Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At Pacific Life, we create, embrace and sustain a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion that celebrates the individuality of our employees, partners, and community.

Why Diversity Matters

For more than 150 years, our success hasn’t been measured by the work of a few, or from a singular way of thinking. Rather, it’s from the commitment of thousands of talented individuals – each with different perspectives and experiences – all working together under a set of shared values. This allows us to be innovative and adaptive in order to create products of choice and deliver a superior customer experience.

Our Goals

As it relates to the important work in the area of equality, Pacific Life President and CEO Darryl Button is proud to join more than 2,000 CEOs from other companies, associations and universities to advance diversity and inclusion within the workplace through the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge.

Included in the pledge are four main goals that business leaders are asked to commit to.

Meaningful Action

We're committed to taking meaningful action that makes a lasting impact both inside and outside of our organization. By dedicating ourselves to this important work, we can create a better world and take a positive step toward equality together.

Contributions to Underserved Communities

Pacific Life and the Pacific Life Foundation are committed to ensuring an inclusive workplace and strengthening the communities where our employees live and work. The Pacific Life Foundation has a long history of focusing its giving on uplifting communities and investing in organizations and programs that support, empower, and provide stability to underrepresented individuals and families.

  • $4 million donated in 2021 by the Pacific Life Foundation to 190 equality, diversity, and inclusion programs, with more than 2,500 U.S.-based Pacific Life employees and family members volunteering in support of causes that help support underserved communities.
  • $2 million invested over five years in food security at the local and national level through 2026.  People of color are more likely to face hunger and be food insecure. Through our partnerships with Feeding America and four local food banks, we are providing families a stable lifeline.
  • $2 million, 10-year partnership with UCI Paul Merage School of Business forged in 2019 to support the Pacific Life LIFEvest Financial Literacy Program serving underprivileged teens to help them gain financial literacy and college prep.
  • $1.5 million transformational grant in 2021 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast’s College Bound program, to scale the program over the next 5-years from 2,500 to 4,500 students and provide them with scholarships. The program serves at-risk Orange County, CA youth who face high dropout rates and lack equitable access to resources, opportunities, and mentors.
  • $1 million donation to the American College of Financial Services Center for Economic Empowerment and Equality, which is committed to narrowing the wealth gap and promoting economic justice with collective, community-focused solutions. The five-year partnership, kicked off in 2021, will provide upward mobility and wealth building for underserved communities, including Blacks, Latinos, Asians, Women, and other marginalized groups.
Education for Employees

To support an inclusive company culture where all employees feel valued, engaged and empowered, our monthly Diversity Circles provide a space where Pacific Life employees and leaders can listen, learn and share about different perspectives on various DEI-related topics. Sessions have included topics on allyship, unconscious bias, gender identification, recruitment and supplier diversity and much more.

Enterprise Inclusion Council

The Enterprise Inclusion Council at Pacific Life is focused on building our strategy and intended outcomes of our DEI-related work.

It’s this type of work that will open the doors for us to ensure we are doing productive work in this space. We know that this effort is not a milestone to be hit, or a goal that can be attained overnight. It takes consistent action, acknowledgement, education and open dialogue.

Partnerships with Diversity-focused Organizations

Pacific Life is proud to partner with the following organizations to support a more inclusive workforce that better reflects the diversity of our nation.

Annual Day of Understanding

Maintaining a safe and open environment where employees are free to share and engage on difficult topics is important to our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion journey. We must be intentional in our efforts to create a culture that values and holds space for all employees to share. That's why Pacific Life hosted a "Day of Understanding" in April 2021 with company-wide virtual meetings, and plans to host the event on an annual basis moving forward.

Employee-led Connection Groups

Our Employee Resource Groups help us create a more diverse and inclusive mindset and workplace from the ground up. The purpose extends to offering employees a place to build community, connection, camaraderie and a sense of belonging. These voluntary groups have formed among commonalities of ethnicity/race, ability, gender, nationality, generation, military/veteran status, gender identity, and sexual orientation and include:
  • AAPI@PL for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders
  • ALAs@PL for Latino/Hispanic Americans
  • AMENA@PL for Middle-Eastern/North-African employees
  • Developing Professionals@PL
  • Pride@PL for LGBTQ+ employees
  • Veterans@PL
  • VIBE@PL for Black/African Americans
  • Women@PL

In addition, members of our Employee Resource Groups actively participate in our communities by volunteering, donating, and advocating for those causes they are most passionate about. Whether rallying employees around supporting LGBTQ+ causes, hosting events for Veterans, or promoting women’s empowerment causes, they are on the frontlines of helping to build and support more equitable and inclusive communities.

SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROGRAM

Pacific Life is committed to maintaining a supplier base that is representative of the communities in which we live and work. In pursuing Supplier Diversity in our Procurement practices, we seek to provide business opportunity for enterprises owned by or employing underrepresented communities. This commitment reflects Pacific Life’s Core Values while enabling us to remain competitive and provide our clients and customers with exceptional products and services. 

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