Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Our DEI Commitments are Public Facing and Strategically Aligned

To consistently demonstrate our purpose and EVP in action, we understand that a core accelerator is our prioritization of DEI. In 2021, MetLife developed comprehensive public-facing DEI commitments to achieve by 2030. Our broad set of commitments is designed to address the needs of the underserved and underrepresented through a mix of investments, products and services, supply chain, volunteering and community efforts. Each commitment is anchored to our business strategy and informed by the UN SDGs. The financial components of these commitments total more than $2.5 billion by 2030. 

We measure ourselves against best-in-class practices and are committed to maintaining top quartile performance across ethnic and racial diversity¹ in the U.S. and female officers² globally. Our workforce data, EEO-1 reporting and senior recruiting process provide more detail on our top-quartile achievements. 

The Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility (HACR) awarded MetLife the HACR Award for Corporate Inclusion for the 10th consecutive year.

We Are Structured to Accelerate DEI Performance Globally

To continue our progress against our 2030 commitments, we provide oversight through our Global DEI governance structure. This oversight helps maintain sustainability, accountability and transparency in the critical areas of DEI performance. 

MetLife’s Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer (CDO) reports directly to our CEO and CHRO, a reporting line that was introduced in 2021. This reporting structure underscores DEI as a global business, workforce and sustainability imperative and broadens our ability to strategically shape a global culture of inclusion. 

We Prosper with External Perspective and Inclusive Dialogue

To provide contemporary actions that accelerate DEI performance, we look to internal and external expertise to expand our aptitude as well as to execute against our commitments. 

We gain insights from: 

• Our MetLife Global DEI Leadership Council, a 16-member senior leader group, chaired by our CEO. The Council is charged with driving and executing DEI strategy across businesses, functions and regions; providing strategic guidance and insight to improve performance; and promoting and championing DEI internally and externally. Members were nominated because of their purpose-driven leadership and commitment to achieving results. 
• Our Inclusion Networks, 10 employee-led networks in support of families; gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer-plus (LGBTQ+); diverse abilities; veterans; multiculturalism; generations; women; Black professionals, Latino professionals and Pan Asian professionals. 
• Inclusion Tuesdays, our monthly interactive DEI webinar series, features members of our Global DEI Leadership Council and external thought leaders. Topics include creating high-performing teams; exploring faith, culture and heritage; building trust and connection; and racial inclusion. To complement these webinars, we launched a new podcast series, Inclusion Begins with Me: Conversations that Matter. 
• ADVANCE, our external roundtable comprised of experts in racial equity-related business disciplines, academia and philanthropy is designed to help MetLife continue advancing racial equity and inclusion. 
  

Every One of Us Participates in Shaping Our Inclusive Culture

From the use of MetLife’s voice externally in the Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act and our signature on the Business Statement on Anti-LGBTQ State Legislation, to our Inclusion Begins with Me training and our EXCELERATE program, we believe that the power of inclusive culture comes from our collective and individual actions. 

• The Human Rights Campaign’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act supports federal legislation that would provide the same basic protections to LGBTQ+ people that are provided to other groups protected under federal law. 
  
• The Business Statement on Anti-LGBTQ State Legislation reinforces our opposition to legislation aimed at restricting access and rights for LGBTQ+ people. 
  
• Inclusion Begins with Me, our blueprint to champion inclusion, expands our understanding of ourselves and each other. This key resource is the foundation for all employees to learn the role we each play in Shaping our culture:
  

  93% of our global employees have completed the Inclusion Begins with Me three-part series;
  86% of people leaders completed inclusive leadership development; and
  16 teams globally participated in INDEAVOR, a six-month interactive experience where teams apply inclusive behaviors and build habits that foster greater trust and collaboration.

• EXCELERATE, MetLife’s CEO-driven talent sponsorship program, focuses on accelerating the progression of ethnic-, racial- and gender-diverse leaders.
  
• The program serves underrepresented groups across 27 countries and increases visibility, access and engagement with MetLife’s Executive Leadership Team.
  

  22% of participants have new or expanded responsibilities or have been promoted thus far. 

We Are Committed to Closing the Gender Equity Gap

We focus on five areas to advance gender equity—leadership, workforce, marketplace, community and sustainability. Through the Gender Equity Initiative, we support our commitment to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles, UN SDGs and the UNGC’s gender equality accelerator program.

MetLife joined the UNGC “Target Gender Equality” initiative, giving the company access to facilitated performance analysis, capacity building workshops, peer-to-peer learning and multistakeholder dialogue at the country level. We are also members of the Gender and Diversity KPI Alliance and partner with WEConnect International, a global supplier network that provides members with greater access to women-owned businesses. 

In October, MetLife China received the 2021 China Women’s Empowerment Principles Leadership and Action Award from UN Women in honor of the organization’s exceptional efforts to advance DEI in the workplace and its support for fair employment and career development of women in the insurance industry.