UNUM names Ericka DeBruce its new Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer

UNUM Group, a leading provider of financial protection services in the U.S. and U.K on Thursday appointed Ericka DeBruce as its Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer.

The financial services group is contributing its quota to the corporate world by including more women and people of color on its executive team. DeBruce will report directly to Liz Ahmed, the executive vice president of People and Communications.

The new appointment will give DeBruce an opportunity to apply her years of experience to building strategic inclusion and diversity initiatives and programs across the firm. Also, she aims to the company’s culture and business approach grow beyond what it currently is, and embrace all employees equally, regardless of their race.

“Ericka brings tremendous experience in cultivating positive and inclusive employee engagement through multiple organizations,” said Rick McKenney, president and CEO of Unum Group. “I am confident she will help us further our ongoing efforts to embed inclusion and diversity into everything we do to support our customers and employees.”

DeBruce was the vice president of Colleague Experience & Global Citizenship at Sedgwick, prior to her new appointment at Unum. She has ample experience from her past roles working in the inclusion and diversity departments of previous corporations she worked at. DeBruce was the Global Diversity and Inclusion Manager at International Paper, Memphis, and BAE Systems in Rockville. She also served as the Director of Diversity and Community Outreach for the American Red Cross, Philadelphia.

The newly appointed chief inclusion and diversity officer is also the Board Chair for University Schools and Advisory Board member for the Department of Education at the University of Memphis.

About UNUM Group

Unum Group is a leading provider of financial benefits in the U.S. and the U.K. It provides its clients with a wide portfolio of financial protection services and other benefits. Unum is also the leading provider of disability income protection services in the world. Through its branches in the US, UK, Poland, and its Colonia Life businesses, Unum provides all kinds of benefits for disability, accident, terminal illness, and life protection for working people and their families.

The firm also provides working people with leave and absence management services to help employers and employees stop-loss coverage and protect self-insured employers from incurring medical costs.