Scotiabank Reaffirms Commitment to Inclusion For Every Future – Canada NewsWire

President and CEO Brian Porter participates in the BlackNorth Initiative Summit

TORONTO, July 20, 2020 /CNW/ - Today at the inaugural BlackNorth Initiative Summit, Scotiabank reaffirmed its commitment to combatting racism and discrimination of all forms to enable better futures for its employees, customers and communities at large.

"For too long, many members of our communities have felt excluded from economic opportunities because of systemic racism, unconscious bias, and discrimination," said Scotiabank President and CEO Brian Porter. "Our Bank is only as successful as the societies in which we operate. When there are individuals and communities that feel left out, we cannot be strong. By working with the BlackNorth Initiative, we're confident that we will see real and positive change across society, for the benefit of all Canadians."

Porter, alongside several leaders from corporate Canada, participated in the inaugural BlackNorth Initiative Summit earlier today. Scotiabank signed the BlackNorth Initiative CEO pledge, which outlines seven goals for organizations aimed at helping to end anti-Black systemic racism and creating opportunities for all of those in the underrepresented Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities. Porter was recently named to the BlackNorth Board of Directors. Scotia Capital Vice Chairman, Mark Mulroney, was also named to the Board.

"We are building a Bank that is strengthened by our differencesnot divided by themthat calls out injustice of all forms when we see it and that strives to use every opportunity to make better, stronger societies," added Porter.

"We are deeply committed to fostering an inclusive culture and, as a whole, the Bank is moving to advance diversity and inclusion for our customers and employees through several important initiatives," said Barb Mason, Group Head and Chief Human Resources Officer. "We have a long history of championing diversity and inclusion in every market in which we operate, and we are committed to taking meaningful steps to support the advancement of members of BIPOC communities."

Recent Efforts to Increase BIPOC Employee Representation and Support

To strengthen its BIPOC efforts, the Bank has recently implemented several initiatives, including:

"We are proud of our diverse workforce and believe it helps differentiate as us a top employer, a leading financial services partner, and an integral part of the communities we serve," added Mason. "We know the work to build a more inclusive Bank is never done, and we are in the process of renewing our targets based on our current employee diversity survey. These commitments are in addition to our BlackNorth pledge.We remain more committed than ever to empowering inclusion and opportunity, for every future."

Scotiabank is here for every future

To reinforce the Bank's purpose for every future and unwavering commitment to inclusion, Scotiabank recently publisheda short filmfeaturing diverse voices of employees, customers, and community partners speaking about the real and positive impact made by Scotiabank across its footprint. The film has been shared with the Bank's tens of thousands of employees.

Fostering An Inclusive Workplace for Black and Indigenous and People of Colour The Bank is committed to building a workplace that is free of discrimination. In 2016, Scotiabank was the first Canadian bank to adopt its own Human Rights Statementat the highest level of the organization, and the Bank continues to further foster an inclusive workplace that is free of discrimination and provides equal access to opportunity for Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour through the following:

Ensuring A Diverse Pipeline For Leadership Roles: The Bank is taking steps to ensure its leadership teams better reflect its customers and the communities in which it operates by:

Supporting Economic Inclusion For BIPOC Through Community Investment

Through a variety of partnerships and programs focused on advancement of BIPOC in the community, Scotiabank reinforces its commitment to real and positive change. Many of these partnerships are described in Scotiabank's 2019 Employment Equity report.

The Bank also recently announced a $500,000 commitment to several organizations recognized for their leadership in ending racial discrimination in Black communities within Canada and the U.S. Funds are directed toward providing tools and educational resources for those groups most at risk of being subject to individual, institutional and systemic racism, with a focus on Black youth and include organizations such as Careers Education Empowerment Centre for Young Black Professionals and the Canadian Race Relations Foundation.

About ScotiabankScotiabank 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 approximately 97,000 employees and assets of over$1.2 trillion(as atApril 30, 2020), Scotiabank trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: BNS) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BNS). For more information, please visitour websiteand follow us on Twitter @ScotiabankViews.

SOURCE Scotiabank

For further information: For Media Enquiries Only: Erin Truax, Scotiabank, [emailprotected], 416-933-2592

http://www.scotiabank.ca