Chief Inclusion and Diversity Officer at Humana

Carolyn Tandy

As SVP and Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer, Carolyn Tandy is responsible for upholding Humana’s DEI objectives and infusing cultural inclusivity across all corners of the company and the communities where they live and work. She is responsible for the oversight of Humana’s enterprise diverse talent strategy, business alignment, external partnerships and culture initiatives to strengthen belonging and engagement across the company.

Please tell our readers about your journey in the industry.

My focus has always been on ensuring effective communication between organizations and the communities they serve and increasing inclusive spaces for associates and communities. Before joining Humana, I worked during the Clinton administration as the director of African American outreach at the Democratic National Committee. This has been a theme throughout my career, service to constituents both in the public sector and now in the private sector. I worked in similar roles at Texas Roadhouse, where I was responsible for standing up their first diversity and inclusion division.

I have been the Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer at Humana for a year and a half, and my role is to set the tone and strategy for inclusion, equity and diversity at the national level, aligning it with the company's business strategy. My department is responsible for operationalizing the vision for DEI and partnering with management teams to prioritize strategic initiatives across the enterprise. My team also sets and streamlines goals and key performance metrics from the board of directors to frontline roles.

What are the challenges that you observe in the industry?

The biggest challenge that organizations face in implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion is that representation goes against the natural hierarchies in traditional organizations. However, organizations need to align with DEI principles as they can positively impact the community, their members and customers, and workforce. It can also open the door for innovation and creativity. But achieving this is not an easy feat, and organizations may feel overwhelmed at times. However, to achieve success, it is crucial to embrace the discomfort and continuously learn and grow in the DEI space.

"The world is constantly changing, and our goals and outcomes must reflect the changing demographics of our communities."

Could you share some of the recent trends prevailing in the industry?

At Humana, there are over 15,000 associates that participate in Network Resource Groups (NRGs), which serve as the organization's lifeblood. NRGs are viewed as more than just a marketing opportunity but as a way to connect with our associates, who are a reflection of our members and build community. Humana has 10 NRGs that focus on the intersectionality of identity, including traditional demographic groups and specific groups such as caregivers and different generations in the workforce. These NRGs play an important role in testing what is important and how to communicate more effectively with the community.

We focus on veterans and women through our NRGs. Being the largest insurer for TRICARE, it is important to understand the needs of our veteran population. Our organization is over 70 percent female, so we want to ensure that women have equitable opportunity at all levels of the company. By using the NRGs for business purposes and not just for networking, we can also build our pipeline towards diversity and our representation goals.

How do you envision the future of the industry?

As DEI practitioners, I hope we don't get side-tracked by the challenges posed by politically polarizing topics. Progress in AI is essential, and we must not shy away from it. Our company has made significant progress this year. However, the most important impact is the personal growth of our employees, who can see their own progress and growth opportunities within the organization. Our CEO has challenged us to focus on long-term goals, so we are aligning our DEI goals to the company’s five-year strategic plan. The world is constantly changing, and our goals and outcomes must reflect the changing demographics of our communities.