Fairstone is committed to promoting gender equality in the workplace and across society.
MONTREAL, March 6, 2023 /CNW/ - Fairstone Bank of Canada and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Fairstone Financial Inc. (hereinafter collectively "Fairstone"), celebrate 2023 International Women's Day ("IWD") with a series of initiatives dedicated to celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women at Fairstone and in the finance industry in general, and to promote financial literacy as a powerful tool to empower women and overcome barriers to financial independence.
Parity Certification by Women in Governance
Since 2019, Fairstone has been awarded Bronze Parity Certification by Women in Governance. This award is a testimony to Fairstone's active involvement in supporting women and advancing female leadership. Women currently occupy 56% of Fairstone's senior and executive management roles, and 65% of all positions across the organization. This is a significant achievement in terms of gender parity. Additionally, Fairstone has pledged to foster equal gender representation at all management levels, and review compensation and recruiting processes, to continue to break down barriers and foster leadership and a welcoming culture focused on DEI within the next three years.
Free Webinar | Women and Financial Literacy: Embracing Equity
On Tuesday, March 7, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m., Fairstone will mark International Women's Day with a free, captivating 90-minute panel on women, finances and wellness, featuring accomplished panelists from impactful organizations in Canada. The speakers will discuss the current state of financial literacy for women across Canada, including how increasing financial literacy and empowering women benefits society. Register for the event at www.fairstone.ca/en/about/events.
Canadian Women's Foundation Partnership
Fairstone believes that diversity and gender equality are key to organizations' health, productivity and success, both from an employee and business standpoint. To that effect, Fairstone pledged a four-year, $80,000 commitment to the Canadian Women's Foundation's Economic Development Program, and continues to work with them on initiatives that help women, girls and gender-diverse people move out of poverty.
Women in Leadership Award
As part of its commitment to promote women within its organization, Fairstone introduced a "Women in Leadership Award" in 2022. This award aligns with a larger corporate objective to continuously improve and evolve in diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is presented to a woman who leads and inspires others by representing our business leadership principles and values, and who champions the advancement of women in the workplace. This year, the award was presented to Amy Langford, District Manager, London, Ontario, in recognition of her ability to strive for excellence every day and demonstrate courage and accountability in all aspects of her life.
"I am so honoured to be the recipient of this recognition. When you can be yourself and know that you have a voice at the table and that opportunities are open to you, this is when you are at your best," said Amy Langford. "Fairstone believes in its people and strives to create an engaging workplace where everyone feels empowered, fulfilled, and has a sense of belonging. This is really a place to grow professionally and have the chance to make a difference. I'm so proud of my team and the entire Fairstone family for what we have built and continue building."
Other initiatives
Over the last few years, Fairstone has openly committed to initiatives that contribute to reaching gender parity within the organization and increasing women's representation at all levels. As it continues implementing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in its business and culture, Fairstone recently launched the Women's Network, an initiative created by the Fairstone Women's Committee to support women and advance female leadership. The Women's Network is a space for women and allies to share their knowledge, develop their skills and further professional opportunities. Fairstone has also recently appointed its Women's Committee's executive sponsor, Amir Gorgi, Chief Financial Officer at Fairstone. His role moving forward will be to help the Women's Committee build a diverse pipeline around DEI and parity goals.
"At Fairstone, we believe that a diverse workforce best serves the interests of our employees and our customers, who want to see themselves represented in our company's workforce and management," said Mr. Gorgi. "As the executive sponsor of the Women's Committee, I'm committed to identifying and addressing any barriers towards gender diversity in our organization by working with this employee-driven committee and our leadership team to implement tangible actions towards parity. I personally owe many of my professional successes to incredible women with whom I've worked and learned from throughout my career, and I feel compelled to help this important initiative".
About the Company
Fairstone Bank of Canada ("Fairstone Bank") and its subsidiary, Fairstone Financial Inc. ("Fairstone"), form a leading consumer lending group. Fairstone Bank and Fairstone provide innovative financial services that enable Canadian consumers and businesses to achieve their goals. Collectively, Fairstone Bank and its subsidiaries offer credit cards and rewards programs, point-of-sale financing through merchant partners, automobile financing via dealerships, and unsecured and secured personal loans and mortgages online and at over 245 Fairstone branches coast to coast. With a long-established Canadian history, Fairstone Bank and Fairstone are committed to improving the lives of Canadians with value-driven and accessible financial solutions. More at: www.Fairstone.ca and www.FairstoneBank.ca
SOURCE Fairstone Financial Inc.
Caroline Morin, Vice President, Corporate Communications, [email protected], +1 833-461-2900
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