TUPELO, Miss., March 5, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BancorpSouth Bank (NYSE: BXS) has joined the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, as a declaration of its commitment to cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace.
BancorpSouth Chairman and CEO Dan Rollins joins the more than 900 CEOs—across 85 industries—who have agreed to implement a pledge to advance diversity and inclusion and create workplaces where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected, where employees feel comfortable and encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion and where best-known actions can be shared across organizations via the initiative's united hub, CEOAction.com.
"We are proud to join this effort and the many other major employers across the United States," Rollins said. "We are particularly excited to be the first Mississippi-based public company to join the pledge."
By signing the pledge, BancorpSouth is agreeing to four core commitments:
- Continue to cultivate a workplace that supports open dialogue on complex, and sometimes difficult, conversations about diversity and inclusion
- Implement and expand unconscious bias education
- Share best known—and unsuccessful—actions with other companies to assist them with their efforts to enhance their diversity strategies
- Create and share strategic inclusion and diversity plans with our board of directors
In recent years, BancorpSouth has made significant efforts to enhance diversity and inclusion within its workplace. Some of its recent initiatives include:
- Prioritizing the recruitment and development of top talent from diverse backgrounds and experiences,
- Engaging with teammates on the state of its organizational culture, and
- Developing strategic relationships with diverse community stakeholders in an effort to achieve next-level engagement and responsiveness.
"We're taking these steps to ensure we're creating an atmosphere where everyone feels welcomed and appreciated," said BancorpSouth Director of Diversity and Inclusion Robert Harris. "Research shows companies that embrace diversity and inclusion have greater creativity and innovation, better productivity, maintain a competitive advantage and are able to better engage and support their employees, communities and stakeholders."
The CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, which launched in 2017, was collectively formed and is led by a steering committee of CEOs and leaders from Accenture, BCG, Deloitte US, The Executive Leadership Council, EY, General Atlantic, KPMG, New York Life, P&G and PwC. To learn more about the pledge, visit CEOAction.com.
About BancorpSouth Bank
BancorpSouth Bank (NYSE: BXS) is headquartered in Tupelo, Mississippi, with approximately $21 billion in assets. BancorpSouth operates approximately 310 full-service branch locations as well as additional mortgage, insurance, and loan production offices in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas, including an insurance location in Illinois. BancorpSouth is committed to a culture of respect, diversity, and inclusion in both its workplace and communities. To learn more, visit our Community Commitment page at www.bancorpsouth.com; "Like" us on Facebook; follow us on Twitter@MyBXS; or connect with us through LinkedIn.
About CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™
CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™ is the largest CEO-driven business commitment to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace. Bringing together more than 900 CEOs and presidents of America's leading businesses, academic institutions and nonprofits representing more than 15 million employees, the commitment outlines actions that participating organizations pledge to take to cultivate a workplace where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected, employees feel comfortable and encouraged to discuss diversity and inclusion, and where best known—and unsuccessful—actions can be shared across organizations. Learn more at CEOAction.com and connect with us on Twitter: @CEOAction.
SOURCE BancorpSouth Bank
