LendingClub Corporation (NYSE: LC), announced on Wednesday it is one of 230 companies selected for the 2019 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI), which distinguishes companies committed to transparency in gender reporting and advancing women’s equality.
According to LendingClub, the index doubled in size from 2018 and includes firms from 10 sectors, headquartered across 36 countries and regions. The firms have reportedly a combined market capitalization of $9 trillion and globally employ over 15 million people, of which 7 million are women. Thirteen markets are represented for the first time this year, which includes Argentina, China, Israel, and South Africa. Speaking about being selected for the Index, Whitney Jones, Chief People Officer at LendingClub, stated:
“We believe that the diversity of our employee base needs to represent the diversity of our customer base and that is why we’re committed to increasing the diversity of our leadership team not just at the C-suite and board level, which are currently at 22 percent and 30 percent respectively, but at all levels within our organization. For open roles, we strive for a 50 percent diverse candidate slate and a diverse interview panel. For current employees, we’ve instituted policies like gender pay equity assessments, a phased-in return to work program for new mothers, a mentorship/allyship program and are actively supporting an internal women’s network to promote the important contributions of our female employees.”
LendingClub also revealed that Bloomberg’s standardized reporting framework offers public companies the opportunity to disclose information on how they promote gender equality across four separate areas – company statistics, policies, community engagement, and products and services. Peter T. Grauer, Chairman of Bloomberg and Founding Chairman of the U.S. 30% Club, went on to add:
“We applaud LendingClub and the other 229 firms tracked by the index for their action to measure gender equality through the Bloomberg GEI framework. LendingClub’s GEI inclusion is a strong indicator to its employees, investors, and industry peers alike that it is leading by example to advance ongoing efforts for a truly inclusive workplace.”
