Diversity & Inclusion
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The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation has recognized Experian with a 100 percent score on their 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), earning the distinction as one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality”. The CEI is the nation’s premier benchmarking tool in evaluating corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. We are honored to have received such top marks alongside some of America’s most respectable companies. “Our mission as a company is to create greater financial inclusion for consumers, but inclusion also means creating an open and accepting workplaces where everyone can thrive,” said Craig Boundy, chief executive officer of Experian North America. “We work hard to make diversity and inclusion a priority in our company culture, and our efforts are showing real results.” We strive to celebrate our company’s diversity by creating an inclusive workplace environment where employees feel supported and appreciated. We’ve launched initiatives and implemented policies that have solidified our commitment to being a strong ally to the LGBTQ community. Our dedication to foster a supportive work culture for our LGBTQ employees is exemplified by such practices as: Our progressive benefit programs, which include transgender services and offer equal coverage to same and different-sex domestic partners and spouses. Our non-discrimination and equal employment policies go beyond federal requirements, ensuring equal treatment regardless of “gender identity” or “sexual orientation.” Our dedication to be inclusive through executive sponsorship and the Power of YOU initiative which facilitates Employee Resource Groups and Clubs. \"The top-scoring companies on this year\'s CEI are not only establishing policies that affirm and include employees here in the United States, they are applying these policies to their global operations and impacting millions of people beyond our shores,\" said HRC president Chad Griffin. Practicing an inclusive work culture has always been one of our top priorities and being honored by the HRC demonstrates our dedication to that goal. We are proud to support our LQBTQ employees, along with the diverse work force that make up the Experian family. For more information on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index, download the HRC report.
The Women in Experian Employee Resource Group recently celebrated International Women’s Week with a series of events, including executive panels, speakers and book club meetings. The theme of this year’s event is Better Balance = Better Experian, focusing not only on bringing awareness for gender balance, but also celebrating inclusion. The activities are part of Experian’s commitment to advancing a culture that not only respects differences, but actively celebrates them. We call this The Power of YOU. During the week, we announced that Merideth Wilson, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Revenue Cycle Solutions for Experian Health, will be the lead ambassador for the Women in Experian (WiE) Employee Resource Group in North America. Throughout the year, Wilson and a global team of female leaders from across the business will plan initiatives designed to help women achieve their ambitions and build successful careers. In a Q and A this week, Wilson shared her thoughts and provided tips for women on how to be successful in the workplace. Q. Why is confidence so important for women to reach their career goals? A. Confidence is key for anyone wanting to reach their career goals, but I find it’s especially important for women to find their voice and be able to confidently express themselves. Women need to ask for what they want more often and be vocal about their career aspirations on a regular basis versus waiting for an annual review discussion, for example. Messages typically are delivered and received more successfully using a confident tone; authenticity in a person and one’s message is also very important. Q. What advice can you provide when it comes to accountability? A. Women have to hold ourselves accountable, both professionally and personally, and deliver/drive the results we say we will (or sign up for). Being accountable means taking personal responsibility for the outcome and removing the roadblocks in our way to achieving our goals. I often find that “credibility” is tied to “accountability,” and the importance of how we as women conduct ourselves in driving to the results cannot be overstated. Q. What are your thoughts on communication skills and being self-aware? A. Women need to know their audience. Effective communication often requires different styles and mediums depending on the situation and environment. One of the greatest communication skills a woman can have is the ability to confidently present in public. Public speaking is scary to many, but with practice it can be a woman’s best asset. Q. Explain how empathy and honesty can be key to career growth. A. Integrity, honesty and trustworthiness are three key traits to help propel a person’s career growth. It is nearly impossible to grow one’s career without the ability to truly relate to others with understanding, appreciation and respect for another person’s journey or perspective. Q. Why is it important to be inspirational and optimistic in the workplace? A. Good leaders inspire others to do more, be more and produce more. I find that people generally want to work with people they like, trust, admire and find upbeat. Bringing our full selves to work each day — in mind, body and spirit — helps contribute to a happy, productive and fun work environment for all, and it’s something we should aspire to each day. About Merideth Wilson Wilson is Senior Vice President and General Manager of Revenue Cycle Solutions for Experian Health, a position she assumed in September 2014. In this role, she serves as the executive responsible for the Claims, Contract Manager, Patient Estimates and Medical Necessity solution suites and operations. Wilson joined Experian in January 2004 through the Medical Present Value, Inc. (MPV) acquisition. She has held various leadership positions in operations, product management and development, outsourcing services, client delivery, and strategic marketing and planning. Wilson earned a Master of Business Administration from Mercer University and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Baylor University.
Data science is transforming the way the world works. And yet it’s no secret that there aren’t enough women pursuing a career in STEM. At Experian, we’d love to see that change. It’s better for everyone when industries are diverse; it makes us all stronger, more creative and more effective. Part of encouraging new generations into our industry means recognising and celebrating the achievements of the female role models working in data today. That’s why we’re thrilled to sponsor this year’s Women in Data (WiD) conference, an event designed to help inspire, educate and support women in the industry. Women like Experian’s Sarah Robertson, who recently shared her story with leading women’s publication, We Are The City, and who will be sitting on our panel session at the event. We want to have a workforce that’s as rich in diversity as the people who use our services. That’s one of the many reasons we’re so excited by WiD’s mission. Together we hope to empower and encourage women into the data science industry, supporting the next generation of data scientists who can help shape the future. You can find out more about the WiD community on our recent podcast.
This article is by Michele Pearson, general manager of Experian Mortgage, and co-sponsor of Experian’s PRIDE employee resource group (ERG) Like most of us in the LGBT+ community, my coming out story is more like an unfinished novel than a tightly worded chapter in a book once read and forgotten on a bookshelf. It unfolded over the years. I wasn’t always confident enough to be fully out, but I never pretended to be something I wasn’t. For me, there wasn’t a day of reckoning or a loud declaration. I arrived at this point over the years, and there were two pivotal incidents that served as catalysts for me. First, after working at Experian for several years, a male colleague stunned me when he said his feelings were hurt that I didn’t trust him enough to bring my whole self to work. I was dumbstruck by his frankness and desire to know the real me. And second, I realized I couldn’t ask my children to go through life with two moms confidently and comfortable if I wasn’t truly authentic in every aspect of my life as well. For me, coming out happens again and again. I will always need the quiet confidence to say, “I’m a mom, a daughter, a friend. I’m an executive. And yes, I am gay.” When Experian asked me to lead our company’s LGBT+ ERG, I took a moment of pause. Yes, this was a big decision, but ultimately, drawing on that confidence, it was an easy decision to make. In light of the 30th anniversary of National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, I want to assure people wondering if acknowledging diversity is significant, it is. The difficulty some of our LGBT+ colleagues face making daily decisions about where they can be fully present aren’t merely insecurities. They are the realities of being LGBT+. No federal law exists protecting the rights of employees from discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the United States. In 28 U.S. states, employees aren’t afforded state-level protection for sexual orientation, meaning they can be fired for being lesbian, gay or bisexual, and it’s even worse for transgender members of the workforce. The fear is real for many members of the LGBT+ community – but so is the motivation to seek change and create an inclusive workforce in America. Just imagine working in America if everyone felt as safe as I do to bring their whole selves to work? The mental and emotional energy I expended hiding my whole self from my colleagues many years ago saddens me. Could I have bonded with others quicker, positively affecting team performance and achieving goals faster? Could I have helped someone else know it was OK to be fully themselves at Experian and watched them confidently come into work every day? Today, I’m not raising my voice for myself. I’m raising it on behalf of talented LGBT+ employees across the country and to tell business leaders that the economic results they’ll receive by instilling and nurturing inclusion is worth it. According to research presented at Deloitte’s IMPACT 2017 conference, organizations with inclusive cultures are six times more likely to be innovative, six times more likely to anticipate change and respond effectively, and twice as likely to meet or exceed financial targets. It’s the right thing to do. I feel fortunate to have spent the last 20 years at a company that is overt in saying it’s OK to be who you are: You are not only welcomed here, you belong here.
Before you read this blog post, I thought providing you with an introduction to who I am might be helpful. My name is Jennifer Schulz and I am a 46-year-old white American woman whose DNA indicates my ancestors originated mostly from Europe with a very small trace from East Asia. I am married to Bob Roback, my partner in life. I am the mother of two incredibly active boys, ages 8 and 5. I am the bonus mom to our daughter (20) and son (soon to be 18). I am a sister, daughter and friend. I am also the very proud leader of Experian’s Health, Auto and Targeting businesses in North America. As #metoo swept social and mainstream media and drove hundreds of thoughtful articles on a whole host of gender related topics, I found myself reflecting and feeling genuinely grateful to be at Experian. During my interview and onboarding process four years ago, I came to realize that Experian had a great culture full of smart and genuinely caring people. It was – and still is – a culture characterized by a strong client orientation and financial performance, and genuinely wanting to do the right thing. It continues to be an organization with a determined focus on improving its diversity at the top. Our leadership knows that to stay innovative and attract and retain talent we have to make diversity a priority. As the global sponsor of Women in Experian and a member of the North American leadership team, I have had the honor of witnessing the progress the company has made as an organization over the last couple of years. We’ve invested time and resources to build out programs, change policies and make our organization even more inclusive. We’ve made progress around the globe: In the last year, we’ve added two incredibly strong women to our Board of Directors – Caroline Donahue and Ruba Borno. They join Deirdre Mahlan who has been on the Board since 2012. With these additions, women will comprise 27% of our Board. We continue to develop a strong proportion of women through our leadership programs globally. This is feeding our future talent pipeline. We launched Women in Experian in 2016 and now have active programs in every region supporting a range of initiatives including enhancing our parental leave and flexible work policies, creating mentorship and sponsorship programs, examining and addressing pay disparity and requiring our recruiters to present diverse candidate pools. Experian was one of 28 companies globally recognized on the Anita Borg Leadership Index of organizations that show strong representation and development of women technologists. We have continued to develop and adjust family friendly policies in a number of countries, aimed at giving given greater flexibility and choice for working parents and families. Although we celebrate progress, we know that we have more work to do. We need to increase the diversity in our senior leadership ranks. We need to increase the number of women in technology. And, most importantly, we need to continue to keep diversity and inclusion a priority. The other night while I was driving my son to his soccer practice, I received a work call. He sat quietly while I talked for a few minutes, well accustomed to my attempts to balance work and life. When I hung up the call, my son asked me, “What is International Women’s Day?” I answered by telling him (reminder he’s 8) that historically women haven’t always been treated fairly and that this day is about honoring and recognizing all the men and women who are working to make things fairer. He then asked if it was my full-time job. Suppressing a laugh, I said no, it’s not my full-time job but it’s an important part of it. He asked, “Why?” Why? I looked in the rear-view mirror and said, “Because I want to try to make the world better for you, your brothers and your sister.” I believe at Experian we are doing just that … making progress. Our momentum is building and tomorrow will be better. #PressforProgress
Having a diverse workforce is vital to help us innovate and deliver on the needs of our increasingly diverse clients and consumers. Over the years, we\'ve made some great progress, but there\'s so much more we can do and it\'s going to take the collective effort of all of us to continue to move the needle. That\'s why we\'re gearing up to celebrate International Women\'s Day (IWD). It\'s a day celebrated in many countries around the world to recognize the achievements of women and drive equality among men and women. At Experian, IWD activities are extending throughout the month of March. Have a look at what\'s going on around the world as Experian celebrates this important day: Asia Pacific The Asia Pacific region is hosting a range of activities across our offices in March, which will include round-table and speaker events as well as an opportunity to network and pledge their support for IWD. EMEA and UK&I EMEA and UK&I are joining together for IWD to support and celebrate diversity and inclusion. The week started with a video of employees from both regions reflecting on what diverse teams bring to our business. Employees will also be invited to a variety of events to engage and network with inspirational women and hear stories from our leaders on what diversity means to them personally. Latin America Throughout the month of March, Latin America has been running a campaign to share stories of achievements in their region and raise awareness about breast cancer prevention and other diseases more common in women. On IWD, there will be a panel of women leaders who will address issues such as the social inclusion of women in the region, women\'s participation in the labor market, Experian\'s commitment to female leadership and the importance of a work/life In Brazil, IWD is kicking off with a presentation by members of the United Nations to present their 50-50 Gender Equality program (which aims to eliminate gender inequalities by 2030) and how they are working with companies around the world to achieve this vision. Employees will have an opportunity to hear from leaders in our business about diversity and inclusion plans for the region, and listen to a panel of external speakers discuss diversity challenges and career development. North America Our employees in North America will be kicking off the week with celebrations across their ITS’ 13 offices in the region. Each office will have daily activities throughout the week, and all employees – including virtual and those based in smaller offices – will be invited to attend webinars focused on Diversity and Inclusion topics. On IWD, there will be panel discussions with senior leaders who will speak on various career development topics. To close out the week, there will be a special Book Club discussion on March 9. We will continue to update this blog post all week with pictures and other ways we’re celebrating IWD. Bookmark this page and come back.
Amid a shortage of women pursuing STEM careers, organizations must be committed to helping women who have chosen to enter the tech industry and are poised for success in key areas such as collaboration, creativity, innovation, leadership, and transformation. At Experian, we are an advocate for diversity, inclusion, and gender equality in technology functions and beyond. Showcasing the impact women have in the tech community, the Advancing Women in Technology (AWT) organization recently honored several Experian women at its 16th Annual Scholarship event. Keynote Presentation Experian’s president of partner solutions, Jennifer Leuer, was the featured keynote speaker. As part of her presentation, Leuer encouraged the audience to create a culture of confidence to advance women. “This year’s headlines marked a watershed year for women in the workplace. We need to keep that momentum going by creating a culture of confidence in the workplace, with our families and in our communities,” said Leuer. “One of the many ways we can do this is through mentoring. By providing more women with support and varied perspectives, we assist them with navigating new challenges with confidence.” AWT 2017 Outstanding Executives in Technology Award The Outstanding Executives in Technology award was given to Faith Gaudino, Experian’s senior vice president of corporate project management, for her successful career in technology. For nearly 40 years, Gaudino has worked on Experian’s strategic technology portfolios. Her work is key to maximizing Experian’s investments in technology, business expansion, security and business transformation. “What I enjoy most about my position is the diversity of projects that I work on,” said Gaudino. “My team gets involved in everything from acquisitions to rolling out the latest technology changes throughout the organization. This diversity allows me to constantly learn new things. I am proud to be recognized by the AWT and I hope to inspire other women to pursue and continue careers in technology.” AWT 2017 Rising Women in Technology Award The Rising Women in Technology award recognizes women who have successfully established careers in a variety of technical positions such as engineering, software development, business analytics and management. Five women from Experian were given this award: Becky Clay, marketing automation campaign manager - Clay is responsible for increasing response and conversion rates for the company’s enterprise marketing and internal communications campaigns. Sirisha Koduri, web development lead - Koduri leads the development of Experian’s global content management system. Thy Phan, senior marketing analyst - Phan works on email marketing for the B2B businesses across the Experian enterprise. Anjali Pipriya, software development expert - Pipriya helps develop and maintain the Experian lead capturing platform. Amber Garcia, expert project manager - Garcia manages technology projects for Experian’s online and mobile credit products. “In the technology industry, women have a lot of opportunity to have a voice and be successful,” said Garcia. “At Experian, I have gained confidence in my work, grown and found my voice. I feel this award is a milestone in my career that shows how far that I have come.” Experian puts significant effort in attracting a diverse workforce. We are one of 28 companies named to the Leadership Index of companies whose representation and development of women technologists is above the mean. We also participated in the 2017 Wonder Women Tech Diversity & Inclusion Conference and the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Technology Conference.
As Serasa Experian’s Corporate Sustainability Manager in Brazil, I’m dedicated to my job promoting diversity and inclusion efforts at work. But it also happens to be my passion. I believe that companies have a responsibility to reflect the diversity found in society, giving everyone equal opportunity to excel regardless of color, gender or disability. And yet, while a lot of companies over the years have made great strides toward hiring a diverse array of people, sometimes the harder — yet more impactful — work is making sure that diverse group of employees can continue to develop professionally after they’re hired. To this end, Serasa Experian’s Business Network for Social Inclusion (Rede Empresarial de Inclusão Social) launched a program called the Top Talent Project, which encourages and accelerates professional development once someone with physical disabilities is hired. I don’t want to simply hire people with disabilities; I want to ensure they can be productive and grow in their roles. While people with disabilities can bring great experience and skill to their positions, they may need some help integrating into teams. That’s why we work closely with each new hire, their managers and their mentors to guide them on a daily basis. If someone is hearing-impaired, for example, they may know only sign language and not Portuguese, making it difficult for them to communicate with their team. Through the Top Talent Project, we train new hires to communicate at work with their Portuguese-speaking coworkers. And then we give sign language training to their team members! We work hard to create a working environment that ensures success for everyone. In 2016, Serasa Experian received the United Nations Good Practices for Workers with Disabilities Award for our inclusion work in Brazil. That same month, I also was honored to receive the Empregueafro Award from the City Council of São Paulo for promoting ethnic diversity. All these accolades make me so proud because they’re a reflection of the way we at Experian take care of our people. Ten years ago, I changed careers so I could focus more on making the world a better place. Serasa Experian has given me the opportunity to do just that.
In 2012, employees across Experian’s Turkish office began a program to promote financial awareness and education for young people ages 18-30, which we called the Manage Your Future Now Project. For young people pursuing higher education in universities, financial literacy is a required life skill, especially since many depend on educational loans and credit cards to pay for their education. Bad loan management resulting in a poor credit score can hurt the financial future of these students. We found that most local universities lack the human resources necessary to train students on the topic. We decided that the best way to promote financial literacy was through a peer education model. Using this model, we would train volunteers to help their fellow students calculate their credit risk, manage their budget and understand the long-lasting effects of bad credit. We partnered with the Turkish Credit Bureau, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the Happy Thought organization to launch the program. With our partners, we provide a two-day training session for student volunteers in Istanbul. We give our volunteers the resources and tools they need to train others on financial risk, while also training them on how to present the same materials to others. These volunteers then go back to their local communities to train their peers through one-on-one sessions, or – if they generate enough interest at a university – organize a conference where they invite Experian experts to share their knowledge with a group of 100 or more students and faculty. The Manage Your Future Now Project has become a leading contributor in improving the financial skills and knowledge of young people and improving the financial literacy rate throughout Turkey. Since we began the program, we’ve reached more than 8,500 people and offered more than 100 training courses at universities, carried out by our growing number of volunteers. For me, the most rewarding part of this project is helping inspire and equip these students. I recently traveled to a university in Turkey as a speaker, giving a financial literacy conference to about 200 people. After I taught them about their credit scores and ways to secure their financial futures, one of the students came up to me, telling me how passionate he was about financial education and how eager he was to become a peer volunteer with the Manage Your Future Now Project. Our team at Experian was able to help convince his family to let him join the program so he could attend a training session and become a speaker in that city. To date, he has met with and educated more than 100 fellow students, guiding them through the program’s tools. Understanding how finance works has a huge impact on people’s daily lives, because it’s relevant for both their present and future welfare. It’s amazing to see year after year how we are helping change people’s lives in Turkey, by opening new doors for them as they understand how to manage credit.