Ashley Duncan
“We navigate our world through what is important to us and don’t always think about how certain things impact other people. We have an obligation to be aware of how our many privileges shape the world and find ways to bring inclusivity to every space we occupy.”
Written by Shirelle Williams | Photo by Mary Helen Nunn
Sponsored by: Republic Bank | 601 W. Market St., Louisville, KY, 40202 | Phone: (502) 420-2013 | aduncan@republicbank.com | Website: RepublicBank.com
Can you describe how your DEI program is structured?
My role is part of the culture and people development team. We have seven inclusion and diversity commitments around such topics as education, supplier diversity, Business Resource Groups (BRGs), workplace and community.
What types of programming and outreach does your DEI team do?
We bring in guest speakers, celebrate our unique differences, and work to build a more inclusive culture internally. We also partner with diverse community organizations and businesses to make an impact through volunteerism, education and support.
How has DEI enhanced your workplace? How has it enhanced your overall business?
In a lot of ways. We have six BRGs: Caregivers, Conexion, Veterans, Pride, NIA, and Women, all helping to build community internally and externally. They each hold listening sessions with Steve Trager and Logan Pichel, our executive chair and president & CEO, discussing business opportunities and actions the company should take to become more inclusive. We have been able to make really intentional policy changes, introduce new products, and change the diversity makeup of the organization. A few examples include adding job grades to open positions, adding pronouns to business cards and name tags, addressing caregiver needs, updating our single stall restrooms to gender neutral and launching the True Name Debit Card for non-binary or trans clients who want to use a chosen name. We also recently earned the prestigious 2022 American Bankers Association Foundation’s Community Commitment Award and the Autism Friendly Business of the Year award by FEAT (Families for Effective Autism Treatment).
What short and long-term goals do you have for your DEI program?
We review our inclusion and diversity commitments at least quarterly and analyze our progress in terms of attracting and growing diverse talent, improving our percentage of diverse suppliers and spend, making inclusive workplace changes as needed, and serving our communities. We’re in the process of creating a three-year inclusion and diversity strategic plan.
What has your leadership learned as a result of implementing this program?
I don’t think our leadership initially truly understood how important the word belonging is to diverse communities. We navigate our world through what is important to us and don’t always think about how certain things impact other people. We have an obligation to be aware of how our many privileges shape the world and find ways to bring inclusivity to every space we occupy. Our leadership actively works to build awareness, and this has made a big impact on our internal and external communities. Steve Trager proudly called me recently to tell me that someone learned about the True Name Debit Card and said, “This is an amazing product.”
What impact do you hope your program has on the city?
I hope people see that they can bank with us because they trust we are doing work that will make them feel proud and included. I hope our associates feel they can tell their friends and families to come work at Republic because of the authenticity that’s created through the programs, policies, and practices that will help them grow as individuals and as members of the Republic team. And I want our clients and community partners in the city to feel the impact we are making in the success of their organizations.
