KeyCorp hires new chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer

KeyCorp has hired Helena Haynes-Carter as the bank’s new chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer.

Haynes-Carter, who started Monday, will lead the $186 billion-asset bank’s efforts to hire and retain a diverse pool of employees and ensure diversity in its suppliers. She succeeds Greg Jones, who was hired in 2020 and left recently to take a similar role at the agricultural giant Cargill.

“Helena will bring energy, experience, and innovation that will advance our long-standing commitment to diversity and inclusion in our workplace, our workforce, and our marketplace,” KeyCorp Chairman and CEO Chris Gorman said in a statement.

Haynes-Carter was formerly senior director of global diversity, equity and inclusion at UnitedHealth Group. She has also worked at U.S. Bancorp, Xcel Energy, the Rocky Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council and the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority.

As of December 2020, roughly 79% of KeyCorp’s workers were white, while 8% were Black or African American, 6% were Hispanic or Latino and 5% were Asian, according to data on the bank’s website. The Cleveland-based bank had no Black or Asian executive-level or senior-level officials and managers in December 2020. Some 13% of its board members were Black and 7% were Hispanic.

Women made up about 59% of the bank’s workforce in December 2020, but they comprised only 29% of executive-level or senior-level officials and managers.