The below transcript is from a 2013 interview with Joanne Rodgers, VP and Chief Diversity Officer of New York Life. Interviewees for the series My Inclusion Dividend were asked for their personal opinions and not those reflective of their current or past employer. The views expressed are not necessarily those of any employer or this website.  Click here for other interviews in this series.

The Dagoba Group: Please provide us a brief overview of your work history and your current role.

I have had a very diverse work history. It started in the financial industry working at a broker dealer and then as a regulator for what is now called FINRA. Eighteen years ago I joined the compliance department at New York Life holding various roles. I was invited to participate in an innovation program about 6 years ago. I was part of the winning project team and the experience opened up other opportunities for me. After the program I worked within our sales group before returning to compliance and then onto a corporate strategy position taking on the role of Chief Diversity Officer.

The Dagoba Group: At what point in your career did you become aware of the topic of diversity and inclusion in the workplace? In what way?

Being a woman and working in the financial services industry, I was always aware of diversity . However, it became more personal for me when I was asked to lead the Women’s Leadership program, our women’s employee resource group. The position pushed me to have more of a laser focus and dig deeper into the challenges faced by women and I developed a deeper passion for the space.

Dagoba Group: What generated the passion?

Looking back at my career, I really never thought anything stood in my way. I believed if you worked hard and did a good job you would succeed. Philosophically I still believe in this pathway to success. However, when I took a closer look at the percentage of women in leadership roles and on boards of major companies, it forced me to realize it was not just about me, it was a bigger issue.

The Dagoba Group: Think back to your first D&I development? What topic was it and in what capacity? What was the impact of that development experience on you?

Over the course of time the Women’s Leadership program would hold events which helped raise my awareness of the topic. The full breadth and impact of D&I was not fully realized until I took the helm of that program. Topics such as personal brand, importance of networking and mentorship forced me to be immersed in the subject. Every day I focused on D&I, the passion and drive got stronger.

The Dagoba Group: As a CDO, when do you think most non-D&I focused leaders connect with D&I?

It is now at the front end of every discussion. To the extent we make this about awareness and real conversations about people, it becomes real for individuals. I spend a good portion of my time in this role sharing conversations with people about challenges and successes.

Leaders are proactively bringing me into their talent and policy making decisions. It is top of mind in our day-to-day business.

The Dagoba Group: Can you describe a situation in which you saw a clear and measurable impact from an inclusion strategy or an inclusive behavior? What was the impact personally and on the business?

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence; however, the real impact is seen in the overall culture. Our people are leading with the importance and commitment of diversity and inclusion. They are absolutely committed to having an impact in this space.

Organizationally our company has made a concerted effort in our multi-cultural market. It is part of our long-term strategy for success in the market. This effort includes action in talent acquisition, talent management and external marketing. For example, our Council President, who is the highest ranked agent in our organization, is an Indian woman. She talks about her story on how she came from India and was able to achieve such a high level of excellence. Our inclusion efforts help everyone to be able to reach the top.

We also continue to work directly with our employee resource groups to identify strategies where we can leverage the groups to have more of a business impact.

The Dagoba Group: At the Dagoba Group, we define diversity to be the presence of difference. How do you define inclusion?

For me, inclusion is ensuring everyone has the opportunity to be an active participant. Every employee should have a chance to show up truly as themselves and have their unique voices heard. It is our responsibility to create an environment which allows this empowerment.

The Dagoba Group: For those companies that have not invested in an enterprise wide D&I strategy, what is your advice?

This is the easiest question you have asked. My answer would be to invest. D&I is just so important when you think about the culture, the business and the employees of organizations. For organizations to be successful they have to be successful in those three areas. D&I breeds innovation and helps companies evolve. Couple these points with the changing demographics and it makes it that much more critical.

Interviewers Mason Donovan and Mark Kaplan are principals at The Dagoba Group, a global diversity and inclusion consultancy, and authors of The Inclusion Dividend (Bibliomotion, 2013).