Nelu Diversified Consulting Solutions has announced its expansion into the UK and the launch of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DE&I”) certification suite for benefit plan sponsors, service providers, and individual benefit practitioners.
Nelu co-founder and CEO Uche Enemchukwu says: “Now and tomorrow, DE&I will be central to employer and trustee thinking. Our business model has evolved in a manner that allows us to serve both benefit plan sponsors and service providers, globally. We do not administer benefits, and our focus is on DE&I as a component of ESG standards, so we have found our sweet spot in the global market.
“Our ability to move quickly into global markets demonstrates Nelu’s key role in moving the employee benefits industry forward.
“I’m truly grateful for the opportunity to take the Nelu further – staying focused on our vision. As a company, we have been invested in addressing health and wealth disparities for many years, and we are happy to see our unique expertise being recognised and sought after. As CEO, I’m most grateful to be in a position that young Black girls can see themselves in – that truly makes me proud.”
Speaking at the Corporate Adviser Master Trust & GPP Conference and the Barnett Waddingham DC Pensions Conference in November, Enemchukwu stated that the UK is on the verge of major change in terms of DE&I and ESG, both socially and legally. “Today’s workforce is more diverse than ever before. We must be adaptable in this ever-changing and increasingly complex environment,” she said.
A spokesperson for Barnett Waddingham says: “We share Nelu’s passion for DE&I, making sure to always ‘do the right thing’. The insights of Nelu’s CEO at our DC conference clearly resonated with our audience and the feedback was telling. DE&I is embedded into Barnett Waddingham’s culture and is core to the services we provide to clients – helping them address their gender and ethnicity pay, pension and benefits gaps. It is therefore essential to build up a network of like-minded consultancies, especially those like Nelu that are focused on DE&I and have a view across the globe.”
Nelu’s says its certification suite aims to improve inclusion in benefit design and delivery, as well as increase diversity in the benefits and benefits-related industries. Nelu has already signed multiple plan sponsors and service providers for certification and has partnered with credentialing organisations in the US and the UK to distribute its certification suite.
Nelu’s certification suite includes organisational certification for plan sponsors, which offers multi-module training and a detailed review of benefit programs and communications. The review focuses on benefit offerings, design, administration, and resources. It contains organisational certification for benefit service providers, which offers multi-module training, a review of hiring and inclusion practices, and a commitment to considering a percentage of underrepresented candidates for management roles. It also includes benefits practitioner certificate, which offers a multi-module training with immediately actionable approaches to accelerating change in the workplace through benefits program design and operations.
