Employee retention: Creating an inclusive and accessible workplace with successful career paths

At U.S. Bank, we believe in creating a workplace where employees know they belong, their voices matter and their ideas are valued. We expect this culture to be upheld by everyone – from our executive leaders to people in customer-facing roles and everywhere in between. Our business resource groups are made of more than 100 chapters across our global footprint. These employee-led groups are at the heart of our culture, promoting intersectionality and belonging while celebrating the human experience and cultural differences.

In the first half of this session, we will cover programs and resources that support our employee experience, such as onboarding, centralized accommodations, self ID campaign, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and our Business Resource Groups, with a specific focus on the Disability BRG.

In the second half of the session, we will hold a panel discussion with several of the Disability BRG Focus Chapter leaders, who will share how their chapters work, the purpose of support circles, and the successful outcomes of their chapter’s efforts.

Astrid Benedetto Biography
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Astrid Benedetto is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Strategy Manager at U.S. Bank. She leads the strategy for the Asian, Disability, and European employee segments.  In her role, she drives the strategic alignment for talent engagement, including talent development and retention of these segments. Astrid leads several Business Resource Group segments globally that are responsible to develop best-in-class employee group programming that builds deeper and broader relationships internally and externally with community partners.

Prior to joining U.S. Bank, Astrid was a project manager for the internal audit team at Target Corporation. She served as Program and Hospitality Director for Women Entrepreneurs of Minnesota (WeMN). Astrid started her career at Archer Daniels Midland where she was an accountant.

Astrid received a B.S. in Marketing from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, and a Master of International Management in Finance from the University of St. Thomas.

On a personal note, Astrid was born in Indonesia and came to the U.S. for her undergraduate and graduate studies. She is the proud mother of a 14-year-old and 11-year-old sons. She enjoys traveling, binge-watching good shows, and connecting with friends and families.

Kelly Risser Biography
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Kelly Risser is the Accessibility Banking Director at U.S. Bank. In her role, she oversees the Accessibility Banking program and policy to ensure our facilities, products, and services are accessible to all customers, including people with disabilities.

With more than twenty years of professional experience in communications and related fields, Kelly has been an advocate for digital accessibility for the past 5 years, as well as a champion for disability inclusion. She is the Chair of the U.S. Bank Disability Global Business Resource Group and has been involved since its inception in 2017. She is passionate about advocating for others, for inclusion through accessibility, and for providing a platform for employees with disabilities to share their experiences and be heard. In her time leading the group, she doubled disability representation on the board, as she firmly believes in the disability community motto of “Nothing about us, without us.”

Kelly is a mother of two teenage children on the autism spectrum. Her daughter, who is the oldest, also has several other disabilities stemming from a brain bleed and prematurity at birth. This first-hand experience with a variety of disabilities and helping her children navigate and grow into the young adults they are today has given her a unique perspective to relate to others and help them find their success.

In her free time, Kelly enjoys reading and writing. She is a published author of numerous fiction books, including a young adult fantasy series.

 

Emily Norenberg Biography
Pronouns: she/her/hers

Emily Norenberg is a Disability & Accessibility Consultant at U.S. Bank. Her work focuses on identifying and implementing strategic activities that improve access and inclusion for employees with disabilities.

Emily’s dedication to disability inclusion began with a career in teaching special education, eventually finding her way to disability access in the higher education setting.  These experiences allowed her to discover her real passion of facilitating systemic change that leads to inclusive, barrier-free experiences for all.