What I want to address here is the theme and importance of inclusivity. I’ve always been passionate about inclusivity, and I remain to be energized by this topic as I embark on this new journey with Broadridge. An inclusive team will lift you up and support you; its members will embrace all of who you are. From my vantage point leading Broadridge’s front office trading and connectivity initiatives--and my 35 years in the capital markets--I can say that diversity and inclusion are absolute business imperatives, imperatives I’ve always made key elements of the businesses I lead.
First, I’d like to define these terms. A diverse business has a variety of people with a range of perspectives, talents and ways of thinking; an inclusive company behaves in a way that embraces diversity and people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized.
An inclusive team will value you for your mind and what you bring to the table above all else, and will naturally evolve into a diverse team as it grows, while diversity nudges you out of your comfort zone--in a good way. It provokes different kinds of discussions and debates and makes it easier to avoid the risks associated with “group think.”
Broadridge pursues top-down and bottom-up approaches to advancing diversity and inclusion initiatives and making these values core to our culture this is reflected in the varied backgrounds of the more than 12,000 associates working in 17 countries around the globe. Outside our offices, Broadridge actively engages in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs designed to broaden both ethnic and gender diversity in these areas.
In 2021, 31 percent of the people we hired are women and, in the three months since I joined Broadridge, the proportion of women in senior leadership positions at Itiviti has increased to 41 percent, in August, from 25 percent in May. All told, Broadridge continues to advance Diversity & Inclusion programs, and I want to build on what we have achieved at Itiviti, where women represent 26 percent of our employees in engineering, just above the industry benchmark of 25 percent.
Looking ahead, as our approach to fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion evolves, we all need to think about how we can be more proactive allies, about where we can use the influence we have in our roles to drive impact. For example, individuals in management can actively influence the way we conduct recruitment, while others can introduce talented people from all backgrounds to the company. I also look forward to people mentoring others at Broadridge to help them develop new capabilities and advance in their careers – these relationships also enable the mentor to gain new skills and new understanding through the partnership, such as developing coaching and leadership abilities, and they contribute to the inclusive environment we seek to cultivate at our company.
Diversity and inclusion will remain a key focus and priority as we bring Broadridge and Itiviti together. I’m looking forward to working with people across both businesses to increase and support diversity and inclusion on our teams. I welcome your commitment to these values and I look forward to hearing your ideas as to how we can maximize our efforts.
Best regards,
Ray Tierney
President of Itiviti, a Broadridge Business