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Benefits Canada’s June issue is our annual diversity, equity and inclusion issue. The DEI Leadership columns explore the various ways employers, benefits and pension plan sponsors and institutional investors are integrating diversity, equity and inclusion efforts into their workplaces, benefits packages and investment portfolios. You can read all of them below.
The Co-operators Group Limited
Laura Mably, Executive Vice-President and Chief Human Resources Officer
“We strive to help build resilience for Canadians and our communities by removing barriers and expanding access to inclusive health and wellness benefits to the broad spectrum of underrepresented groups.”
EMD Serono, Canada
Javed Alam, Managing Director
“Employers have been stepping up to ensure individuals and families receive the comprehensive support they need, reflecting a commitment to empathetic and inclusive coverage that meets the full spectrum of fertility and family-building needs.”
iA Financial Group
Janie Bilodeau, Vice-President, Client Experience, Marketing & Products
“We understand the changing needs of the individuals we serve and prioritize DEI to ensure everyone can access the coverage necessary to flourish and realize their full potential – this includes providing benefits that support gender affirmation and family planning.”
Sun Life
Marie-Chantal Côté, Senior Vice-President, Group Benefits
“Health care has frequently failed to take into consideration women’s physiological differences, social dynamics and other determinants of health like education, income and employment. Too often the result of this is women not received the health support they need, with significant negative consequences.”
2023
Canada Life
David B. Simmonds, Senior Vice-President, Global Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer
“Our goal is to be a workplace that reflects the communities we live in—with an inclusive, safe and welcoming culture that ensures everyone is valued as their full selves.”
Shelley Sjoberg, Assistant Vice-President, Product Development and Support
“We’ve focused on building solutions that remove barriers and meet plan members wherever they are, such as virtual health care. We’re also extending gender affirmation supports to our entire business.”
Medavie Blue Cross
Jennifer Taylor-Oland, Director, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
“We want to hear from people with a wide range of backgrounds and we’re applying this approach when looking at other benefit offerings for fertility, women’s health and more.”
Sun Life
Marie-Chantal Côté, Senior Vice-President of Group Benefits
“We heard loud and clear that applying an inclusive lens is important—and that employers and providers have work to do to meet the needs of diverse Canadians.”
2022
Arthur J. Gallagher
Farzeen Mawji, National Practice Leader, Inclusion & Diversity Practice in Canada
“When organizations embed DEI into everything they do, employees have an environment in which they feel safe to share their opinions and perspectives, and that drives innovation and creativity.”
Beneva
Sunil Hirjee, Vice-President, Group Sales & Partner Experience, Brokerage and Consulting for Ontario, Western and Atlantic Canada
“Beneva is all about people protecting people. We focus on DEI because it drives employee engagement by creating an environment that respects and celebrates differences and similarities.”
MFS Investment Management
Dan Fiala, Associate Director, Relationship Management
Nadia Savva, Managing Director, Insurance Platforms and Subadvisory
“We see DEI as an ongoing journey for MFS and our industry. We’re always mindful of the work we must do to progress, and we’re setting the foundation to do that work effectively.”
Novo Nordisk
Angie Ng, Director, Human Resources
Cal Rolle, Diversity & Inclusion Manager
“It’s our responsibility as an organization to make sure employees feel safe and know they belong. DEI isn’t a shiny object. It’s part of our organizational culture and fabric.”
Sun Life
Marie-Chantal Côté, Senior Vice-President, Group Benefits
“Every Canadian should have the opportunity to feel valued and included, and every organization should cultivate an environment in which that happens.”
William Blair
William Blair Investment Management colleagues Gil Fitzgerald, Corwin Marbly and Xiaowei Hargrove meet for a post-lockdown happy hour in Chicago in the fall of 2021.
Interview with Stephanie Braming, Partner, Global Head of Investment Management
“You get a 'diversity bonus' when you add individuals who can foster debate and foster different viewpoints. I believe this ultimately leads to better outcomes for our clients.”