Scotiabank hosts second annual employee Allyship Summit to support a diverse and inclusive workplace

Through ScotiaRISE, Bank renews commitment to TalentLift Canada—a not-for-profit rooted in allyship

TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2023 /CNW/ - Recognizing a continued commitment to allyship, earlier this week, Scotiabank hosted a second annual allyship event for its 90,000 employees across the Bank's footprint. In celebration of the event entitled Allyship in Action, Scotiabank also renewed its partnership with TalentLift Canada, an organization dedicated to supporting refugees relocate for work to companies and communities in need of their talent.

"Scotiabank's vision is to be the employer of choice for diverse talent, providing employees with an environment where everyone can thrive and bring their whole selves to work," said Scott Thomson, Scotiabank President & Incoming CEO. "Allyship is about how our individual actions, when taken together, can drive a meaningful impact across our footprint. I'm proud of our efforts to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive bank for our customers, the communities we serve, and each other, 365 days a year."

In 2020, Scotiabank renewed its Diversity and Inclusion Goals with a commitment to increase the diverse makeup of its employee population over the next five years, with a focus on people who identify as Black, Indigenous Peoples, People with Disabilities, Visible Minorities, and Women. Last year, Scotiabank introduced a new goal to increase representation in Canada of employees who identify as LGBT+.

Kenji Yoshino, Chief Justice Earl Warren Professor of Constitutional Law at NYU School of Law and Director of its Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging, delivered the keynote address that focused on how to put allyship into action and foster a diverse, equitable and inclusive environment 365 days a year.

"As human beings we all have certain advantages that we can leverage to support others who don't have those same advantages," said Yoshino. "At an organizational level, it's critical to understand that real, substantial cultural change is not going to happen without allyship."

The keynote was followed by insightful conversations with Scotiabank leaders and employees highlighting tangible action taken over the past year across the Bank's business lines to progress a culture of inclusion, including Scotiabank's StartRight Program that launched in 2008 supporting newcomers to Canada with the next chapter in their lives.

January also marks the second-year anniversary of ScotiaRISE, Scotiabank's 10-year, $500 million initiative to promote economic resilience among disadvantaged groups. Since launching, the program has invested over $60 million with over 200 community organizations who are improving high school graduation rates, helping newcomers feel at home faster, and removing barriers to career advancement.

Dana Wagner, Co-Founder and Managing Director, TalentLift Canada was featured at the event and discussed the importance of allyship and supporting displaced talent worldwide. Through ScotiaRISE, the Bank will invest $950,000, over three years, in support of scaling the organization's talent platform to connect skilled refugees with employers in Canada.

"Globally, there are more than 27 million people living as refugees, and there are far too few options for them to get to a country like Canada where they have a secure future," said Wagner. "We are grateful to Scotiabank for advancing our work to solve for both skill shortages in Canada and displacement worldwide. Our organization is one step closer to our dream of creating a world where talented people living as refugees can compete for global jobs, and where access depends on potential and not the privilege of living without fear."

For more information on Scotiabank's commitment to diversity and inclusion, visit: https://www.scotiabank.com/ca/en/about/our-company/diversity-and-inclusion.html

About Scotiabank

Scotiabank is a leading bank in the Americas. Guided by our purpose: "for every future", we help our customers, their families and their communities achieve success through a broad range of advice, products and services, including personal and commercial banking, wealth management and private banking, corporate and investment banking, and capital markets. With a team of over 90,000 employees and assets of over $1.3 trillion (as at October 31, 2022), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visit http://www.scotiabank.com and follow us on Twitter @Scotiabank.

SOURCE Scotiabank

Media inquiries: Caitie Wallman, Global Communications, [email protected], 437.998.7145