The acronyms continue to grow in length, but Pega announced the appointment of its first vice president of learning, development, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (L&D, DEI&B), Naznine Tilak. Tilak joined in June from Waters Corporation, where she was the global head of talent management. She has previously worked in senior HR roles at Santander Bank, State Street in the United States, as well as Accenture and MphasiS in India.
Her responsibilities will cover four key areas:
- Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Belonging
- CSR/Social Impact
- Talent Management
- Learning and Development
She will continue to drive the DEIB strategy within the organisation, accelerating and extending the initiatives already in place to bring further results. She picks up the DEI&B role from Guy Pacitti, who left the company in April to join BOSE. It has also elevated the role’s importance; Pacitti was only a Director.
Tilak has six months to make an impression, with the Pega diversity report due in February. Its last report noted that of its 6,000 employees, 27% were female and 67.8% white. Change takes time. It will be interesting to see what Talak does to change this ratio to something more representative of the twenty countries it operates in.
The role of L&D is equally important at a time when the Great Resignation is still affecting organisations across the world. Talent retention is a key topic, and introducing a leader in L&D and investing in initiatives is one proven way to help stem any staff losses. One of the key factors to improving loyalty is to offer career progression and education.
A damaged brand?
The appointment is significant at a time when Pega’s employer brand is damaged following the revelations and loss in court. This move is sensible. It should help to increase loyalty and staff retention as Pega reels from the blow, despite looking to launch legal countermoves.
Kate Parente, chief people officer, Pega, commented: “We are deeply committed to weaving diversity and inclusion into the fabric of our culture to help strengthen our organization on a number of different levels. Naznine brings a wealth of experience to this role that will inspire our people to continue to live our values.”
Tilak comes into the role with experience and involvement within initiatives outside her primary job. She is a board member for Women’s Money Matters, a non-profit that helps to build financial wellness, confidence, and security in women and girls living on low incomes through instructional workshops and personal, one-to-one coaching. She also volunteers as a mentor to provide one-on-one, domain-specific conversations and career mentoring between aspiring women leaders and experienced industry experts.
Tilak commented: “Pega has made important strides in nurturing a culture of diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging that has helped it adapt and grow. I look forward to helping accelerate these initiatives for the benefit of our employees, our clients, and the business community at large.”
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
Tilak joins at a tough time for Pega, as it looks to counter the ramifications internally and externally for its alleged behaviour. Did Pacitti leave because of the ethical issues presented by the court case? Are others being lured away or leaving?
The appointment may be a tangible reaction to the damage done by the court case. Importantly, the firm has not lost sight of looking after its employees. This appointment could become very important as it looks to mitigate any damage to its employer brand. It has highlighted the importance of both L&D and DEIB, and assuming that Tilak has the budget to complete here initiatives, at least one issue may be off CEO Alan Trefler’s desk.
