Strategic DEI and Belonging for the Win

At Cornerstone League, we’re proud of our members’ individual milestones and professional advancements. Here’s this week’s significant news.

Roberts Named VP of Strategy and DEIB for Together Credit Union

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Jonathan Roberts has joined Together Credit Union as the vice president of strategy and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB). In this newly created role, Roberts will lead the credit union’s strategic planning and alignment efforts, including harnessing the full potential of the credit union’s diverse and unique membership and workforce to enhance organizational resilience and drive sustainable growth.  

“Data shows that strategic pursuits often fail because of alignment within the organization,” said Roberts. “At the highest level, employees know their company’s goal is to succeed. However, if I ask employees throughout the organization what our strategy is to achieve this goal, I will likely get many different answers. This is often where the breakdown occurs. My passion and expertise involve aligning all stakeholders as we define, communicate, and embody our strategy in ways that exhibit impact, not just intent.”

Before joining the St. Louis-based credit union, Roberts was a senior analyst on the Future of Work team at Forrester Research. There, he used his thought leadership to coach Fortune 1,000 companies to address the organizational and technological challenges of the Future of Work.

“Ultimately, Together Credit Union is a diverse workforce, serving a diverse population, in diverse geographical regions,” said Roberts. “They recognize the question isn’t ‘Should we do DEIB?’ They question, ‘How are we to evolve our journey as an inclusive and equitable organization that positions inclusion as a vehicle to better serve our members, our employees, and our communities?’ For Together Credit Union to already be on this path, where strategy and DEIB intersect, it puts them ahead of so many others in the financial services industry.”

Roberts holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from the D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University and an MBA from Bryant University’s College of Business. He is pursuing a doctorate in organizational studies at Vanderbilt University. He is a member of the W. Crimm Singers, a collective of professional musicians specializing in Black sacred music, an active mentor in Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and a member of the board of directors for The Oasis Center in Nashville, Tenn.