Meet the Diverse Leaders Program

Fostering Culturally-Relevant Leadership and Professional Development: Meet the Diverse Leaders Program

By Manichan Joy Nguyen, Organizational Effectiveness and Development Consultant and DLP Program Manager

Latino Leaders Program participants in Minneapolis in June 27-29 2017

Rosalia Fierros-Jones, a Business Process Consultant in Concord, California, wasn’t sure what to expect when she enrolled in Wells Fargo’s Latino Leaders Program. But when she left the program three days later, she felt like her life had completely changed — for the better.

“It amazed me to see so many Latinas and Latinos working for Wells Fargo in all different roles and lines of businesses,” she said. “It was inspirational and surprising to meet such a talented and diverse group of people with so many similar and yet different backgrounds and experiences. It made me proud to be among them.”

The Diverse Leaders Program offers several different tracks for leaders who identify as Asian and Pacific Islander, Black or African American, Latino, and lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. This year, the program expanded to include new tracks for veterans and those with diverse abilities.

Each of these unique learning experiences provides participants with an opportunity to focus on leadership and professional development from a culturally-relevant perspective. Participants explore similarities and help them bridge any potential skills or tools gaps while retaining their differences and values.

Over three days of workshops, each program helps develop team members who demonstrate strong performance in a wide variety of roles throughout the Wells Fargo footprint. These unique, industry-leading initiatives were developed to enrich the company’s long-term commitment to its team members and the greater community by empowering the next generation of diverse business leaders.

“All the program presenters had great information to share,” said Fierros-Jones, who completed the program in June 2017. “I left knowing a bigger network of people and decided to build a relationship with many of them so we could help each other. That’s what this is all about.”

For many like Fierros-Jones, the professional development doesn’t end at the conclusion of the program. Promotion rates for Diverse Leaders Program alumni range up to 10 percent higher two years after completing the program compared to team members in a similar group who did not participate in the program. Similarly, retention rate ranges are three to seven percent higher when comparing those same groups.

Since the Latino Diverse Leaders Program began in 2005, over 1,100 Wells Fargo team members have participated. The broader program represents Wells Fargo’s commitment to creating a workplace and culture that’s better every day. These sessions are just one more way to cultivate and develop the company’s most valuable resource—its team members.

Latino Leaders Programs are offered three times a year, with sessions in April, June and October for 2018. To  learn more about Wells Fargo careers, visit https://www.wellsfargo.com/about/careers/.