Meet Jo Copol, Co-Chair of our Multicultural group
Category: Testimonials, Ethnic Diversity, Ethnic Inclusion, personal stories, BNY Mellon, Black Talent, Race, Ethnicity & Heritage, Employee Network Group
At BNY Mellon, we believe in strength in diversity – our differences make us stronger and empower us to break through to new levels of success.
Meet Johanna Cecile Copol, Institutional Liquidity Sales, Investment Management EMEA and Co-Chair of IMPACT EMEA, BNY Mellon’s Employee Resource Group, whose mission is to support the recruitment, retention, professional development and advancement of Multicultural employees.
I was born in Paris and my parents are from the French Caribbean. I spent my early childhood in Guadeloupe and moved back to Paris when I was eight years old. I relocated to the U.K. 14 years ago - my intention was to stay only for a year! I have lived in the U.K. for almost as long as I have lived in France and I have those early childhood memories in Guadeloupe. I am happy that I have experienced different places and cultures that shaped my identity. BNY Mellon is a part of this mix, since I joined the organization about a year after I moved to the U.K.
Can you share a bit about your role and the work you do as part of IMPACT?
I am the Co-Chair of our Multicultural group. I was inspired to join after seeing the passion of the leadership team and their commitment to be the voice of under-represented groups, including people of colour. There was also the prospect of collaborating with colleagues who have similar backgrounds or experiences to me. The group has evolved significantly over the years - we now work with our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion colleagues to provide professional and personal development opportunities to employees to support their career progression. IMPACT also engages the business on building a diverse talent pipeline and ensuring employee retention. Our team strives to support an inclusive culture and provides forums that allow honest conversations to happen. Courageous conversations can be uncomfortable, but they are an essential step to create social justice. I am a French, Black woman living in the U.K. – I feel the intersectionality of all those identities is my superpower. I have a better understanding of how multiple forms of overlapping oppressions affect our lives. I seek the unheard voices because I have been one in different situations.
VERCIDA works with over one hundred clients who are committed to creating an inclusive work
environment. If you are an employer and interested in working with VERCIDA to promote your
diversity and inclusion initiatives and attract the best candidates, please email
[email protected] for more information.
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