Webster Bank President and CEO John Ciulla Introduces the 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report
Our colleagues live our values of Integrity, Collaboration, Agility, Accountability, Respect and Excellence, and we’re guided by those values in the way we do business every day.
Originally Published in Webster Bank's 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report
Dear Shareholders,
Our 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report is a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to environmental, social and governance principles. It summarizes our strategic approach to creating a positive social and environmental impact within an effective governance framework, based on strong ethics and risk management.
This Report demonstrates how our values drive our collective commitment to serving our clients, our communities and each other every day.
During the past year, we marked several achievements that helped grow our businesses, while supporting our sustainability initiatives. Under the leadership of Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer Marissa Weidner and her team, we launched a multiyear Community Investment Strategy bringing greater scale and additional resources to the communities we serve. In the two years since its inception, this investment strategy is creating an even stronger foundation to provide more opportunities and value across our footprint.
As part of our Community Investment Strategy, we introduced the “Webster You’re Home” program, a new Special Purpose Credit Program designed to increase access to home ownership. We launched our Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprise program, which delivers financial solutions and serves as a catalyst for economic empowerment and self-sufficiency through greater access to capital. We also expanded our signature Webster Finance Lab initiative by working with nonprofit partners in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts to empower youth, help them learn about the financial industry and build our future workforce.
Our colleagues live our values of Integrity, Collaboration, Agility, Accountability, Respect and Excellence, and we’re guided by those values in the way we do business every day. They form the cornerstone of our culture, bringing us together to create a great place to work, and to attract and retain talent.
Our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Council, which I co-chair, helps shape our program throughout the organization. During the past year, our Business Resource Group members volunteered their time to network, build awareness and foster belonging with their colleagues. They also support our communities by sharing their time and talents. We strive to be an employer of choice, providing colleagues with opportunities to grow and develop professionally in a challenging and rewarding business environment.
Building on our strong governance foundation, we continue to incorporate recognized ESG frameworks into our reporting to further enhance transparency. We believe in conducting business in a responsible manner that supports the well-being of our cities and towns. We continue to advance plans to create efficiencies in our operations and seek to maintain low-emission and energy-smart work environments.
We are embedding our environmental and social priorities within our business processes, elevating our approach to these important initiatives. All of these efforts are possible because of the unwavering support from my Webster colleagues to the shared values and mission that drive our progress.
As always, I would like to thank our passionate colleagues whose selfless contributions and dedication to excellence have helped make our company and the communities we serve a better place. Webster moves forward in 2024, proud of our achievements, and with a steadfast commitment to continue to make progress with purpose.
Sincerely,
John R. Ciulla
President and Chief Executive Officer
This commitment to excellence drives our corporate responsibility strategy.
