In this week’s installment of our Career Advice video series, Senior Business Writer Linda Bell spoke with Eliana Nunez, VP of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at The Cigna Group (No. 14 on the Fair360 2023 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list). Nunez shared insights on her 40-year career at Cigna, the benefits of employee resource groups and her passion for volunteerism.
Up 10 spots from 2022, Cigna has a five-year initiative to grow and accelerate its DEI efforts within the environment, society and its workforce.
“We exist to improve the health and vitality of those we serve, and it’s mission-critical that we rely on the power of our team strengthened by a diversity of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. It’s at the heart of who we are as a company to treat each other with respect, provide meaningful opportunities to grow and contribute and challenge ourselves to always get better at increasing belonging, innovation and equity for all our co-workers.”
“At The Cigna Group, we partner and innovate solutions for a healthier and more equitable ecosystem through embracing our stakeholders’ backgrounds, perspectives and experiences. This leads to a better future built on the vitality of every individual and every community – advancing better health for all.”
The Cigna Group is a global health services company, guided by our mission to improve the health and vitality of those we serve. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is core to who we are, how we work and how we live our values. We are committed to advancing an equitable and inclusive organization that values, celebrates and maximizes the power of diverse backgrounds, perspectives, abilities and experiences, and where everyone can feel a sense of belonging.
In today’s global marketplace, the vitality, well-being and collective strengths of our workforce are critical to our continued success. By realizing the full potential of all our employees, we can drive better decision-making, greater innovation and higher levels of engagement – which ultimately helps us deliver on our mission and advance better health for all.
We approach DEI with intentionality to drive impact and long-term sustainability. We work to ensure our DEI strategy aligns with our vision of creating a better future built on the vitality of every individual, every organization and every community.
Our strategy comes to life in many ways. Our Enterprise DEI Council focuses on advancing health equity and continuing to strengthen our leadership accountability. It is chaired by our Chairman and CEO and is comprised of leaders from various areas of the company. Our 11 employee-led enterprise resource groups are also fundamental to fostering workplace inclusion, driving enterprise cross-cultural understanding and delivering on our mission.
Partnering with and supporting diverse suppliers is key to our strategy as well. The Cigna Group and its portfolio of companies committed to spending $1 billion annually with diverse suppliers by 2025. We surpassed this goal by the end of 2023. Now, we strive to expand our commitment to spend even more with diverse suppliers: $1.6 billion annually in 2025.
