Wendy McSweeney
SVP and Enterprise Inclusion Lead
SunTrust Banks
Headquarters: Atlanta, GA
Business: Financial Services
CEO: William H Rogers Jr.
Website: www.suntrust.com
SVP AND ENTERPRISE INCLUSION LEAD WENDY MCSWEENEY Shares Her D&I Views
To whom much is given, much is required. – Luke 12:48
My Evolving Role
“I have seen my role evolve from tactical to a business imperative driven by the most senior executives in the organization. The first few years of my journey involved developing a strategy and infrastructure, and working to engage leadership support. If inclusion was to become an integral part of how we operate, we would need to develop the right focus and sufficient rigor. Fast forward to 2017, and I can say I have become a trusted partner who provides thought leadership, coaching, and consultation that helps SunTrust’s senior management lead more inclusively.”
Opportunities for Impact
“Our opportunity for greatest impact is our flexibility and our ability to modify strategies and programs as the demographic and social climate continues to rapidly change around us.
“The SunTrust onUp movement, launched last year, enables everyone to gain the financial confidence to pursue a life well spent. When we say everyone, we mean everyone.
“While measurement and sustainable actions are critical to creating greater diversity, we must continue to ensure that our teammates feel valued, connected, and inspired to contribute at the highest level.
“SunTrust provides leadership with training, tools, and resources that enable them to lead and foster inclusion, including unconscious bias training, virtual learning labs, web-based training, and a monthly leadership series.”
D&I Wins in 2017
“In 2017, we have been embracing a multigenerational and inclusive culture. We have provided inclusion learning opportunities to support teammate accountability for creating an inclusive culture. We are recognized in the industry for our ability to tie the efforts of our affinity groups to business goals and objectives in a measurable way.”
Our Plans for Next Year
“In the coming year, we want to inspire inclusive leadership at all levels by celebrating SunTrust best practices, communicating effectively, and providing tools and resources to broaden cultural competence.
“C-Suite support will be visible and communicated through the use of vehicles such as town hall meetings and targeted executive communications.
“We will continue to work with our senior leadership, human resources, teammate networks (affinity groups), and marketing and communications teams, as well as external partners, such as Delta Concepts Consulting, Inc., The Winter’s Group, and Weiss Communications, Inc.”
