Company: Ally Financial
Diversity Team Name: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team
Diversity Team Leader(s): Reggie Willis
Website: www.ally.com
What Makes this Diversity Team Stand Out
At Ally, diversity, equity and inclusion are essential parts of who we are and who we want to be. Our DE&I team underscores the importance of these values to our culture through a range of programs, initiatives, and materials that represent the core of Ally’s foundation. The team has taken purposeful steps to weave DE&I through our human capital efforts, from pipelining candidates and onboarding, all the way through the employee lifecycle. Through their unwavering work, the team has helped our 10,000+ employees understand that a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce makes us all stronger, more agile, more innovative, and more adaptable. In short, their work makes Ally better in all aspects—financially, operationally, and culturally.
The DE&I team’s work is consistently reinforced by executive leadership through messages during town hall meetings and employee communications. The team’s reach and influence are proven through Ally’s high level of employee resource group (ERG) participation. Approximately 43 percent of Ally’s employees belong to at least one ERG representing various dimensions of diversity, including Black/African American ALLYs and Pride ALLYs. The DE&I team provides the ERGs the support and guidance needed to develop interactive, engaging, and educational experiences for all employees, including securing prominent speakers like civil rights icon Ruby Bridges and Emmanuel Acho, author of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, to generate vital discussions.
The DE&I team also is instrumental in Ally’s efforts to promote a diverse workplace. In 2021, Ally had an 85 percent retention rate for women and people of color, and 36 percent of women or people of color were promoted or moved into new roles to advance their careers.
Understanding that the path to economic mobility starts best when it starts early, the team plays a significant role in the company’s Moguls in the Making program and its involvement in the University Growth Fund (UGF). Through Moguls, HBCU students are tasked with creating and pitching a business proposal to a panel of executives. Students receive professional mentoring and compete for scholarships and paid internships. Since the launch of the Moguls program in 2019, Ally has hired 36 interns, with 12 interns being offered full-time positions.
UGF is an innovative, student-led venture-capital fund that provides capital to small business, while giving college students real-world experience in private equity investing. Ally’s team was instrumental in expanding the program to Atlanta last year to provide a greater number of diverse students access to the program to launch careers in venture capital.
There are many drivers that unite our company under the “One Ally” culture: our passion for our customers; our commitment to making a meaningful and positive impact on our communities; and our relentless focus on delivering results and “Doing It Right.” The DE&I team is critical to helping Ally embrace and celebrate our differences, so all employees can be their best. As a direct result of this team’s determination and efforts, Ally is better positioned to achieve its strategic objectives and drive value for associates, communities, and shareholders.
