Article: Erika Irish Brown on why DEI is a business imperative at Citi

Diversity

Erika Irish Brown on why DEI is a business imperative at Citi

Citi’s Erika Irish Brown delves into how diversity, equity, and inclusion drive organisational success and are integral to Citi’s identity.
Erika Irish Brown on why DEI is a business imperative at Citi

As a wave of corporate cost-cutting sweeps across industries, many organisations are scaling back their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Meta have made headlines for layoffs and slashed DEI budgets, sparking concerns about losing hard-won progress.

“DEI is part of our DNA,” says Irish Brown. Citi's Chief DEI Officer and Head of Talent believes DEI is not only central to who Citi is but it also fuels Citi’s business success.

In this exclusive interview, Erika shares how Citi is leveraging data, technology, and innovative programs to support DEI and Talent. She details new initiatives in India and explains why embedding DEI into an organisation’s strategy and culture is crucial.

Here are the edited excerpts:

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Mastufa: The DEI landscape has undergone significant changes due to AI, economic pressures, and political shifts. How do you view the current state of DEI, especially with many organisations scaling back their efforts?

Erika: It’s undoubtedly a challenging time and I believe several factors are impacting the DEI landscape. However, when organisations are truly committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion—when it’s embedded in their business strategy and integral to their overall talent strategy—it becomes a non-negotiable. At Citibank, for example, DEI is not just a priority; it’s a business imperative. It’s deeply ingrained in our human capital strategy and essential for our people and our success.

There are indeed companies that have chosen to step away from DEI during these challenging times, but for us, it’s part of our DNA and reflects who we are.

There are indeed companies that have chosen to step away from DEI during these challenging times, but for us, it’s part of our DNA and reflects who we are. It’s about talent, informed decision-making, and how we engage with the communities, customers, and clients we serve.

Mastufa: Citi has consistently emphasised its DEI priorities, but how is the organisation adapting these commitments in the current climate, especially as it undergoes significant restructuring? 

Erika: Citi is simplifying its structure, aligning global teams with our five key businesses and the supporting functions. Throughout this process, talent remains our focus, ensuring the right people are in the right roles.

Citi is undergoing a simplification process, aligning global teams with its core businesses while ensuring the right people land in the right roles.

Maintaining workforce diversity while evaluating talent on skills, competencies, and global roles is crucial. Our DEI strategy is driven by three principles: transparency, metrics, and engagement.

We prioritise transparency, sharing pay equity data and MD class demographics. Metrics are essential as we track progress against our representation goals.

Engagement is central to our efforts. We aim to foster a culture where everyone feels valued and empowered, with everyone from team members to leaders contributing to retaining top talent and ensuring success.

Mastufa:  We noticed Citi's global aspirational representation goals, particularly for women. Can you elaborate on progress and strategies for driving change in this area?

Erika: We have a gender goal that we're continually working towards, both in terms of representation at the Assistant Vice President level and above, as well as in our early career hiring. We've also made significant progress towards our global LGBTQ+ goal for early career hiring, which is something we're very proud of.

Another key part of our DEI journey has been nurturing a culture of inclusion by growing our inclusion networks. We’re especially proud of the progress here in India, where we recently launched the Citi Salutes network to support military personnel and veterans—a significant milestone for us.

Mastufa: What initiatives have been introduced in the past year, particularly in India, to promote inclusion, allyship, or address social mobility?

Erika: One initiative we’re especially proud of is the launch of our global Interfaith Network, one of our twelve Inclusion Networks. What began as grassroots efforts around cultural and holiday celebrations has grown into a dedicated platform to foster interreligious understanding, bringing people of different faiths and cultures together to promote unity and shared understanding.

There’s an increased focus on religion and culture in the workplace, with more initiatives emerging to promote interfaith understanding and inclusivity.

Another major accomplishment is our Allyship 365 program, which recently marked its one-year anniversary. This initiative is all about empowering employees to be everyday allies by providing toolkits and resources to encourage inclusive behaviour.  

This year, we launched a social mobility initiative, collecting data on employees' socio-economic backgrounds to track career progression, identify barriers, and create opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds to thrive.

While our executive management team provides global leadership and sponsorship for DEI, we believe it’s equally critical for business units to take ownership of DEI initiatives. By establishing these councils, we ensure deeper engagement at the business level, with shared accountability between business leaders and HR to drive inclusive talent strategies.

Mastufa: Beyond traditional metrics, are there any unique measures Citi uses to assess the impact of DEI programs on business outcomes and employee experience?

Erika: In addition to metrics like representation and pay equity, we focus on employee engagement, using an inclusion and belonging index to gauge how employees feel about their workplace experience.

We also track talent mobility and manager effectiveness. Measuring psychological safety ensures employees feel empowered to speak up, which is essential for an inclusive culture. We assess development plan completion to ensure meaningful career conversations between employees and managers.

We evaluate the entire employee life cycle—attracting top talent, ensuring equal career velocity, and providing equitable pay and opportunities for growth. By combining qualitative insights with quantitative data, we foster a talent culture where employees feel supported and empowered to succeed.

Mastufa: With Citi’s scale, you collect extensive data on DEI metrics and employee sentiment. How do you integrate this data to generate actionable insights?

Erika: Our dedicated people analytics team plays a crucial role in integrating and analysing data. By leveraging AI tools like Eightfold, we can match candidates with the right roles by aligning their resume skills with job requirements.

The data we collect tells us stories—whether it’s about gaps in attracting candidates from specific talent pools, rising attrition rates among particular groups, or other trends. By analysing these patterns, we can identify root causes and take corrective actions. For instance, if we notice increased attrition in a certain demographic, we dive deeper into understanding why and address those challenges proactively. 

Mastufa: AI-powered HR tools, while promising, raise concerns about potential bias.  What measures has Citi taken to mitigate these biases, especially in AI-driven recruitment and career mobility tools?

Erika: Equity and inclusion are at the core of what my team focuses on, and while the AI tools we use are primarily designed to support career mobility and recruitment—such as matching skills with roles—we are still in the early stages of exploring the broader potential of AI in HR processes.

We do have different pilots running for the use of AI in other HR areas, but nothing specific comes to mind related to mitigating biases in the way you’re asking. This is an area where I believe there’s room for growth and exploration as we continue to innovate and refine our processes.

Mastufa:  In India, where issues like social mobility, inclusion, and well-being are increasingly prominent, what initiatives have you introduced to address these concerns? 

Erika: One of the things I would emphasise, especially when it comes to employee well-being, is that we have global programmes that we ensure are consistently implemented here in India, particularly in the mental health space.

In India, we’ve also introduced initiatives tailored to the local context. For example, our Maternity FLEX Programme allows women colleagues to work from home for up to a year after returning from parental leave. This, coupled with our strong global parental leave policy—we were offering six months of leave even before it became a regulatory requirement—supports our caregivers and working parents effectively.

We’ve seen great enthusiasm for our Citi Salutes Network, which recently launched its 18th chapter in India, connecting military veterans and leveraging their leadership and teamwork skills to help them thrive at Citi.

We’re also deeply honoured to be recognised for our efforts, including being named one of the top 10 best companies for women in India by Avtar.  

Mastufa: As we approach 2025, what key trends do you foresee in the DEI space?

Erika: I anticipate several key trends:

Interfaith inclusion: Following the tragic events of October 7th, 2023, there's been a growing focus on religion and culture in the workplace. We're likely to see more initiatives aimed at fostering interfaith understanding and creating inclusive environments.

Mental health: The ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of mental health. We can expect continued emphasis on mental health support programs and reducing stigma.

Social mobility: There will be a stronger focus on social mobility initiatives, allyship, and intersectionality. These concepts will become increasingly integrated into DEI discussions.

Integrated DEI roles: We'll see a rise in integrated DEI roles, such as DEI and Talent, or DEI and Culture. This reflects the recognition that DEI should be a core component of all HR functions.

Mastufa: Given the current economic challenges, what advice would you give DEI professionals to stay resilient and continue their vital work?

Erika: My advice would be to stay focused on your strategy. It’s essential to be aware of the broader landscape, but also to ensure that the programs you’re implementing are aligned with your overarching goals and the current environment. Make sure the initiatives you're driving are relevant and effective for the times.

But above all, stay the course. Diversity, equity, and inclusion professionals are needed now more than ever. The role we play in supporting our people and creating inclusive environments is crucial, regardless of the external noise or challenges. Keep executing your strategy and focus on the needs of your people, not on the politics or distractions surrounding it.

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Topics: Diversity, #BigInterview, #DEIB

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