Voya Financial Hires Elizabeth Derby to Head Diversity and Inclusion Strategy

NEW YORK, May 21, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), announced today that Elizabeth Derby has joined the company as vice president of Diversity and Inclusion. In this role, Derby will work closely with Voya's executive leadership team to oversee the development and implementation of the company's evolving diversity and inclusion strategies. She is based in Voya's New York City office and reports to Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Kevin Silva.

Voya's efforts to support diversity and inclusion have earned recognition from a wide range of organizations that measure corporate-wide activity in this area, including the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and DiversityInc. In 2014, Voya earned a "Perfect Score" on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index for the 10th consecutive year, and was named a "Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality" for the seventh consecutive year.

"Fostering an inclusive culture that embraces diverse perspectives isn't just the right thing to do. It's integral to the success of our business, and it serves as a cornerstone of our corporate values," said Silva. "During her 25-year career in the financial services industry, Elizabeth has gained an in-depth understanding of how diversity and inclusion initiatives can drive success both in the workplace and in the market. We're pleased to welcome Elizabeth to the Voya team."

Derby's tenure in financial services includes several years leading RBC Capital Markets' diversity and inclusion programs, where she was responsible for the strategic development and successful execution of RBC's U.S. and global diversity initiatives. Before joining RBC, Derby spent eight years with Credit Suisse, where she achieved award-winning recognition for implementing best-in-class diversity efforts. Her career also includes 12 years with the former New York-based brokerage firm Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette (DLJ), where she led the firm's campus recruiting efforts, spearheading, among other things, DLJ's first MBA fellowship program, which led to a substantial increase in their recruitment of talented women and minorities. Derby began her career as an analyst in the Public Finance Department at DLJ. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and French from Wellesley College.

"Joining Voya at this exciting stage of the company's journey presents a compelling opportunity to help shape and grow the organization's diversity strategy," Derby said. "Embracing the unique perspectives of employees from all backgrounds builds an energized, passionate workforce — one that understands the needs of our customers and produces strong results for our business."

As an industry leader and advocate for greater retirement readiness, Voya Financial is committed to delivering on its vision to be America's Retirement Company™ and on its mission to make a secure financial future possible — one person, one family, one institution at a time. 

Media Contact: Nicole Vasile  Voya Financial  Office:  (860) 580-2690 Cell:  (860) 839-1589     [email protected]           

About Voya Financial® Voya Financial, Inc. (NYSE: VOYA), is composed of premier retirement, investment and insurance companies serving the financial needs of approximately 13 million individual and institutional customers in the United States. The company's vision is to be America's Retirement Company™ and its guiding principle is centered on solving the most daunting financial challenge facing Americans today — retirement readiness. Working directly with clients and through a broad group of financial intermediaries, independent producers, affiliated advisors and dedicated sales specialists, Voya provides a comprehensive portfolio of asset accumulation, asset protection and asset distribution products and services. With a dedicated workforce of approximately 6,500 employees, Voya is grounded in a clear mission to make a secure financial future possible — one person, one family, one institution at a time. For more information, visit voya.com or view our Voya Financial Interactive Company Profile. Follow Voya Financial on Facebook and Twitter @Voya.

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SOURCE Voya Financial, Inc.