Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are central to how we foster our culture, how we make decisions, and how we treat each other with respect. In the past year, we have increased DEIB programs through internal engagement, like the employee-led Employee Resource Groups (ERGs); through outreach and recruiting, like our strategy with local Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs); and through our longstanding commitments to the National Association of Minority Auto Dealers (NAMAD); the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, an international civic rights organization; PFLAG, the first and largest organization for LGBTQ+ people, their parents and families, and allies; and more recently, the Women of Color in Automotive Network (WOCAN).

From our colleagues to our communities and retailers, we work to create the space for belonging. We celebrated multiple milestones in the Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) Family in 2021 and participated in thousands of conversations specific to how in some cases we are uniquely different, but stronger together; and through that lens we will accomplish our future goals. Our strategic approach allows us to measure the effectiveness, quality, and progress of our engagements. Read more about our Subaru Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan and focus areas below.

Subaru Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan

In support of our long-term commitment, Subaru continued to expand our DEIB efforts during 2021. Recognizing that real work must start within our business operations, Subaru is focused on making investments in four key areas within our company: Careers, Community, Culture and Commerce.

Careers

Continued Growth

We have long been an advocate of DEIB efforts. Subaru was the first automotive company in the United States to offer domestic partner benefits. Our efforts also include a 24-year partnership with NAMAD; a 20-year partnership with the Rainbow PUSH Coalition; and an eight-year partnership with PFLAG.

Leadership

The diversity of our leadership management team was strengthened in 2021. At the start of the year, Sheila Gallucci-Davis, Esq., was promoted to Senior Vice President – General Counsel, Legal, Corporate Responsibility, and Philanthropy as the first female Senior Vice President at Subaru of America, Inc. Rob Font was promoted to Vice President – Digital Customer Experience and Marketing Analytics as our first Latino Vice President. Later in 2021, Subaru appointed Renee Rhem, Vice President – Customer Advocacy, to the Subaru Executive Team as our organization’s first executive woman of color. We were thrilled to share these milestones, and even more excited to be working with such talented individuals.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager

In April 2021, Subaru welcomed Dr. Monica Curry, Ed.D, into the organization as our Manager of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. She brings a strong track record of organizational management. She is responsible for partnering with business leaders across the enterprise to oversee and implement our DEIB strategy and help ensure an equitable workplace that focuses on responding proactively to the needs of our diverse Subaru Family. Dr. Curry has been co-creating and delivering solutions that help ensure an inclusive environment, allowing us to identify and optimize the variety of skills and lived experiences that make up our talented teams.

Recruitment Strategy

We broadened our search for qualified candidates by establishing new strategic relationships with two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) within the greater Delaware Valley: Delaware State University in Delaware and Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. Subaru also partnered with the National Association for Black Accountants, the Association of Latino Professionals for America, and the Minority Corporate Counsel Association. Subaru hosted sessions to enhance brand awareness to promote recruitment efforts in 2021 with these new partners to further our work to engage and hire employees from diverse backgrounds.

Updated Interview Guide

The Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, and DEIB teams collaborated to update our Interview Guide with a renewed focus on behavioral-based interview questions connected to functional skills and our Subaru Leadership Competencies, ensuring a consistent candidate experience. By familiarizing our interview teams with the Subaru Leadership Competencies, we help ensure interviewers are using consistent, unbiased interview questions, and that candidates understand the knowledge and skills needed to succeed at Subaru.

Pay Equity

As part of our ongoing effort to champion DEIB, we conducted a pay equity study in 2021 to determine if any systematic pay inequities existed through our company. Through this study, we reviewed multiple components such as job, performance, grade, education, experience, and potential along with demographic variables such as gender and ethnicity against total compensation of all Subaru colleagues. We were happy to find that no systemic inequities existed, and we will continue to assess our pay practices on an annual basis to ensure pay equity for all.

Community

Rainbow PUSH Camden County College Scholarships

Subaru launched the Subaru Scholarship for Automotive Excellence, in partnership with Rainbow PUSH. The scholarship allows for six underrepresented Camden, New Jersey residents to be trained as automotive technicians at Camden County College, as part of our ongoing commitment to our hometown. In addition to academics, we support scholarship recipients by pairing them with Subaru retailers to provide mentorship, enhance their training, and help them gain full-time employment opportunities.

PFLAG

We have supported the important work of PFLAG as well as its network of chapters across the country for eight years. Our work with PFLAG aims to ensure that all youth – regardless of their family background or personal identity – are welcomed and accepted. Our most recent support helps the PFLAG national organization produce new resources on nonbinary identities for parents, families, and allies that focus on how the emergence of people with nonbinary identities provides an opportunity to learn more about gender and how others understand it.

WOCAN

We partner with the Women of Color in Automotive Network (WOCAN) to sponsor high-potential women of color with advancement and mobility in mind. Through the partnership with Subaru, WOCAN will continue to create opportunities for women of color to engage more meaningfully in automotive communities, including in our own Subaru Family.

Girls Inc.

Subaru has committed to supporting women and girls everywhere. For the past five years, we’ve supported their efforts to inspire all girls to be smart, strong, and bold through the Subaru of America Foundation, Inc. With a focus on leadership, Girls Inc. is providing academic, social, and emotional support for girls in Camden, New Jersey, including mentorship; science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education; and healthy decision-making. In 2021, our support sponsored more than 200 girls’ participation.

For more on our community partnerships, see the Love Promise Community Commitment and Subaru of America Foundation, Inc. sections.

Subaru Mobility Assist

We developed our Mobility Assist program to better support customers who require vehicle modifications due to medically recognized physical disabilities. The program provides reimbursement assistance up to $1,000 for necessary vehicle modifications for eligible Subaru vehicles. A wide range of modifications can be implemented, from foot control steering to wheelchair lifts/ramps. In 2021, we processed 139 requests and allocated more than $131,000 under the Mobility Assist program.

For more on Subaru Mobility Assist, visit the Love Promise Customer Commitment page.

Culture

Inclusive Leadership Training

In collaboration with industry leaders and consultancies, we created DEIB trainings focused on learning how to be an inclusive leader. More than 770 employees devoted 20 hours each toward these trainings this past year.

Coffee Talks

We held DEIB Coffee Talks during the last year so our teams could pause to listen to and better understand their fellow teammates by sharing stories about their personal and professional experience and identities. In 2021, Subaru leaders held close to 500 Coffee Talks. We are proud that these conversations gave Subaru colleagues an opportunity to recognize and value each other’s lived experiences and the intersections that make us who we are.

Living Room Talks

Our executive team and the leaders of the five Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) gathered regularly throughout 2021 to strategize on our company’s short- and long-term DEIB initiatives and goals. The members from this group will be a part of the DEIB Council in 2022, a collaborative forum to discuss the needs of each of the ERGs’ respective communities and beyond, and approaches to addressing these needs.

Read more on our culture in the Employee Resource Groups section below.

Commerce

Subaru Retailers

Subaru actively seeks ways to increase DEIB across our network of retailers. For more than 15 years, we have worked closely with the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD) to provide opportunities and funding to increase the diversity of our retailers. This includes providing qualified candidates access to low loan rates on acquired stores and assisting with the cost of professional group dues and financial consulting fees.

Digital Creators

In 2021, Subaru amplified diverse voices on our social media platforms. Through these campaigns, we highlighted stories about motherhood, Black representation in the outdoors, and people living with HIV.

Minority-Owned Vendors

We extend our DEIB commitment to our vendors and work with our community partners to create opportunities for inclusion across our supply chain. Extending our long-held approach to vendor diversity in our legal partners and others, our Camden headquarters’ food service contractor expanded its program by designating 40% of its weekly spend to minority-owned vendors. We will continue to expand the list and support these suppliers through our procurement process across SOA.

Hello, Nature Podcast

Subaru teamed up with REI Co-Op Studios to sponsor Misha Euceph’s podcast called Hello, Nature, an eight episode series dedicated to highlighting the silenced stories of America’s national parks. As a Pakistani-American writer, Misha traveled in a Subaru Outback to tell a new story of our national parks, almost entirely though the voices of Black, Indigenous, and people of color.

Employee Resource Groups

Company-sponsored Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are a critical component of how Subaru engages the unique backgrounds and experiences of our team members to help us bring our DEIB strategy to life. These colleague-led groups give a platform to diverse ideas critical to every aspect of our business and invite teammates to proudly be their authentic selves while at work. In 2021, our five ERGs continued to celebrate our teammates’ diverse perspectives, while strengthening the foundation for meeting our business goals. Each ERG leads projects close to its members’ specific communities. However, the groups often collaborate on common causes, especially in times of high need and when working on making impacts in the Camden area.

ERG Collaborative Events

Hosted a Back-to-School Bash in collaboration with the Camden City School District, where residents had the opportunity to receive COVID-19 vaccines and celebrate the start of the school year with music, games, giveaways, and free haircuts. Donated more than 600 bags, 250 pairs of shoes, and 1,200 pairs of socks to the Camden community during the event.
Supported the Gloucester County NAACP Scholarship program in 2021, financing the future of New Jersey students and earning Subaru a Corporate Excellence Game Changers Award from the NAACP.
Donated more than 10,000 pieces of outdoor clothing to Afghan refugees housed at Joint Base McGuire in New Jersey.
Coordinated a $45,000 sponsorship with PFLAG supporting the expansion of their educational and community programming.

BLENDS

The Black & Latino Employee Network for Diversity at Subaru (BLENDS) embraces the Subaru Love Promise by promoting the strength of diversity both within and outside of the organization. They are committed to supporting recruitment and training programs, maintaining an open forum for the exchange of ideas, and serving as a source of mentoring, educational, and professional development. BLENDS encouraged diversity at Subaru through these 2021 events:

Held several virtual events for Black History Month, including a Digital Art Museum, Poetry Reading from two Camden residents, and cooking tutorials highlighting several popular dishes across cultures.
Celebrated Juneteenth as a federal holiday with our community partners Center for Family Services and the Camden community.
Held virtual and in-person events during Hispanic Heritage Month that celebrated Hispanic culture while learning to create authentic recipes.

Evolve

Evolve is dedicated to informing, encouraging, and supporting all employees to support healthy lifestyle choices through mental, physical, nutritional, and financial well-being. In 2021, this group promoted wellness across the Subaru Family by offering these resources:

Hosted over 125 hours of virtual fitness classes and meditation courses.
Provided monthly tips, instructional healthy cooking videos, and a monthly newsletter, and organized healthy lunches at our headquarters cafeteria.
Sponsored multiple webinars, including “How to Advocate for Your Own Health” and “Building Body Stress Resilience”.

Out+Ally

Out+Ally is a network of LGBTQ+ employees and allies that strives to establish community, support, and resources for LGBTQ+ colleagues at Subaru. They collaborate to create an environment of inclusion across the Subaru Family. During 2021, Out+Ally provided a forum of inclusivity and education for all through these actions:

Collaborated with PFLAG to:
- Host a Pride Month 5K Run/Walk that generated $2,400 in proceeds.
- Facilitate seminars for Subaru, including “Becoming a Trans Ally and Going Beyond the Binary” and “What the +?: Understanding and Supporting Expansive LGBTQ+ Identities”.
- Celebrate National Coming Out Day with a rainbow bagel breakfast and PFLAG resources to raise awareness for this important annual event.
Packed 300 COVID-19 care and hygiene kits for the Mazzoni Center in Philadelphia.
Donated 15 Chromebook laptops to Valley Youth House for its Pride task force volunteers who dedicate their time to the Philly LGBTQ+ community.
Donated $7,400 to local organizations including the Garden State Equality Ball, LUCY Outreach holiday gifts, and school supplies for Philadelphia students.

In June 2021, during Pride month, Subaru sponsored several Pride events where we proudly showed off our first ERG Pride-wrapped Forester©. We sponsored the Haddon Pride Parade, our first appearance in a tri-state area Pride parade, as well as the Pride Union Game where Out+Ally gifted Pride gear to thousands of attendees to raise awareness for celebrating LGBTQ+ identity not just during Pride month, but all year long.

SARGE

Subaru Armed Forces Resource Group for Employees (SARGE) supports the active duty and veteran community, including their family members. To drive this mission, SARGE raises awareness nationally and in our local communities through partnerships that assist servicemembers. The group’s 2021 involvement included the following community impacts:

Donated $10,000 to Wreaths Across America and participated in Wreaths Across America events in December, helping to lay 5,000 wreaths at more than 15 veteran cemeteries.
Supported the housing and job placement efforts for 188 homeless veterans with Stand Down South Jersey.
Hosted 74 veterans for a Veterans Day luncheon at our Camden headquarters with attendees from the American Legion, local Veterans of Foreign Wars chapters, Battleship New Jersey volunteers, and active-duty servicemembers from Joint Base McGuire.
Collected and hosted Marines Toys for Tots at our headquarters, volunteering over 20 hours to package and ship 12 boxes of toys for the holidays.
Hosted a four-week Remember Everyone Deployed (RED) contest honoring those actively serving by wearing red every Friday leading up to Veterans Day.

Subaru Women’s Network

The Subaru Women’s Network exists to provide education, networking, mentoring, and support for all employees within Subaru and our community. The ERG is made up of a diverse group of people with the common goal of effecting positive impact at Subaru, which benefit women and all employees. In 2021, the Subaru Women’s Network:

Raised more than $8,000 in donations to support organizations empowering women, including:
- AnitaB.org – connecting, inspiring, and guiding women in computing and technology.
- Dress for Success – empowering women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and development tools.
- Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women – supporting women worldwide economically, socially, and politically.
- Catalyst – driving change with pioneering research, practical tools, and proven solutions to accelerate and advance women into leadership.
- She Runs It Foundation – encouraging and promoting women’s roles in all facets of marketing, media, and tech.
Donated two months’ supply of feminine products to the Anna M. Sample House Women’s Shelter and Eleanor Corbett House, two organizations providing safe, supportive environments and resources to vulnerable women and families.

Professional Resources and Development

At Subaru, we believe our colleagues should actively engage in professional development opportunities, our managers should support employee development, and we should enable development through tools and resources across our business. We are committed to building a robust talent pipeline by attracting new people, growing our skill sets, and retaining our colleagues. This includes a variety of training opportunities, including the Subaru Training and Resources United (STAR-U), our internal platform of educational programming, compliance training, Lunch & Learns, DEIB opportunities, and executive leadership training. In 2021 alone, over 10,000 hours were spent on professional development through STAR-U. Some specific opportunities are detailed below.

Mentoring Program

During our annual engagement survey, colleagues expressed a need for more development opportunities. As a result of this feedback, we began a six-month mentoring program pilot, Ignite: A Subaru Mentoring Program, with 60 Subaru employees across the country. As part of the pilot, we partnered with all five Employee Resource Groups and matched interested applicants with a mentor or mentee. Following the Subaru Mentoring Program pilot, we gathered feedback on the potential for an in-house mentoring program that Subaru could scale out across the company. As we look ahead to 2022, we plan to support a larger, organization-wide program.

Leadership Competency Awards

We celebrate the qualities of strong management skills through our Leadership Competency Awards. We utilize our Subaru Leadership Competencies to establish what proactive leadership is and nominate finalists on a quarterly basis. These awards allow our colleagues to keep the competencies top of mind on a regular basis, recognize others, and reinforce our philosophy that anyone at any level can be a leader at Subaru. Finalists receive recognition from their senior leadership team, a celebratory trophy, and a $250 charity reward to donate to a nonprofit of their choice through the Subaru Giving Portal.

LinkedIn Learning Challenges

Since 2020, we have promoted LinkedIn Learning as a professional development platform for our teammates. This year, we issued monthly challenges to further engage our teammates, resulting in two-thirds of our colleagues taking advantage of this resource – double the number in 2020. Across Subaru, we participated in nearly 3,300 hours of timely courses from industry experts on topics including goal setting, time management, leadership fundamentals, and technical tools like Excel.

Love What’s Next Program

To help establish a supportive culture as eligible employees reach retirement, we created the Love What’s Next program. This program encourages retirement-transitioning colleagues to think positively about retirement and feel supported in their decisions by offering:

Guided thinking and conversations between a retiree and loved ones to gauge expectations and assumptions about post-retirement life.
One-on-one conversations with Fidelity Investments to discuss financial planning and decision-making.
Health benefits through Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield that extend into retirement.
An Employee Assistance Program through Cigna that assists with mental health support.
Preparedness analysis by a dedicated retirement transition firm.

Subaru has offered the Love What’s Next program to all of our colleagues. Through this program, we strive to care for our colleagues who are transitioning into retirement with the same care, dignity, and respect they received when they were working with us.

Safety for our Subaru Family

Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) continued to provide robust testing programs, safety measures, and cleaning protocols, striving to provide the safest possible workspace. We utilized the most current cleaning and distancing guidelines; provided work-from-home resources, including mental health webinars; and introduced virtual professional development courses to help support our colleagues during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Recycling

In 2021, we started the PPE recycling program, in which disposable masks and gloves are safely recycled using our partners at TerraCycle’s^® Zero Waste Boxes™ to divert discarded PPE from landfills and incinerators. Together with our other TerraCycle partnerships, we’ve collected over 6 million pieces of waste for recycling.

Learn more about how Subaru provided pandemic support to Camden, New Jersey as part of our Love Promise Community Commitment.

Learn more about our partnership with TerraCycle in our Subaru Loves the Earth section.

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Discovery Education Remote Learning Response

Launched in 2020 during COVID-19, all Camden City School district educators, students, and families were given access to Discover Education’s K-12 digital content through support from Subaru. Over 7,000 students have taken part.

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