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» VISIT US ONLINE @ DSNEWS.COM 67 to the business," she added. Dr. Cheryl Travis-Johnson, EVP and Chief Operating Officer at VRM Mortgage Services, also observed that neglecting multiculturalism can lead to ineffective marketing and bad business outcomes. According to Travis-Johnson, leaders need to evaluate their teams to ensure the best economic outcome with diversity. "Diversity and inclusion is a business imperative," Brown said. "But the wrong takeaway would be if it's only important to the extent that it makes you profitable. It's also the right thing to do." PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS How are these businesses and business leaders implementing diversity and inclusion plans seamlessly? For many, it means looking at diversity programs in a new way as the landscape shifts. Jacqueline Welch, Chief Human Resources Officer and Chief Diversity Officer at Freddie Mac, discussed how Freddie Mac is moving away from a "diversity and inclusion" strategy to an "inclusion and diversity" strategy. "For employees, we place a priority on attracting and recruiting a pipeline of diverse applicants while advancing a culture of inclusion where everyone at the company feels welcome and valued," Welch said. "Signature programs that drive our efforts include 10 employee resource groups (ERGs), 11 division-specific inclusion councils, and other initiatives such as our leading autism internship program." "For suppliers, we ensure diverse suppliers are included in the bidding process, which has ultimately increased our diverse spend," Welch continued. "We also develop qualified diverse suppliers through our Vendor Academy, helping them learn how to strengthen their business to be more competitive for opportunities with Freddie Mac and other companies." Bank of America's A.J. Barkley, SVP Neighborhood Lending Executive, Consumer Lending, said that creating a diverse and inclusive workplace starts at recruitment. "Our employees are our most valuable resource, and one of the most important aspects of responsible growth is attracting and retaining exceptional talent," Barkley said. "It starts with how we recruit new teammates to our company and extends to the many ways we support employees' professional development, engagement, and career growth and advancement once they are here." Colleen Winslow, Chief HR Officer at RoundPoint Mortgage Servicing Corporation, also noted that diversity begins during the hiring process, so it's critical that a business' hiring process should be one that fosters inclusion. According to Winslow, businesses should make sure they are assessing a diverse slate of candidates, "and that the process candidates go through is consistent, not favoring one group versus another."

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