Month: September 2023

Originally published in Bread Financial’s 2022 Report

I’m pleased to share Bread Financial’s 2022 ESG report, which highlights our accomplishments in advancing our ESG strategy and driving responsibility and accountability throughout our organization. Together with our Board of Directors, our leadership team, and all of my colleagues, we have built a solid foundation from which we are accelerating our ESG goals and deepening our commitment to responsible business practices.

We prioritize our ESG strategy across five key areas: Managing Our Business Responsibly, Empowering Our Customers, Engaging Our Associates, Protecting Our Planet, and Creating Possibilities for Our Communities. During the year, we continued to advance initiatives across all of these areas including risk management, financial wellness,diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I), human capital management, climate action and community investment.

In 2022, our focus was on ensuring that our ESG strategy and ambitions were manifest in our key business goals and imperatives. We worked diligently on integrating ESG principles into our business strategy and operations, setting new baselines for key metrics to help measure and manage our progress. We infused DE&I more deliberately throughout our workplace, workforce marketplace and community.

During the year, initiatives to support our associates were front and center, including improved competitive compensation, significantly enhanced benefits, flexibility in where they work, and access to a robust mental wellness platform. We relaunched eight associate-led Business Resource Groups (BRGs) and provided them with training and resources to help us build a more inclusive, multidimensional culture.

With the ambition to help build a bright financial future for all, our cross-functional internal teams made progress onlaunching a financial wellness hub with resources intended to educate and empower our customers. We also pledged to invest $1 million in tools and programs that further promote financial inclusion in our community.

We successfully executed against all priorities in our 2022 Climate Action Roadmap, which included a comprehensive energy audit of our facilities, a climate risk assessment, and scenario analysis. Notably, this marks our first year reporting in accordance with TCFD.

With significant success executing on our multiyear business transformation and rebranding to Bread Financial, this is an exciting time for our company. We look forward to communicating our continued progress across all focus areas of our ESG strategy as we work to align our policies and actions with evolving stakeholder expectations and ESG reporting standards.

Dana Beckman
Head of Sustainability

To learn more about Bread Financial’s ESG Governance Strategy, click here to view their 2022 ESG Report.

POWELL, Ohio, September 1, 2023 /3BL/ – Fifth Third Bank teamed up with the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium to name their first hatchling of 2023 and to provide a chance for the winning name recipient to start their own nest egg. After receiving nearly 700 entries between July 10 and August 9, the winning name of the rose-breasted grosbeak that hatched on May 27 was announced today during an unveiling event. Welcome…Pico!

Elizabeth Salazar submitted the winning name, and her family will receive $530 toward a college savings plan, courtesy of Fifth Third Bank. Fifth Third also made a $530 donation to the Columbus Zoo Conservation Fund.

Fifth Third Bank wanted to build a “nest egg” to not only help with conservation efforts, but to also raise awareness of starting a “nest egg” for college savings. The winner receives a Gift of College gift card to encourage starting a 529 savings program for their family.

“Back to school time is a reminder that each school year brings children one year closer to college,” said Fifth Third Bank Director of Marketing Elizabeth Boyuk. “By providing a “nest egg” opportunity to start saving for college, this family can now build off this contribution and continue to add to it and watch it grow.”

The Columbus Zoo Conservation Fund supports saving wildlife throughout their range locally, nationally, and worldwide, and exists to fulfill the Zoo’s mission of Empowering People. Saving Wildlife.

“We are proud to partner with Fifth Third Bank on this exciting nest egg campaign. Not only does it encourage nurturing families to help grow educational opportunities and knowledge, but it represents our collective commitment to raising awareness about how we can make a difference for the future of wildlife, including songbirds like Pico that we find in our own backyards!” said Dr. Michael Kreger, Vice President of Conservation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.

Rose-breasted grosbeaks are medium-sized songbirds with a stocky build and large triangular-shaped beak. Males are black and white with a bright red marking on their chest while females are brown with a white stripe over their eyes. They are found throughout much of North America, particularly in the east, and are frequent visitors to backyard bird feeders. Rose-breasted grosbeaks can also be identified by their melodious songs and short, distinctive calls, which are sometimes compared to the sound of sneakers on a gymnasium floor.

To learn more about how to start a college education savings account, click here: 529 Education Savings and CD | Fifth Third Bank (53.com)

For additional updates about the Columbus Zoo, events, and more, be sure to follow the Zoo’s social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok, and visit the website at ColumbusZoo.org.

About the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium

Home to more than 10,000 animals representing over 600 species worldwide, the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium leads by making a positive impact on people, wildlife, and wild places. The Zoo complex is a recreational and education destination that includes the 22-acre Zoombezi Bay water park and 18-hole Safari Golf Club. The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium also manages The Wilds, a 10,000-acre conservation center and safari park located in southeastern Ohio. The Zoo is a wildlife conservation organization with regional, national and global impact, annually supporting conservation and research projects locally and worldwide to continue the mission of Empowering People. Saving Wildlife. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the Columbus Zoo has earned Charity Navigator’s prestigious 4-star rating.

About Fifth Third

Fifth Third is a bank that’s as long on innovation as it is on history. Since 1858, we’ve been helping individuals, families, businesses and communities grow through smart financial services that improve lives. Our list of firsts is extensive, and it’s one that continues to expand as we explore the intersection of tech-driven innovation, dedicated people and focused community impact. Fifth Third is one of the few U.S.-based banks to have been named among Ethisphere’s World’s Most Ethical Companies® for several years. With a commitment to taking care of our customers, employees, communities and shareholders, our goal is not only to be the nation’s highest performing regional bank, but to be the bank people most value and trust.

Fifth Third Bank, National Association is a federally chartered institution. Fifth Third Bancorp is the indirect parent company of Fifth Third Bank and its common stock is traded on the NASDAQ® Global Select Market under the symbol “FITB.” Investor information and press releases can be viewed at www.53.com. Deposit and credit products provided by Fifth Third Bank, National Association. Member FDIC.