From the 2021 Fifth Third ESG Report: Inclusion Councils and Business Resource Groups

More than 3,900 Fifth Third employees participate in one or more of our Business Resource Groups (BRGs)—a 20% increase since 2018.

Our inclusion councils and BRGs provide employees opportunities for networking, learning and personal growth, as well as an outlet for community outreach and volunteerism.

We operate 13 inclusion councils and 65 local BRGs. Senior executives also lead eight virtual Enterprise BRGs that enable all employees to participate regardless of their work location— greatly expanding access for employees with alternative work arrangements and those who work outside of our core Consumer Banking footprint. Each BRG focuses on three pillars: employee development, community involvement and business innovation.

CONNECTING AND SERVING

Despite the ongoing challenges of the pandemic, our BRGs were active in 2021. Based on the success of virtual town halls in 2020, we offered more opportunities for BRG members to network, share their voice with executives and support each other in a virtual setting. Event highlights included a virtual town hall in May 2021 that brought together all Enterprise BRGs. The session was hosted by Fifth Third Bancorp President Tim Spence.

Other events of note included an inclusion series hosted by Cincinnati BRGs featuring Haben Girma, the first deaf-blind graduate of Harvard Law School; an Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month virtual event hosted by the Asian & Pacific Islander BRG, and a joint session of Cincinnati’s Military and African American BRGs featuring Maj. Gen. John C. Harris who talked about race, equality and equity through the lens of current events and military service.

Regional BRG highlights included:

• North Carolina: To honor Juneteenth, the African American BRG collaborated with Charlotte’s Mint Museum to offer free access on specific dates in June. The BRG also commemorated the day with free events in Raleigh and Charlotte for regional employees and their immediate families.

• Tennessee: The Tennessee LGBT+ BRG in August sponsored the in-person Boro Pride event in Murfreesboro.

• Kentucky: The Kentucky Women’s BRG sponsored events during Women’s History Month and an exhibit at the Frazier Museum. Regional President Kim Halbauer gave opening remarks along with five other pioneering women, including the first woman to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, the first Black woman to be named chief judge on the Kentucky Court of Justice’s Court of Appeals, and Louisville’s first openly lesbian council member.

Fifth Third’s BRGs

• African American

• Asian & Pacific Islander

• Individuals with Disabilities

• Latino

• LGBT+

• Military

• Multicultural

• Women’s

• Young Professionals

Fifth Third’s BRGs focus on employee development, community involvement and business innovation. These pillars are exemplified in the Bank’s BRG leadership.

Mitch Morgan is senior manager of inclusion and diversity, and he works collaboratively with Steven Acosta, Fifth Third’s manager of inclusion and diversity, who leads our regional BRG efforts across the footprint. Said Steven, “I joined Fifth Third in 2019 and have been privileged to work with Mitch to lead our BRGs and BRG strategy. Mitch embodies the Bank’s core value of inclusion and diversity and has shown me that having a heart for people and ultimate faith in their abilities can translate into leading innovative programs to drive outcomes and to giving back in meaningful ways to our communities, which is the goal of every BRG at Fifth Third.”

For Claire Rubin Ellerhorst, Private Bank investment strategist, volunteering has become an extension of her role as co-chair of the Young Professionals Business Resource Group in Chicago. “Volunteering has been a great way for me to network and connect with my peers. Volunteering my time also supports the broader community and helps me feel more personally connected to it,” Claire said.