Very often, you see a lot of talking, you don't see a lot of work behind it. So I want it to be a part of that in a nutshell, I wanted to just be a part of helping to continue to what we call it an X that are helping to continue to make our culture excellent and shape our culture of excellence. Amanda Harris 09:00 I'll pass it over to Shunda as well. Shunda Robinson 09:03 Morning, everyone. In life, sometimes the saying goes, you find your calling. And I believe that my calling found me having an HR background being almost 25 years in the Human Resources space. This opportunity came available and a previous leader of mine reached out to me to have a conversation about it. And I was somewhat intrigued. The interest was there, however I was concerned with what was important to me was the leadership support that this particular role would have at this organization. And through a series of interviews with the top leaders of this organization, I found just how supportive that leadership was. And so, again, I believe my calling found to me it's been an incredible journey building this from nothing, I was a one woman team for over two years. And then having grown my team, but more importantly, having grown, the support with MGM financial, really has been so fulfilling and so rewarding to see just the team that has embraced diversity and inclusion. And it's not to say that we're there yet. It's a journey. But it really has been an incredible journey before. So really proud of the efforts that we've made. Amanda Harris 10:29 Fantastic. Well, we are super excited to have all of you here today. Before we get too far into the conversation, I wanted to start with kind of some level setting. We know terms like diversity, inclusion and equity are pretty broad. So I wanted to see if each of you would like to just kind of define what those mean to you and in your organizations, to kind of set up the table for the discussion. Whoever would like to jump in first on that is welcome to Shunda Robinson 10:56 I'd like to piggyback off of Oh, you go ahead, Shonda. Amanda Harris 11:02 Oh, I think we lost your your voice there. shunda Shunda Robinson 11:07 looks like very similar to what they say I believe that diversity is who works at your organization and inclusion is who gets the opportunity. So while we may, a lot of organizations may have diversity representative at the organization, it's the inclusion I think that is sometimes the missing ingredient, who's in your leadership range, who's at the table making the decision is critical decision for the organization. So I'll leave the equity piece to Ashley and to Charita. Charita Henderson 11:40 Thank you. You know, we do have formal definitions for diversity, inclusion and equity. But I love referencing a phrase from diversity advocate Verna Myers it says diversity is like being invited to the party and inclusion is being asked to dance diversity is about so much more than than just race. It's about celebrating our similarities and not just our differences. And when I think about equity, and continuing with the analogy that I use a moment ago, it's like it's like dancing, like no one else is watching but knowing that you will not be judged in fact that you'll be judged by the same standards. It's about promoting impartiality, and fairness within procedures processes, distribution of resources within organizations and systems. Ashley Brundage 12:34 And I was just gonna say that, um, to me, like equity is almost like dancing on a level dance floor and not falling and tripping over authors to Vernay, Meyers. Amazing words. And then I almost say that belonging is like the dancing like no one's like, doesn't matter. Nobody else is watching kind of scenario. Like you're singing in the shower, that kind of feeling is what I get from diversity, inclusion and equity and belonging, kind of all of those words together, being used in a positive way to make an impact. Amanda Harris 13:13 Absolutely, well, thank you. For those that gives us some some good basis to think about these a little differently than maybe we would normally think about them. So I appreciate that. One thing I wanted to touch on, too is why is having a diversity inclusion strategy important? And also, why is it necessary for the strategy to touch every part of the company from the top down? Shunda, do you want to kick us off there? Shunda Robinson 13:37 Sure. I think it's important because when you are talking about building your customer base, customers need to see themselves reflected in your organization. And likewise, the team members at the organization need to see themselves reflected in the leadership. So it's really this layered effect that each level needs to see the possibilities at the next level. You know, candidate attraction to an organization creates the possibilities that there is space for me at the organization, and more importantly, not only space, but there's an opportunity for me not just to survive, but to thrive within the organization. So I think it's it's opening up the possibilities. And seeing that the opportunities are endless for whoever is wanting to connect with the organization via customer, a candidate, whether it's suppliers that are wanting to do business with the organization, people need to be able to see themselves within the space of the organization. Amanda Harris 14:44 Charita it like you're wanting to time in a way the next Charita Henderson 14:47 Yeah, no, I absolutely agree with everything that Shonda just said, you know, having a DNI strategy is important because it helps to really create a more inclusive a more just and a more effective workplace. But it It's got to be more than just an HR checklist and it should touch every part of the organization from recruiting and onboarding to leadership development and succession planning. But, you know, the the thing is, is the strategy also should help to create an atmosphere where people do they have a sense of belonging, just like Shauna said, where people know that they have as much of a chance at success as any other person. And when people know that, you know, factors such as race and gender and orientation are not impediments to advancement, it just releases seem to perform at a higher letter higher level. So though, so having this strategy is very important. Ashley Brundage 15:43 And then I was just going to chime in with, you know, just on strategy as an overarching concept. regardless of the size of your organization, you should be really thinking about a strategy that works for everyone in the organization. I'm a big believer of having your DNI program, not be pigeon holed. So to make sure, you know, is saying, right, that it's not just an HR deliverable around people, it has to go into business imperatives has to go into delivering results, it has to go into how we market the cost for customers, has to go into how we build relationships in the community where we, where we look to retain and recruit talent, right? It should be an overarching concept for every size of every size of every organization that's out there. So if you have a company, that's five employees, you should be looking at, what is your inclusion strategy, because you won't go You won't grow and reach the right organization and reach the right customer base if you don't have that strategy. Charita Henderson 16:49 Amanda, I would add also that, you know, when the strategy is, is executed the right way, you know, companies are more attractive to prospective employees, that employee engagement increases, as well as employee well being and it just, you know, overall, it just improves the company confidence from a corporate standpoint, as well as a community perspective. Amanda Harris 17:12 Absolutely. And I wanted to kind of piggyback off of what Ashley was saying with having a strategy and kind of just go straight back to you, Ashley, on, you know, what initiatives have worked at your organization, you know, to foster inclusion and build diversity. And along those lines, what areas have in your experience historically lacked diversity. Ashley Brundage 17:34 So so we structure our initiatives surrounding three key strategic priorities. The first one being workforce and, and our workforce engagement is how we engage with our people. And so of course, as a big 50,000, employee organization, we have employee Business Resource Groups, and that's our engagement model for our people where we helps us really attract, retain and develop our people. Our second priority, our second strategic priority is centered around our lines of business. And then so we have line of business DNI councils that work with the business heads, and they produce culture Driven Programming and educational components to really move inclusion forward in our space. And then last, but certainly not least, would be our marketplace initiative. And then that is how we connect with our customers and our communities. And so we have geographical regional diversity and inclusion councils. And actually, that's the program that I manage for, for PNC across all of our 45 geographical markets in the US. We have a DNI council that's in that market that knows the market that's represented by the people in the market. And then they are the ones that are engaging in the community organizations. They're involved with the local diverse chambers of commerce, they're involved with the supplier diversity advocacy organizations in the market, they're building the relationships. So of course, it's important than they know how to build those connections to the community and help us to track the results from their engagement. Amanda Harris 19:22 Definitely Charita want to chime in on that. All right. Charita Henderson 19:26 Yeah, absolutely. You know, this, this question really makes me think about our organizational culture. And it's really rooted in our core values of people, performance and service. You know, we've outlined a framework that really provides all extra employees with a set of, of competencies, we call our core competencies, competencies, and and they really connect everyone to the organization's values regardless of their role. We also have something called thrive. It's our engagement initiative, which is really devoted to planning in coordinating events and activities that seek to be inclusive of all, you know, all of our, all of our employee employee base, and although we're very early in the journey of intentionally and specifically really focusing on on this di space, I know we're headed in the right direction, the right direction, because we're doing things like you know, creating space for people to have a share their voice and have a voice by by implementing things like employee network groups and in the Diversity Council, and also, you know, making sure that we have a culturally competent organization by by putting out some training and education to address this important matter. To answer the second part of your question, I think historically, you know, we have seen a lack of diversity in senior leadership leadership positions, at, you know, at many companies Amanda Harris 20:58 Shunda any thoughts on that? Shunda Robinson 21:01 Yeah, I certainly agree with to read on that. I do think probably the biggest opportunity for most organizations is that senior leadership position, oftentimes, organizations find themselves being what I call the triangle. So you're diverse at very quite diverse at the lower levels. And the higher you go, the less diversity you see. So one thing that we do a GM financial about four years ago, understanding that our organization spans across the US. And now our you know, of course, our footprint is global, so into our Latin American countries, in the offices there, one thing that I wanted to do was really figure out a way to bring our organization together. So when we talk about diversity, we are represented already, the inclusion piece was a really big piece for us. So we implemented and started an internal mentoring program. When we talk about those, the lack of diversity at the senior leader level, the first thing that you have to think about is what are we doing to develop and ready those team members for those opportunities when they do come open, we know that those positions are fewer and far between and some of the lower individual contributor entry level positions. So it's important that there there is a development piece that is strategically and intentionally done and fostered so that when those positions open, not only are you putting the most qualified candidate in the position, but you are preparing them for success. So our mentoring program, really, the objective was, what can we do to bring our organization together, and even more importantly, is exposed leaders with the talent that's in the organization, oftentimes, talent across an organization. So when you talk about actually, you know, with a workforce of greater than 50,000, oftentimes, leaders don't have exposure to the talent that exists. So you have a lot of underrepresented professionals of color, and women that are often saying, I want an opportunity, but nobody sees them because of their position where they're located. So our mentoring program, we strive to do just that. It's bringing talent together. So mentors, with mentees, and we really focus on the diversity aspect of it. So we don't pair individuals within the same organization. So if you are an IT leader, your mentee will not be someone from it, and maybe someone from marketing, or from our credit department, or from a county, you will be exposed to different parts of the organization. And what's been incredible is seeing just the exposure with the team members, we've had team members moved from parts of the organization just by way of exposure and learning about different aspects of the organization that they otherwise would not have had the opportunity. So really proud of how something so small and, and oftentimes, mentoring, it can be a game changer for a lot of people, particularly those that are marginalized and underrepresented. They just need the opportunity and the opportunity sometimes is just that piece of exposure. Amanda Harris 24:23 Okay, and kind of a follow up question. Charita and Shunda you both kind of touched on this a little bit. But to Shunda right 4off of your comments, how can organizations make sure they are intentionally reaching diverse groups of talent, you know, we talked a lot about, it's really hard to, you know, get them in this top two years, and that's where the percentages are lower. So you know, how can they go about intentionally being the key word, they're reaching this? Shunda Robinson 24:47 Yeah. Yeah, I think you have to be intentional around the development piece. I mean, it's really First of all, understanding the career path of an individual. Everybody doesn't have the The the goal of being in senior leadership, some do some don't. So it's important to understand what is the career path and what is the career objectives and goals of an individual. And I think after that, it's really helping them develop very concrete development plan. And that plan oftentimes is the organization investing, not only invest in time, but also invest in resources, invest in money in their development that says to them, and here's a part where that retention piece comes in, people are more apt to stay in an organization where they are being invested in. And when you invest in my career, by way of developing me ensuring that I have the resources that I need, ensuring that I get exposure to senior leadership, I'm more apt to stay at that organization versus taking an opportunity elsewhere. And not knowing what I'm getting into. I'd rather stay where I know that I'm appreciated, and I'm valued for, for all of the diversity that I bring to the table. So it's being intentional about that development piece. I think that's key. And that's critical. Charita Henderson 26:04 Yeah, I absolutely agree with what, what Shonda just said, You know, I think that companies can also be very focused and intentional in the the hiring of diverse talent, you know, by first making sure that those that are even doing the interview, the interviewing represent diversity, not just race, but gender, various levels in positions, and even different personalities, you know, by doing things like helping their their interviewers and hiring managers to understand common biased, that may influence their hiring decisions, you know, they can participate in in diversity, job fairs, and engage in types in targeted type of, of networking. So the hiring also has to be very intentional as well. Ashley Brundage 26:50 Yeah, and I was just going to chime in with that, you know, intentionally going and recruiting like sherita was talking about job fairs. There are so many diverse community job fairs, and organizations for which you can reach different diverse communities. I have actually, like, presented workshops on tapping the transgender talent pipeline, because there's an entire population of people out there from my diverse community that are all looking for employment opportunities, because the trans community faces 40% on employment and 40% under employment, so that means 80% of the trans community is unemployed or underemployed. So when you look at a community that's looking and with a chip on their shoulder that's ready to come into your organization and prove their worth and prove that they that they belong. That's what you get when you reach out to a minority diversity community that that needs support. And then I think the other piece of this too, is the moment that you shut the door and a meeting of leaders, and you don't and you look around. And if you does not represent the community you serve, or your customer base or your employee base, you need to take a second and do a privilege check and then look around the room. And and I think at that moment is when you should start thinking if you don't have them working in your organization, which you know how I think you should figure out right how to take the advice from, from the panelists here on how to get them to come in your organization. But if they are not represented in your organization, then you need to hire a consultant from the diverse community to at least be present. Because the moment that you shut that door to that board meeting, or you shut that door to that executive leadership meeting, you are then shutting the door off for inclusion, and you're turning off the ability to have that community be represented. And you're complicit in that in that act. Amanda Harris 28:54 Those are some powerful stats. And that's some great advice. Thank you so much, Ashley, we actually do have a question from our audience. And that is, what do each of you identify as the first step businesses should take in creating a culture of diversity inclusion across your entire organization? Charita Do you want to go ahead and get started on that one? Charita Henderson 29:16 Yeah, you know, it's simple, I would say, start at the top, you know, make sure that you've got direction and support from the top of the organization to be successful with with any initiative but especially that one like one like this, just just start at the top and get the initiative going. Amanda Harris 29:37 Ashley, like your, your snaps Oh, Ashley Brundage 29:40 me the money. I don't know, to me, I immediately think of the business case. If you don't show the business case. You may not and I'm sure what the three of us want three different answers here. But I'm I think, in order to potentially to get the CEOs buy in, because I think you definitely have to have the person at the top saying it. I'm not saying that. That's not Write either. But I think there may be you also need to have the business case when you go to that person. Amanda Harris 30:07 Shunda any thoughts on that we Shunda Robinson 30:11 think it's important that an organization really understands where they are. Oftentimes organizations may think they're diverse until they really look at the numbers and realize, okay, we've got a lot of work to do. So I think it's important that really take a hard look at where you are as an organization. And I would just encourage organizations also to include as many diverse voices in the conversation as you possibly can. You can't You can't have just one dimensional voice, kind of leading the effort. So you need definitely need representation at the table when you're really creating strategy. Amanda Harris 30:52 Absolutely. And Ashley, you mentioned you know, if there's, they're not people in the room, kind of reaching out to other organizations or, you know, getting consultants, can you share some specific diversity and inclusion organizations or groups that, you know, you use to tap into diverse communities? Ashley Brundage 31:11 Oh, my goodness, there are so many there right now, there. I, because I have so many friends in that space, I don't think it would be fair to just mention one or two. But honestly, you know, Google is your friend, but reach out to the diverse, the national organizations, because they're going to have their most reputable ones that you're going to work with. And also make sure that you're you're hiring, if you're going to bring in a consultant that you're bringing in somebody who is a minority diversity, own business as well. Like, obviously, I'm I don't know if it's obvious, but if you read my bio, you'll know that I'm involved in the LGBT Chamber of Commerce, the ngl cc, and they have a list of about 20, diversity and inclusion consultant professionals that that do a lot of work education training representation in that space. So there's so many resources out there. Amanda Harris 32:15 Shunda, did you have any thoughts or ideas or anything you could share on that? Shunda Robinson 32:20 Um, yeah, I mean, really, to echo what Ashley said, I mean, not to really pinpoint specific organizations, but there are lots of national councils that are very well connected in the DNI space. And so I would reach out to some of those national diversity councils that can provide more information and kind of point you in the direction of exactly what you're looking for. I mean, there's, there's a lot of external organizations that can leave you to diverse talent. You know, there's this whole notion that, oh, we can't find the talent, that talent is there. And you have to go to where the talent is. Lots of, you know, organizations that focus on black talent, lots of organizations that focus on Hispanic talent, you know, you've got national organizations that focus on the LGBTQ or veterans, there's just a number of nationally focused organizations. So I will stay connected with Oh, Amanda Harris 33:23 Charita any any thoughts you want to move on? Charita Henderson 33:26 You know, I'm listening to my co panelists here. And I know that for both of their organizations, they're a bit further down the path on this journey than we are. So my plans are to reach out to you all, by way of the network. And, you know, I'd love to hear your thoughts on things that have worked for your organization, things that that haven't. And I think that's a great opportunity, you know, if you're starting down this journey, reach out to someone who's already been on the path and seek to understand what they've done and what's helped them out, or what they've avoided as a hindrance. Amanda Harris 34:00 For sure, for sure. And, you know, we've been talking a lot about, you know, how companies can start thinking about this and how they can reach out and obviously, you know, US finance news, we're, you know, about the finance area. So one question I wanted to ask each of you is, you know, we know, for many auto finance companies that diversity inclusion is a fairly recent priority. So we kind of touched on this a little bit, but how should those organizations really start on their diversity inclusion journey? Shunda, do you want to kick us off on that one? Shunda Robinson 34:33 Oh, that's a really good question. I mean, I just say just start, and I think I think to start is to really take, you know, going back to the last question is really taking a look at your organization and seeing what's missing. You know, oftentimes, we organizations will start on the diversity, you know, path, only to realize that they don't even have a diverse voice at the table. So I think it's important that you really take a look to see who's going to be involved in this conversation, to take us on this journey, and really seek those diverse voices that you can bring into the conversation. You know, and again, if you if you've never been part of a marginalized group or underrepresented group, it's going to be difficult for you to be able to understand the perspective from someone in that group. So I think it's important that you have diversity represented at that decision making point. Amanda Harris 35:37 Perfect. Charita, you want to go? Charita Henderson 35:39 Yeah, I absolutely agree. I agree. And I think we did start on it with the the previous question, I think I mentioned start at the top, again, you want to have that direction and support. I think you want to ensure engagement, you know, find someone with passion for the initiative to really lead it and also help others to get engaged and get involved to Shawn's point, you absolutely want to make sure that you're surveying the staff, send out surveys, our whole culture chats to really learn how your employee base feels, you know, what they want to see what they need to see in an effort such as such as this. And then, most importantly, listen to what they share, and take that feedback and use it to help build out the initiative. You know, I think it's important to start slowly, take what you've learned, be realistic with your expectations. But keep going there are going to be challenges, there's going to be tough, tough conversations that that may potentially make you feel like you're not going in the right direction. But I think you just to Shawn's point, again, you start, you take a step. And once you get to that place where you've created, you know, equal opportunity, and in fairness, you just plan another step and another and you you just keep going on the path. Ashley Brundage 36:58 And I was just gonna say just immerse yourself and others lived experiences and learning from others, because you're only going to only know what you've gone through personally. This makes me think about kind of when I worked 12 years in an in another Corporation before I came to PNC, and that was before transitioning my gender. And I had the white male privilege life, and had so many things kind of the road was paved, and I didn't even realize how much privilege I had. And then I started to live my authentic life. And then all of a sudden, I faced all this discrimination. And I was like, Oh my goodness, like, well, all the stuff that's being thrown at me is so powerful and hurtful and and each powerful, but hurtful thing, I turn them into powerful things. And I use each one, instead of building a wall around me, I use them to build a platform to stand on to be louder, and to be seen. And each person regardless of your intersectional identity or diversity, you have an opportunity to invest the time and energy to learn from someone else. And and that's going to be one of those first things individually that you need to do to move you on an inclusion journey. Amanda Harris 38:26 For sure, and that's that's some really good, you know, things to think about too as companies think about diversity inclusion, and, and really think about what people are going through as well. So I appreciate that. Um, well, obviously, right now, the world is in the midst of a pandemic still. So obviously, when we talk about ways that companies, you know, are looking at things and how they're going to change processes, we can't ignore the fact that this kind of crazy current crisis is going on. So I wanted to ask you each How is the pandemic affected? Your diversity inclusion initiatives and the support you provide employees, given the disproportionately negative effects the pandemic has had on, especially on minority groups? Charita Do you want to kick us off on that one? Charita Henderson 39:11 Yeah, I honestly can't say that there's a negative impact. You know, we've started down this path. And we've used the tools that we have access to, you know, with regard to engaging our employee base with surveys and culture chats, we've been able to do that we've kicked off our employee network groups, virtually and have had just amazing participation and gotten very solid feedback. You know, our thrive team is is partnering and working to implement some things again, to engage employees, so I can't honestly speak speak to a negative impact that we've had at this point. Amanda Harris 39:52 Shunda, do you wanna tell us a little about what's going on over there? Shunda Robinson 39:56 Yeah, I think it's, um, I wouldn't say yeah, to read Just point to agree with her, I would, I wouldn't call it negative. I think a lot of companies definitely had to pivot during this time. You know, two or three months into the year, we start the year off with a certain set of plans for instead of strategy for the year. And suddenly, we're thrust into kind of this unknown, not really knowing when it's going to end, what it's going to look like. And then two months later, the world is thrown another curveball with the murders of George Lord, Briana Taylor, and Ahmad Aubrey, and that just started off. So I think that I'm really proud of how we have responded. And I know a lot of organizations have done very similar things. And I just applaud all of the organizations that really stood up in the face of a lot of uncertainty to really provide a platform and a safe space for their team members to show up in ways that we never had to show up before. I said to our leaders, internally, your African American employees are not okay. And it's not safe to assume that just because people are showing up on the on the zoom calls on the WebEx is and and they're attending the conference calls that they're okay. And sure enough, we we got more than enough feedback to really understand that they're not okay, so we help several over 50 listening sessions across the organization to really give our team members both African American and non, the opportunity just to show up authentically and express how they were feeling. And man did that go a long way. And so much. So we've continued to have that dialogue and a series that we're calling continuing the conversation. So my goal with this is that we normalize this conversation in the workplace. There's been this old adage before, you know, one thing you don't talk about several things you don't talk about in the workplace, you know, race, religion, you know, things like that. They just, oh, they're taboo in the workplace. But I think it's time for us to get to a place where we've learned and appreciate and more importantly, we embrace having these uncomfortable conversations. Because I believe that on the other side of this discomfort is a growth that we are waiting to, to elevate to and I think it's in that uncomfortableness, where we really start to find just how much we have in common. It's not really the differences that set us apart. But it's really understanding the commonalities and things that we shared just as people, because more importantly, the doors for the mot arbory and Breanna Taylor situations, it wasn't just a ratio issue, it was a humanity issue, like these were humans. And if we can move past the racial element of it, and really embrace it, embrace it to be humanity, wow, we will be a lot more powerful. So it's really been a great unfortunate journey with a lot of complexities around it. But I think we've all done just a great job to pivot, and really go in another direction that I think has been even more effective than we ever thought it would be. Ashley Brundage 43:15 Yeah, and I would say, to piggyback off of shun this point here is to get comfortable being uncomfortable, is a good is a good step in this direction. You have to be able to pivot and if COVID-19 has taught you one thing, it was to be uncomfortable in the new uncertain times. So you should have been ready for for what came next. If you were paying attention, and if you weren't, then it's you still have some time to continue to be uncomfortable, because that's kind of the norm. And then, but capitalize on the opportunity. I mean, that's what we've done. We've increased program participation in our special events and town halls by more than 500%. The and then track the data surrounding ads, so that way you can highlight that for your organization. And then you can get a bigger investment for diversity and inclusion in 2021. That's what I'm looking forward. And the you know, the engagement from all of this. And then the other thing is that 2020 has brought you this virtual meeting box, or you have the opportunity to be in any city in anywhere in the world. But just by clicking a button and you don't have to hop on an airplane, you don't have to go in. I mean all of these things you can be do it right away, and you could be there and you can affect the community in a moment's notice. And you can capitalize on your time, a whole lot more, with less barriers potentially and it can bring us together So have it bring us together rather than separate us? Amanda Harris 45:05 Great. And kind of as a final question, I want to bring this back to our world. With all the advice that we've kind of covered today and things to think about. And we know that often financial leaders are an example to dealerships in our world when it comes to initiatives such as diversity inclusion. So kind of as a final thought I wanted to see if you could each briefly touch on just how can financial leaders best set that example for their dealer partners Shunda that you want to kick us off? Shunda Robinson 45:35 Yeah, I think it's really by leading first. And in really being the example of that diversity leader. It's really not just the responsibility of the appointed diversity leader, diversity officer, whatever you want to call it. But I think it really starts at the top and so much, though, I'm really proud of what we've done at GM financial. So recently, I was moved to report to our CEO had this function having been in HR since its inception back in 2015, he saw the importance of having diversity and inclusion report directly to him. And I believe it raises the level of importance and exposure of DNI across the organization. Oftentimes, when I believe when initiatives are in HR, it comes is somewhat comes across to employees as optional, right? So you have an option of taking the benefits, do you have an option of attending some of the classes and the opportunities, but when you raise that level of importance, where it's it reports directly to the CEO, it's no longer seen as an option. And so now it becomes an expectation of every team member. And I think that's so important is that you you paint DNI as a business imperative, no different than anything else that impacts the bottom line of the organization. And I believe this is that. So I think it's really by leading by example, where those lenders, the leaders in the lending space, can see that how important it is to leaders of organizations like ours. Amanda Harris 47:16 Ashley, any thoughts on that? Ashley Brundage 47:18 I was just gonna say, take a take a cue from some of the other things that you see them doing, obviously, to everything China's point totally agree. But also, don't forget about the way in which you are representing your organization through marketing components, I think marketing is a really powerful messaging. One of the reasons why I sit on the National Board of Directors of glad because we accelerate and advocate LGBTQ equality, through all forms of media, and media and marketing. And the way in which you draw attention to social justice and equality causes is really important. So it, I would say that that's something that you can have a huge impact on your other partners that you work with, guiding them to take that stuff seriously and how they represent their brand in the marketing space. Amanda Harris 48:18 Charita you want to finish this up here. Charita Henderson 48:20 Yeah, absolutely. I absolutely agree with my co panelists. You know, I think it starts with modeling the behavior, you know, an organization has to take a clear position on diversity and inclusion, they have to communicate that position. And then they have to demonstrate commitment to a diverse and inclusive mindset. You know, action simply speaks louder than words. You know, it's a situation when we're dealing with this and, and all things that everyone in that organization owns part of the responsibility and shares in that responsibility of shaping the organizational culture. So Amanda Harris 48:56 that's it. Fantastic. Well, thank you all for your fantastic points. I don't think I'm alone in saying this panel has opened my eyes even more to just how important diversity inclusion is and, and what that really means and how organizations to truly embrace and start thinking about this issue if they haven't already. So thank you. Again, this concludes our session. Thank you again, to our wonderful panelists, and to alpha for sponsoring this session. We will now take a brief break and I encourage everyone in attendance to meet with attendees and network, you can meet with our sponsors as well. And then join us in session 14 at 1pm. Eastern Time for a panel discussion on residual values post pandemic. We will also have a session on credit performance in the state of the consumer. That will be available on demand this afternoon. And I encourage you all to check it out. Thank you again enjoy the rest of the summit. Charita Henderson 49:48 Thanks all. Shunda Robinson 49:49 Thank you [/toggle]

Residual values post-pandemic

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