Month: April 2023

By: Niki Kapsambelis

To see Anita Abu Bakar from the outside was to see the picture of confidence: a self-described extrovert, she was surrounded by friends, a onetime school leader who grew into a woman who loved her work as an investment banker in her native Malaysia. She was happily married and the mother of two small children.

But to see her from that angle was to get only half the picture.

Inside, she spent years struggling with her mental health, starting in her childhood. As an adult, she would be diagnosed with a panic disorder and mild to moderate depression. But growing up, she didn’t quite understand what was happening, so she lived with the dichotomy between her two worlds – the happy exterior and the painful interior – for years.

Until one day, she couldn’t.

Nine years ago, the struggle finally caught up with her – and caught her off guard.

“I lost functionality in life. I could no longer work. I couldn’t take care of my kids. I couldn’t function as a normal human being,” Anita recalled. “And that really hit me hard, because everything became beyond my control.”

She fell into what she described as “a deep and dark hole.” The psychological pain was excruciating. She felt as though her brain was trying to kill her, and she – the capable woman so many people admired – had no idea where to turn. She could not understand what was happening to her.

Anita’s experience echoes a worldwide trend. According to the World Health Organization, in 2019, one in every eight people, or 970 million people worldwide were living with a mental disorder, with anxiety and depressive disorders being the most common. Since 2019, rates of these conditions increased by 25% in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. (For additional information on the global burden of mental health disorders, visit our report, Creating an Integrated Approach to Noncommunicable Diseases, on page 19.)

Yet despite their growing prevalence, the stigma of mental health disorders persists. Anita cited stigma as a factor in her own crisis: “You feel really ashamed. You feel very embarrassed with what you’re going through, and there was a lot of fear attached to it.” (Anita shared additional thoughts on the role of stigma in mental health in Viatris’ Listen Well podcast.)

It was her gynecologist, a trusted health care provider for 10 years, in whom Anita finally confided.

“The first thing I said to her was, ‘I’m not crazy,’” Anita recalled. “And then she said, ‘Of course you’re not.”

The doctor also told Anita there was a 99% chance she would recover – a statement that created hope in a time of fear and confusion.

The gynecologist’s compassion and reassurance were fundamental to Anita’s eventual recovery. She referred Anita to a psychiatrist, and because Anita believed she could return to a functional and fulfilling life, she was better able to participate in that journey.

Today, Anita is an internationally recognized advocate for mental health and social issues. She is the founder and president of the Mental Illness Awareness & Support Association (MIASA), which champions the recovery model and human rights-based approach to addressing mental health.

In her work, she encourages health care providers to discuss stigma and its accompanying fear with their patients to empower them as they begin to recover.

“For me, it’s always about working together in that process, in that journey, and it improves recovery outcome tremendously if that (conversation) happens from the very beginning,” she noted.

The COVID-19 pandemic has raised awareness about mental health struggles, but Anita worries that the momentum is fading, even though more people struggle now than ever before due to factors such as isolation, financial uncertainties and loss of jobs and loved ones. She pointed out that the World Health Organization has highlighted an urgent need worldwide to transform access to mental health care.

Training primary care providers in effective coping mechanisms and strategies, as well as offering mental health screens at primary care sites, could go a long way toward helping people who are struggling, she noted.

Likewise, reducing stigma and providing peer support are critical to helping people recover, Anita said. MIASA’s programming offers an array of peer-led support activities, a process that creates hope.

“For me and for the millions of people that are struggling, that’s what they need: they need hope,” she said. “And they need you to trust them that you can recover and thrive in this journey, and that is indeed, for me, the most powerful thing.”

Expanding Awareness Through Public-Private Partnerships

One silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the involvement of the private sector in partnerships designed to increase access to mental health resources and increase awareness, says Anita Abu Bakar, founder and chief executive officer of the Mental Illness Awareness & Support Association (MIASA).

Viatris is proud to partner with Anita on several initiatives, including:

The Listen Well podcastThe Metrodora Awards, of which she is a recipient

“Viatris came in so confident of us, so supportive of our effort,” Anita said. “It was truly humbling that an organization like Viatris would want to support us and the cause that we are advocating and fighting for.”

The wildlife monitoring program at our MacKay River oil sands site continues to show an incredible amount of biodiversity in the area.

Roberto Torres, a Senior Environmental Advisor at Suncor’s MacKay River site, loves his job— he has turned a childhood passion for nature and animals into a long career creating sustainable habitats for animals near our operations. Roberto has helped lead a wildlife monitoring program which includes setting up 27 cameras around the site. The programs and pictures continue to show the incredible diversity and breadth of animals we have including: moose, lynx, whitetail deer, black bears, martens, fishers, squirrels, coyotes, wolves, spruce grouse and many others.

“The importance of the monitoring program is to ensure we minimize impact on animals from our activity,” says Roberto, who has been with Suncor since 2009. “And as you can see from the photos, we continue to see great diversity around our sites and we hope to see more diversity with continued monitoring.”

Roberto knows what we’re seeing from the cameras is important, but he says it’s the attitude of the people on site that is the most important for wildlife conservation. He shared a story of workers coming to work on the HVAC system on the roof of a main operations building at site. As the workers climbed up to the roof, they noticed an owl quickly flying away as they approached. Surprised to see an owl, the workers started looking around to see if they could find where the owl had come from. They found a plastic box that had been left on the roof from previous work. In the box, there were two baby owlets.

The workers immediately flagged off the location to avoid any further disturbance and notified Roberto to ask for any other advice. Fish and Wildlife was notified and Roberto, with the support of the operations team, continued to monitor the location for three months until the owlets were old enough to fly on their own. It’s a great example of our purpose “caring for each other and the Earth”.

“We’re surrounded by natural habitat, so we need to care for what we have,” says Roberto. “The nature of our business means we do have to disturb some land. But with the team and their care for the environment around them — it’s why we continue to see such great wildlife diversity around our sites.”

Suncor continues to grow and expand the wildlife monitoring programs at our sites to ensure we are minimizing the impact we have on the land around our operations. Click here to read more environment related stories from Suncor.

By Candace Higginbotham

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 11, 2023 /3BL Media/ – Regions Bank on Thursday announced the launch of a new initiative designed to support, complement and advance work that is under way to foster more Black-owned businesses in the bank’s headquarters city.

The Birmingham Black-Owned Business Initiative will be led by Kendra Key, who recently joined Regions as Senior Vice President in the bank’s Community Affairs division. Key will collaborate with community partners to leverage Regions’ resources and business development experience in ways that support and strengthen a vibrant Black-owned business ecosystem. The initiative will specifically aim to reach entrepreneurs throughout the Magic City, including and especially in underserved neighborhoods. Key and a network of organizations will work toward the following priorities:

Identify and amplify current resources for Black entrepreneurs: Already, various organizations offer mentorship, technical assistance, or even funding to help new businesses go from concept to reality. The Birmingham Black-Owned Business Initiative will raise awareness of existing resources and evaluate opportunities for providing greater financial or technical support for programs with a proven track record of results. The impact over time will be greater opportunities for current and future business owners to receive customized guidance in launching and operating a successful business.Address gaps where additional resources are needed: Often, the difference between whether a business succeeds or fails comes down to access. Did the business owner have access to the right tools and training? Was there enough access to capital and liquidity? What are ways the existing business community can help address a lack of access and help more business owners thrive? These are foundational questions Key and community partners will consistently address as they identify ways to reach more people with tangible benefits.Build collaboration that focuses on results: While many organizations share in the goal of building a more prosperous Birmingham, it is important for these organizations to have strong awareness within the community and strong collaboration to ensure as many business owners as possible are benefiting. Key and community partners of Regions Bank will work extensively to ensure business accelerator programs, mentorship opportunities, technical assistance, co-working spaces, potential funding sources, and more are increasingly available to entrepreneurs to maximize their likelihood for success and growth.

“Over the last several years, Regions Bank has focused its community engagement on fostering more inclusive prosperity, and one of the most powerful ways we can build on this commitment is by creating new strategies to support and uplift Black-owned businesses in our headquarters city,” said John Turner, President and CEO of Regions Financial Corp. “Regions is proud to be based in Birmingham, and we are deeply invested in our hometown. By enhancing our collaboration with community groups and focusing more of our time and resources on the growth of Black-owned businesses, we can address an important need in the Magic City while strengthening the quality of life for more entrepreneurs, families and neighborhoods.”

Turner is a member of the Board of Directors of Prosper, an initiative created by corporate, civic and community leaders to build the most inclusive and thriving economy in the Southeast. The Birmingham Black-Owned Business Initiative is a shared priority for Regions and Prosper and is designed to work with a range of organizations that are all united in the goal of helping more Black-owned businesses thrive.

A recent Brookings Institution study reported the Birmingham region has the lowest rate among all large U.S. metro areas (53rd out of 53) for Black business ownership of companies that are large enough to have employees in addition to their owner. But many areas of the country are seeing an increase in Black entrepreneurship. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, Black neighborhoods with moderate income levels experienced a large uptick in new business startups between 2019 and 2020. Key and community groups are focused on ensuring Birmingham builds a positive trajectory through collaboration and innovation to support more business owners.

“I’m excited about this initiative, which is a pivotal step toward a long-term goal at Regions to make a meaningful difference in addressing the plight of Black businesses in Birmingham while helping create a best-in-class Black business ecosystem.”

Kendra Key, Senior Vice President in the bank’s Community Affairs division

“We have an entrepreneurial spirit, enthusiastic community partners, and higher engagement from the existing business community that recognizes the importance of a stronger Black-owned business climate,” Key said. “I’m excited about this initiative, which is a pivotal step toward a long-term goal at Regions to make a meaningful difference in addressing the plight of Black businesses in Birmingham while helping create a best-in-class Black business ecosystem.”

Key reports to Leroy Abrahams, head of Community Affairs for Regions Bank and president of the Regions Foundation. Key’s work will also complement the work of the Regions Community Development Corporation, which was established under Abrahams’ leadership.

“The deeper collaboration Kendra is building today will create a more prosperous tomorrow,” Abrahams said. “We are deeply grateful for community partners like Prosper and others that share a strong vision for fostering more Black-owned business success. Financial inclusion is crucial to the success of the communities where we live and work, and we know Kendra’s experience and passion will drive tangible results in neighborhoods across Birmingham.”

The deeper collaboration Kendra is building today will create a more prosperous tomorrow.

“Prosper is committed to working with leading businesses, including Regions, and a wide range of community partners to empower more people with crucial resources for business success,” added Prosper President J.W. Carpenter. “We saw through the pilot launch of Prosper’s Magic City Match program that Black-owned businesses are ready to grow, compete and succeed in the marketplace. We appreciate the leadership position Regions is taking and cannot think of a better person than Kendra to lead this work. As a Prosper Board member, Kendra has already had a tremendous influence on Prosper’s work, and this has the potential to make a generational impact for entrepreneurs and families across our city. We are excited to partner with her and with Regions.”

Before joining Regions, Key served as head of Minority Depository Institution Engagement for Citigroup. Prior to Citigroup, Key served as senior vice president of community and economic development and market leader for Hope Enterprise Corporation. She was also an associate attorney at Maynard Cooper & Gale. Her legal and financial experience has focused on community development initiatives including tax credit financing, opportunity zones, real estate and commercial banking.

Key earned a juris doctor at Vanderbilt University Law School and a bachelor of arts in Political Science at the University of Alabama, where she was a Truman Scholar and Blackburn Institute Fellow.

Key is a member of the Board of Advisors for both the Vanderbilt University Law School and the University of Alabama Division of Community Affairs. She serves on the New Markets Tax Credit Advisory Board for Habitat for Humanity International and the boards of Prosper, Woodlawn United, Birmingham Talks and the Jones Valley Teaching Farm.

About Regions Financial Corporation

Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $155 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation’s largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, and mortgage products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates more than 1,250 banking offices and more than 2,000 ATMs. Regions Bank is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com.

About Regions Community Development Corporation

Regions Community Development Corporation (RCDC) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Regions Bank and serves as a catalyst to help revitalize communities and improve the lives of economically disadvantaged families in the Regions footprint. RCDC helps fulfill Regions’ mission to make life better by providing debt and/or equity financing for projects and entities with a community-development purpose.

About Regions Foundation

Regions Foundation supports community investments that positively impact the communities served by Regions Bank. The Foundation engages in a grantmaking program focused on priorities including economic and community development; education and workforce readiness; and financial wellness. The Foundation is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation funded primarily through contributions from Regions Bank.

Our friends at Good Jobs First recently extended their Violation Tracker (VT) product to include companies in the UK. They have now shared with us the legal violation and fine history for 725 British entities.

We had at least some CSRHub data on 638 (88%) of these entities. We had full ratings (including all twelve of our subcategory scores on 592 (82%) of these UK companies—enough for us to get pretty good statistics on how the VT data connects with CSRHub’s ratings.

The first thing we saw was that entities tracked by VT had better scores than the average UK company. As you can see below, the difference is marked for Social (Community and Employee) and Environment ratings. However, the entities that VT is focused on had much lower average Governance scores. We suspect this relates to the fact that Governance includes issues such as Board supervision, Leadership Ethics, and the quality of an entity’s Transparency and Reporting. It seems reasonable that entities that have had legal issues and paid fines for violations would be seen as weak in these areas.

See “Tracked Entities Are Weakest In Governance”

We did our normal correlation analysis work on this new data set. We did not find a direct correlation between the number of legal events that a company experienced and our ratings. Similarly, the total fines paid (or the events or fines paid in the competition, consumer protection, environment, financial, or safety details that VT provides) did not correlate with our ratings. We suspect that CSRHub’s scores reflect the existing situation for an entity and therefore include the effect of past violations. To understand how VT connects with CSRHub, we will need to look at the change in violations and fines over time. We hope to do more of this work in future, when we ingest future VT UK data sets.

CSRHub currently tracks about 2,400 UK entities, and has full ratings for almost 1,000 of these. We hope that Good Jobs First will continue expanding its VT UK coverage and perhaps move on to studying violation information for entities in the rest of Europe. Their work will help us better understand the connection between a company’s involvement in legal issues and how it is perceived by the ESG ratings community.

 

Bahar Gidwani is CTO and Co-founder of CSRHub. He has built and run large technology-based businesses for many years. Bahar holds a CFA, worked on Wall Street with Kidder, Peabody, and with McKinsey & Co. Bahar has consulted to a number of major companies and currently serves on the board of several software and Web companies. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School and an undergraduate degree in physics and astronomy. He plays bridge, races sailboats, and is based in New York City.

About CSRHub

CSRHub offers one of the world’s broadest and most consistent set of Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) ratings, covering 50,000 companies. Its Big Data algorithm combines millions of data points on ESG performance from hundreds of sources, including leading ESG analyst raters, to produce consensus scores on all aspects of corporate social responsibility and sustainability. CSRHub ratings can be used to drive corporate, investor and consumer decisions. For more information, visit www.CSRHub.com. CSRHub is a B Corporation.