GREENWOOD VILLAGE, COLO. March 13, 2023 – Empower announced today that two of their leaders, Paul Dewey, vice president of product management, and Teresa Manago, product strategy director, have been selected to receive Defined Contribution Institutional Investment Association (DCIIA) Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Awards for their contributions in 2022.

Each year, DCIIA invites members to nominate a Leader and a Rising Star from within their organization to recognize those who are advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion within their organization.

Selected in the Leader category, Paul Dewey led a neurodiversity internship pilot program for the IT department at Empower. Empower partnered with an external firm to source four individuals on the autism spectrum and brought them into the organization for a summer internship. The individuals were very successful and brought different perspectives to problem solving based on their personalized abilities. At the end of the internship, three of the four individuals were extended offers of full-time salaried employment. The program was so successful that Empower is looking to expand it into additional areas within the organization for 2023.

Additionally, Teresa Manago has been selected as a Rising Star for holding focus groups across Empower as to how different demographics view financial wellness. The purpose was to determine how employers can play a pivotal role in fueling financial success that transforms generations by helping underserved employees turn wages into long-term wealth. As a result, Empower has launched an Estate Planning Guide for the LGBTQ+ Community and will be creating similar resources for different demographic populations.

“I’m so proud of the work Paul and Teresa successfully completed across our organization,” said Djuana Beamon, chief diversity & social responsibility officer at Empower. “Making progress in the diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging space is so important for employers today, and having two of our employees recognized by the DCIIA is an honor. Awards like this demonstrate how important it is for organizations to support individuals who are selflessly committed to championing for change not only within the companies they work for, but for the society we live in,” said Beamon.

Both Paul and Teresa have been recognized alongside an impressive group of other senior industry leaders.

Learn more about the 2022 DEI award winners.

ABOUT EMPOWER

Empower is a leading provider of financial services including advice, wealth management, investing, and retirement services. Headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, Empower administers approximately $1.3 trillion in assets¹ for more than 17.8 million investors.² Connect with us on empower.com, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tik Tok, and Instagram.

Media contacts:

Stephen Gawlik - 617-417-4408 -  Stephen.Gawlik@empower.com
Mandy Cassano - 860-670-4373 - Mandy.Cassano@empower.com