Truist

Dominica Groom

Dominica Groom is an accomplished executive whose career has been marked by a string of impressive achievements. With a wealth of hands-on experience, Groom currently holds the position of executive vice president and chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer at Truist, where she is responsible for leading bank-wide diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) governance, operations, strategies, and execution.

Please tell our readers about your roles and responsibilities at your organization.

Within my role, I oversee several defining areas of DE&I. The first is governance and operations where we are committed to further evolving and solidifying sustainable operational models. This is critical in drivingDE&I as a key business strategythroughsetting clear expectations, as well as establishing enterprise-wide autonomy and accountability. The second area is strategy development, which involves aligning to the corporate strategy and planning processesto develop and implement comprehensive, long-term,board-approved DE&I plans.  This positions us to effectively integrate DE&I across every aspect of the business (client, teammate and stakeholder/community). Another oversight function is measurement and reporting. This is imperative in not only showcasing our positive outcomes, but also enabling further identification of areas for growth and opportunity to drive greater impact. I also oversee our business resource groups, which are instrumental in convening teammates across the enterprise to further drive important DE&I dialogue, execution and impact throughout Truist. 

What are the challenges faced in the industry regarding DEI?

Whether companies are nationally or globally based, in the current business environment, most are likely to naturally have a multinational, diverse workforce.  Organizations are diverse not just in terms of core diversity, like ethnicity and gender, but also in terms of other differences like backgrounds, education, geographic location, skill sets, and more. Collective diversity makes organizations unique and has proven to benefit company performance.  That being said,some heightened elements of the topic of DE&I, specifically, have arguably caused some organizations to become hesitant around fully embracing DE&I as a key business driver.

“Diversity exists in many forms, including demographics, skills, backgrounds, and personal interests. It's essential for all of us to embrace diversity andalways remain open to learning and expanding our perspectives, regardless of our professional or personal experiences.”

A comprehensive and thoughtful approach to DE&I not only successfully supports related impact and outcomes, but can be instrumental in supporting delivery against other core business objectives. I believe the keys to mutual benefit and successareclear alignment to the business and creating autonomy across the enterprise where DE&I ownership and accountability are shared versus the DE&I organization having the sole responsibility of driving the platform and corresponding outcomes. 

What is your opinion on learning and growth in a diverse workplace where everyone has unique skills and perspectives?

Diversity exists in many forms, including demographics, skills, backgrounds, and personal interests. It's essential for all of us to embrace diversity and always remain open to learning and expanding our perspectives, regardless of our professional and personal experiences. While we may not always agree with new learnings, exposing ourselves to different viewpoints and perspectives can foster further professional and personal growth. I believe we should always strive to thoughtfully adapt to the ever-evolving diversity that surrounds usand seek to learn from others within our environments.

What would you advise your peers and colleagues?

Success is never final!  Despite previous progress and outcomes, there are always opportunities to do more and drive greater impact. While the work of promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion can be challenging, it's important to keep moving forward and identifying ways to evolve efforts.

Partnership is critical!  I appreciate that broaching the topic of DE&I can be intimidating for many.  As such, instead of pushing an independent agenda, I encourage practitioners toinvest in connecting with colleagues across the company and understanding their business priorities. By doing so, you can thoughtfully advise on how DE&I can support their specific business goalsand collaborate on a shared, mutually beneficial DE&I strategy.  Autonomy and shared accountability are invaluable.