Helping our employees find strength.

Professional development is a core focus area for each of our seven Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). An example of this in action is the work our Latinos for Excellence, Advancement & Development (LEAD) ERG does to develop and connect members. LEAD’s signature program, the Adelante! Professional Development Series, empowers its membership through educational programming to enhance awareness of important topics, navigate career and development opportunities, and showcase New York Life, our leaders, and our strategies. Recognizing the importance of networking and building relationships, LEAD launched the Cafécito series in 2020 which connects the LEAD community with internal and external leaders.

All employees can meet one-on-one with a certified executive coach from New York Life’s internal coaching practice for a confidential conversation, tailored to their needs. During coaching sessions, employees can focus on any career-related topic, such as:

• How to get motivated and inspired in their role and create a positive mindset
• What they have accomplished so far, and what they hope to achieve
• How to create measurable development goals and action steps to achieve them
• Overcoming obstacles and barriers to success

Empower is a one-year program for Employee Resource Group members (our ERGs are open to all employees) that offers mentorship opportunities and provides resources. Participants complete a questionnaire that matches mentoring pairs based on goals and preferences, which helps create a more personalized and focused experience.

“The Empower mentorship has been vital for my personal and professional growth. With support and guidance from my mentor, I learned how to deal with setbacks, present myself more effectively, identify and capitalize on opportunities, and network in a virtual environment,” says Megan American Horse, Senior Associate in Group Benefit Solutions and TWI member, “The best part is, the skills and confidence I gained were exactly what I needed in order to accomplish a career goal that I’d been pursuing for years.”

Building relationships is at the core of New York Life’s inclusive culture and a cornerstone to career development. Employees in  the DE&I Center's formal networking program connect with colleagues to gain different perspectives and learn about other areas in the company. The program also creates a platform that employees can lean into for advice and guidance.

“The DE&I networking program helped to demystify what networking is and is not and how to best make it work for you,” says program participant Samantha Chinn, Corporate Vice President, Agency Field Operations and former co-chair of NYL Pride. “The program highlights the benefits of learning about other areas and employees and being able to bring the knowledge gained into our current roles and perspectives. A common theme amongst participants was that it wasthese relationships that helped to deepen one’s engagement and connection to the company.”

Through our Supplier Diversity program, New York Life has an ongoing commitment to drive inclusion of businesses owned by Minority, Women, LGBTQ+, Disabled, Veteran, and Service-Disabled Veteran individuals and groups. “Our long-standing Supplier Diversity program embodies New York Life’s firm commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We are focused on reaching 100% inclusion of diverse suppliers in competitive sourcing opportunities, as well as driving targeted matchmaking initiatives and mentorship,” says Swati Scanlon, Vice President, Head of Governance and Supplier Diversity and APC member. "Programs such as these will provide value for both New York Life and our communities by ensuring a diverse supply chain, increased competition, and efficient and ethical sourcing. It’s just right for so many reasons."

Our Supplier Diversity Program includes diverse-owned entities in the investment field. An example of this is our strong partnership with Academy Securities, a veteran-owned bank. The relationship between New York Life and Academy began in 2017, just as the newly formed firm was beginning to gain traction in what is a very crowded space. Academy is our nation's first post-9/11 veteran-owned and operated investment bank and is unique in the authenticity of its mission. Almost half of the bank's employees and 63% of the ownership of the firm are military veterans. Our relationship with Academy is mutually beneficial, as the bank has a geopolitical advisory board that includes a number of prestigious military officers who offer valuable perspectives on the current landscape. As well, over the past few years, many of these advisors have appeared at various New York Life events. For example, Janie Mines, the first African American woman to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy, headlined an event jointly sponsored by our Investment Annuities business and the NYL-Vets Employee Resource Group.

Academy has built a deep debt capital markets infrastructure in a short period of time. In recognition of this and the strong relationship between our two companies, Academy was the second bank New York Life utilized as a joint bookrunner on a recent medium-term note transaction. In this role, Academy had the same responsibilities and received the same economics as the more established banks on the transaction.  

"The business partnership, revenue generating opportunities, and strategic alignment that Academy Securities shares with New York Life as a result of their support and advocacy helps us to reinvest in our platform through the fulfillment of our social mission, the growth of our capabilities, and the reinforcement of our balance sheet," says Spencer Wilcox, Academy's Managing Director, Head of Debt Capital Markets. "This attributable impact facilitates Academy’s effort to be an evangelist to the marketplace regarding the value of worthy and talented veteran teammates and their ability to add value to organizations."