This episode focuses on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion – better known by its acronym DEI. In the initial spotlight segment, we chat with Jeiz Robles, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Hong Kong-based Community Business, about what the work of DEI professionals entails.
​
Following that, we continue the discussion with world-renowned DEI expert Ritu Bhasin for a North American perspective on the future of DEI, as it appears to be under attack in many corporate quarters in the US.
​
Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives were originally intended to, if not fix past injustices, at least ameliorate them in the realms of employment, education, government, and civic institutions by providing opportunities for individuals and groups that had previously been overlooked. DEI seemed all the rage – at least until the reelection of Donald J. Trump to the US presidency last November.
​
Over the past year, some American law firms have terminated their DEI programs following judicial challenges. And corporate giants in the US, such as Walmart and Target, have also scaled back their efforts to promote inclusion.

Ritu Bhasin

Ritu Bhasin is a world-renowned, award-winning life coach and empowerment speaker, as well as a best-selling author and a much sought-after expert and consultant on leadership, talent management, workplace culture, and inclusion.

A lawyer by training, she has attained an EMBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, where she is also a former instructor in the institution’s executive programs. Additionally, she regularly appears on TV and radio in the U.S. and Canada.

Ritu is also the CEO and founder of her firm, Bhasin Consulting Inc., situated in Toronto. Her mission, as she describes it: “Is to help build diverse and inclusive workplaces and to empower professionals to be strategic in leveraging their strengths in their career development.”
​
Her firm provides a range of services related to talent management, diversity, and inclusion, including organizational assessments, strategic planning, change management, stakeholder relations, training and leadership development programming, employee engagement and retention strategies, individual career coaching, and team facilitation.
​
Ritu’s firm also provides one-on-one coaching to individuals in areas such as career development, performance management issues, leadership skills, diversity, and advancing women.

She is also active on the speaker circuit for North American organizations, professional associations, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and community groups.

Jeiz Robles

Jeiz Robles is a veteran human resources and workplace diversity specialist.  In her current role as Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Community Business in Hong Kong, she oversees its DEI portfolio, providing strategic and sustainable direction to various programming – including the flagship Community Business Network.

She also leads teams of DEI consultants, program heads, and thought leaders across Asia in delivering consulting and training services, as well as campaigns focused on LGBTQ+ inclusion, disability, wellbeing, social mobility, and more.
​
​She also collaborates with Community Business’s corporate partners from various industries and multinational companies, serving as a strategic advisor to their DEI strategy and aspirations. Jeiz also manages strategic partnerships that positively impact varying underrepresented and underprivileged communities across the region.
She has been ranked within the top 10 of Involve’s Global LGBT+ Future Leaders for several years. As a steadfast champion of workplace inclusion, her focus is on driving diversity and inclusion strategies, policies, and programs in the workplace and actively influencing companies to build inclusive cultures across various industries. Ultimately, it is about building “relationships with communities and organizations and driving business growth by leveraging diversity, inclusion, and talent strategies in strategic partnerships,” she says.

As a former human resources leader, she also leads operations of HR services through IBM’s cognitive transformation to deliver a superior employee experience. In that capacity, she has end-to-end expertise in global mobility and relocation, as well as core HR operations, and is experienced in stakeholder management involving vendors, clients, and industry executives.

Through her background in applying agile methodologies and IBM Design Thinking, Jeiz manages and implements projects and strategies to maintain client satisfaction, employee engagement, business efficiency, and cost optimization.

Discussion:

The conversation begins with Jeiz chatting with Regulatory Ramblings host Ajay Shamdasani about what drew her to DEI from her previous role in HR. They discuss what a DEI manager’s role entails daily and why support for DEI appears to be resolute in Asia despite being under attack in the US – even though places like Hong Kong and, to a lesser extent, Singapore are relatively homogeneous.

They conclude that the communitarian nature of Asian societies, which tends to avoid leaving anyone out, lends itself to greater inclusion.

The conversation then shifts to Ritu, who recounts being the proud daughter of Indian Sikh immigrants to Canada and the prejudices and challenges she faced growing up in the 80s and 90s. Indeed, her personal and professional directly led to her current role as an ardent DEI advocate.

Ritu explains why DEI is not a fad or an academic exercise but has genuine utility for society, as it taps into the labor and talents of those who have been previously overlooked.

She acknowledges the current backlash against DEI in corporate America and the generational divide undergirding it. She believes that in a decade, momentum will have shifted, and DEI will be the norm.

As Ritu stressed, when some in an organization are groomed for success and given every opportunity to succeed – including mentoring – it should not come as a surprise that such individuals are more likely to succeed. Yet, what about those who are bypassed?

Regulatory Ramblings podcasts is brought to you by The University of Hong Kong – Reg/Tech Lab, HKU-SCF Fintech Academy, Asia Global Institute, and HKU-edX Professional Certificate in Fintech, with support from the HKU Faculty of Law.

Useful links in this episode:

• Follow Ritu Bhasin on LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube

• Visit bhasin consulting inc. website and Ritu Bhasin’s website

• Find out more about the book: We’ve Got This

• Follow Jeiz Robles on LinkedIn

• Visit Community Business website

You might also be interested in:

• Must have book by Ross Buckley, Douglas Arner & Dirk Zetzsche – FinTech: Finance, Technology & Regulation

• Building Better Financial Systems: FinTech Sustainability – Research

• HKU-SCF Fintech Academy – website

• Asia Global Institute – website

• HKU-edX Professional Certificate in Fintech

• Most sought after Fintech course on edX – Introduction to Fintech

Connect with RR Podcast at:

LinkedIn: https://hk.linkedin.com/company/hkufintech 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hkufintech.fb/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hkufintech/ 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HKUFinTech 
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hkufintech
Website: https://www.hkufintech.com/regulatoryramblings 

Connect with the Compliance Podcast Network at:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/compliance-podcast-network/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/compliancepodcastnetwork/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CompliancePodcastNetwork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tfoxlaw
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/voiceofcompliance/
Website: https://compliancepodcastnetwork.net