Nationwide
With a mission to attract, develop, promote
and retain Latinx talent, the National Latino
Alliance (NLA) focuses on member
engagement and collaboration to nurture
professional development in the workplace.
The NLA exemplifies Nationwide’s core values
and demonstrates their culture of inclusion
and diversity of thought to help drive business
outcomes.
Established in 2006 as Raising Interest
in Spanish Awareness (RISA), associates
connected in a networking group to celebrate
Latinx culture. In 2012, RISA transitioned to a
formal Employee Resource Group (ERG)
structure and relaunched as NLA,
implementing an emerging leader mentoring
program, and began holding joint celebrations
and associate development programs in
Nationwide locations across the country.
In 2016, a new board was elected, and
the strategic framework was evaluated to
better align with the enterprise strategy and
initiatives. NLA continued to evolve into the
fully functioning ERG it is today with a
membership of over 700 associates across
chapters in five states (Arizona, Ohio, Texas,
Iowa, Pennsylvania), and virtual members
throughout the U.S.
NLA membership is open to all
associates with members ranging from a
variety of demographics, business units, and
locations. NLA provides its members with
opportunities to network with leadership and
each other, develop leadership and
professional skills, volunteer in their
communities, and have access to internal
corporate functions and external events.
Northern Trust
Established in 2006 to address the needs of
Northern Trust partners, the Latin Heritage
Leadership Council (LHLC) mission is to create
opportunities at all levels for its members.
LHLC promotes and develops leaders among
its Latin Heritage partners and those with
interest in Latin Heritage. LHLC focuses on
having a presence in Hispanic communities,
creating awareness to establish and building
new relationships while promoting and
advocating the Northern Trust brand.
With a membership of 400 plus in nine
states, LHLC provides a platform through its
various pillars (drivers) to create opportunities
for networking across business units and
teams, host professional development
sessions, provide leadership opportunities
outside of the daily work functions, facilitate
exposure to senior leaders across the
organization, and serve local communities.
Opportunities to develop skills such as public
speaking, creativity, and collaboration benefit
the individual partner as well as the team on
which they work (business benefit).
LHLC makes an impact through
participation in focus groups across the
organization. The organization turns to LHLC
members for recommendations and ideas on
topics such as the existing performance
management system, learning & development
opportunities, and the opening of a new office
building, to name a few.
Overall, the LHLC ensures efforts align to
DE&I and the overall organization’s focus so
that they can continue to deliver on initiatives
that address what’s important to Northern
Trust.
Office Depot
Established in 2019, with over 160 members
located across the United States, Mexico, and
Puerto Rico, Office Depot’s ERG, SOMOS, is
committed to bringing Latino/Hispanic
associates and allies together to encourage
positive change, strengthen the culture, and
support business and community initiatives.
The group is engaged in business initiatives,
such as working with Multicultural Marketing
in events targeting Hispanic customers to
promote Office Depot’s business, as well as
working with their Retail team on translations
of marketing for stores in regions with a high
concentration of Hispanic customers. The ERG
also fosters professional development by
inviting diverse professionals from both inside
and outside the organization to speak with the
group at events and roundtables. ERG
members are also provided opportunities to
volunteer and participate in Community
Investment programs, giving back to the
communities Office Depot serves. SOMOS
lives the company’s 5C culture—Customer,
Commitment, Change, Caring and Creativity.
20 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle V ol. 26, No. 6, 2020
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