Increase focus and leadership towards inclusion and diversity at Ameritas.

Ameritas created the Inclusion & Diversity Leadership Council (IDLC) in December 2020 to help formalize our inclusion and diversity work. The IDLC will deepen our understanding of diversity, foster inclusion and create change. These associates from across the organization were chosen based on their passion for the initiative. In explaining their IDLC role, we emphasized that inclusion and diversity could not be seen as just another project. Our I&D work will be continuous and permanent, woven into the fabric of who we are and all we accomplish. 

The IDLC has set goals for our efforts focused on building community and engagement, recruiting and retaining talent, and increasing collaboration and productivity to achieve better business outcomes. Council members have participated in personalized inclusion, diversity, and anti-bias awareness training, and now are creating a structure that incorporates a mission statement and goals. Transparency, approachability, and communication are all priorities. Next steps for the IDLC will be forming Associate Resource Groups (ARGs), which will be voluntary, associate-led groups wanting to help foster an inclusive, diverse workplace aligned with the organization and its goals. The IDLC is supported by a cross-functional team drawn from human resources, marketing and legal serving as liaisons to the IDLC and enterprise leadership while working together to help champion, create and deliver important opportunities to learn, grow and strengthen our organization through increased diversity.