NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- AXA Equitable Life
Insurance Company held its second annual summit last week, bringing
together leaders from several industries to share diversity and
inclusion best practices. The program, hosted by AXA Equitable's
Office of Diversity and Inclusion and its Diversity and Inclusion
Advisory Council, focused on driving business value.
"Building on our momentum and success from last year's summit,
this year's forum focused on how diversity and inclusion can drive
measurable business value for an organization," said Mark Pearson, chairman and CEO of AXA Equitable.
"To succeed in doing so, we need to create a culture where people –
our employees, financial professionals and customers – feel
connected to our organization, weaving inclusion into the fabric of
every aspect of our business."
More than 80 people participated in the summit held at the
company's midtown Manhattan
headquarters. Pearson and AXA Equitable's head of Human Resources,
Rino Piazzolla, co-sponsored the
event, which was facilitated by Lisa
Kepinski, global chief diversity and inclusion officer for
AXA Group. Andres Tapia, president
of Diversity Best Practices, a division of Working Mother Media,
delivered the keynote speech.
"The world has forced us to look at things differently, to
accept diversity, but that's not enough," Tapia said. "Now, we need
to move toward inclusion. Diversity is not inclusion. Diversity is
the mix. Inclusion is making the mix work."
Tapia's speech centered on the importance of "bringing your
whole bio" to work every day; finding what is unique about your
constituents; and connecting with people based on their
experiences. Tapia talked about how understanding and appreciating
differences will help individuals better relate to one another and
naturally lead to positive business results.
"If you are running a business in the
United States, you don't need to look beyond its borders to
find growth in emerging markets. There is roughly $3 trillion of spending power among diverse
markets in the U.S.," said Tapia. "Tremendous business
opportunities exist for companies that dedicate time and resources
to understanding these markets, their various cultures and
needs."
The keynote was followed by two panel discussions. A panel of
external leaders, moderated by Tracey
Gray-Walker, chief diversity officer for AXA Equitable,
explored how diversity efforts have yielded business results in
several industries including financial consulting, pharmaceuticals
and insurance. Andrea Nitzan, executive vice president of
Financial Planning & Analysis for AXA Equitable, led a panel of
participants from various areas of the company in a dialogue about
how our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) and specific business
efforts have demonstrated the business value of diversity and
inclusion within the organization.
"Both panels shared insights and examples of how diversity and
inclusion have had a valuable impact on the business," said
Nitzan.
Gray-Walker added, "The discussions reinforced the need to
increase the partnerships among the diversity office, diversity
councils and ERGs in organizations to create better synergies among
these groups that lead to greater business opportunities."
Kepinski spoke about AXA Group's global commitment to diversity
and inclusion and importance of collaboration among the various
Group companies around the world to build a culture of inclusion
that leads to growth that can benefit the entire AXA
organization.
"The senior leaders of AXA Group recognize that diversity and
inclusion activities drive business results," Kepinski said. "AXA's
leadership must be the champions of these initiatives and move
toward understanding how inclusion must become not only a business
imperative, but simply a part of our corporate culture."
Following the summit, AXA Equitable hosted the ERG Experience, a
recruitment and awareness event where members from each of its nine
ERGS talked with fellow employees about their experiences, and how
their involvement in these groups helped them develop
professionally. More than 150 employees expressed interest in
joining an ERG following the event.
"ERGs have become a source of new ideas, problem solvers and
bridges between a company's employees and its leadership," said
Piazzolla. "ERGs promote inclusion by providing ways for
individuals to connect based on their unique backgrounds. They
offer a forum for creative thinking and action born from common
interests and shared passions, while also providing empowerment and
career development opportunities. Smart companies will
harness the passion and commitment within ERGs to create a more
inclusive environment that will increase recruitment, retention and
customer loyalty."
About AXA Equitable
In business since 1859, AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company
(NY, NY) is a leading financial protection company and one of the
nation's premier providers of life insurance,
annuity, and financial products and services. The company's
products and services are distributed to individuals and business
owners through its retail distribution channel, AXA Advisors, LLC
(member FINRA, SIPC) and to the financial services market through
its wholesale distribution channel, AXA Distributors, LLC. Find AXA
Equitable on Facebook and Twitter or visit the company's
multi-media newsroom The Source @ AXA Equitable.
AXA Equitable, a subsidiary of AXA Financial Inc., is part of
the global AXA Group, a worldwide leader in financial protection
strategies and wealth management. "AXA Group" refers to AXA,
a French holding company for an international group of insurance
and financial services companies together with its direct and
indirect consolidated subsidiaries. For more information, visit
www.axa-equitable.com.
SOURCE AXA Equitable Life Insurance Company