Why DEI Matters Now: Through a CEO's Lens

Our new Insights from the C-Suite series brings you highlights from our conversations with business leaders across Asia on strategic business issues.

At our recent annual conference on Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI), Dr Sandhya Karpe, Leader of The Conference Board Asia Human Capital Center, interviewed Amol Gupte, Head of South Asia and ASEAN at Citi. In this article, we summarize, in Q&A format, his personal investment in promoting DEI at Citi, what has been achieved, and the impact these achievements have on employees, the business, and on Citi’s competitiveness in the talent war.

Insights for What's Ahead

At a time when there is an acute shortage of talent across the world, every company is striving to build an inclusive culture that can attract, inspire, and retain top talent. Citi, one of the world’s foremost providers of financial services, has found that an important by product of their long-term commitment to DEI is a crucial factor in attracting top talent. In this conversation, Amol Gupte, Head of South Asia and ASEAN at Citi, explains his personal reasons for embracing DEI as a key component in the company’s human capital strategy. He highlights how the company’s willingness to embrace the richness of their diverse teams, ideas, and possibilities has placed it at the forefront of the war for talent in Asia.

Lessons Learned

• Top Management being champions matters. Top leaders’ engagement and championing of DEI are critical success factors. This includes leaders personally leading initiatives, visibly walking the talk, and inspiring others to be allies and partners in this journey.
• Workplace inclusion drives better business outcomes. Diversity in organizations must mirror diversity in society. DEI can be a key lever in fostering greater innovation and an inclusive work culture can drive better results by attracting and retaining talent.
• Leveraging data analytics, enabling transparent communication, and ensuring accountability are three important enablers of success in the DEI journey. They allow for ways to measure progress, prioritize what needs to be acted on, and further assess why building a culture of inclusion matters.
• Building ally-ship i.e., the task of transforming passive supporters within the company into active champions – especially among senior leaders within the company – is a key lever for change. Inclusive culture-building must become a strategic priority.