Business Resource Groups (BRGs) strengthen our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Diversity is inherent to who we are as a company. We are committed to performing our best every day for the thousands of colleagues and diverse communities we serve. We invest in the communities we live in. We've grown as these communities have grown. We've succeeded by helping our fellow citizens succeed, one customer and one colleague at a time.

The customer base we serve is becoming more diverse and multicultural each day. The more we understand and appreciate the rich diversity within our markets, the better we will be able to help customers with different backgrounds and experiences.

However, it takes time, effort and commitment at all levels to develop a culture rich in diversity and inclusion. That’s why we’ve set up Business Resource Groups (BRGs), made up of our own colleagues, and dedicated to women, LGBT, veterans, multi-cultural and more recently, rising professional colleagues. The BRGs are a fundamental component to driving Citizens’ Diversity and Inclusion initiative, which focuses on understanding and building upon our diversification as colleagues to strengthen our business and the communities we serve.

Our BRGs are an important component of Citizens' D&I initiative, being led by Brad Conner, Vice Chairman of Consumer Banking, and are a platform for colleagues to help drive our business agenda, improve the company culture, and continuously improve the colleague and customer experience. The BRGs help us weave a more effective diversity and inclusion mindset into our day-to-day practices, viewing customer, sales, leadership, recruiting and other activities through a wider lens.

There are a number of benefits to colleagues, too:

• Opportunities to support the business agenda by providing personal perspective on product development, sales strategies and multicultural marketing
• Peer mentorship and support through shared interests and ideals
• Access and exposure to senior leaders, particularly those outside of your business/function
• Better understanding of overall corporate strategy through group meetings and activities
• Development of leadership, influencing and collaboration skills
• Expanding your professional network, identifying potential mentors and sponsors

Each BRG has a chairperson, who will co-lead the group along with the Executive Committee sponsor and play a significant role in driving the group’s agenda. All colleagues are invited join our BRGs – those with a personal desire to leverage their unique perspectives, and/or to learn more about the challenges these groups face.

The BRGs will help us harness the power of diversity, which is a business imperative and the hallmark of a high-performing, innovative and customer-centric organizations. The BRGs will highlight what makes us different – our talents, backgrounds and lifestyles – while supporting our common goal of delivering the best possible banking experience. Join us as we strengthen our culture of inclusion.

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