Manulife Appoints Michelle Taylor-Jones As VP of Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The financial sector has long been accused of not promoting diversity within its corporate ranking, specifically within executive leadership. In light of the recent Black Lives Matter protests starting in June, many companies have been forced to have conversations around diversifying their workforce. Earlier this month, Canadian multinational insurance and finance giant, Manulife, is looking to create change from within with the new appointment responsible for promoting diversity and inclusion within the company.

The Toronto-based company announced that Michelle Taylor-Jones will now be serving as their new vice president, Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Taylor-Jones will be leading the execution of a number of initiatives with the company as a component of the DEI strategy utilizing over 20 years of experience as an executive leader specializing in small business banking, talent management, and executive recruiting, for various Fortune 500 companies including Dell Technologies.

Taylor-Jones says that the company’s goal to increase the representation for marginalized groups across its North American businesses to promote diversity throughout its corporate workforce. “We are focused on expanding our diversity of talent and building an even stronger, inclusive culture that will help us not only foster strong connections for all of us, but also enable greater innovation, growth, and ultimately a stronger company,” she says to BLACK ENTERPRISE via email.

“We believe that diversity is not just a key enabler, but when done right, is a differentiator for our business. It drives innovation, collaboration, and high-performance. And, empowering employees by way of engaging Employee Resource Groups as ambassadors will impact talent, culture, customers, and our communities.”

She says to achieve certain targets, she wants to create a clearer understanding of the diversity of what it entails and means for their team. “This will be crucial to achieving our goals of increased BIPOC recruitment and leadership representation,” she says. “It will help us measure our progress, analyze our strategies, and make informed decisions that help create positive change.”