Navigating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Embracing Neurodiversity as a Competitive Advantage

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is an ever-important topic for companies today as teams continue to struggle with attracting and retaining top talent. In fact, fostering an inclusive and diverse work environment often has other positive business outcomes, like higher productivity, profitability, and cost reduction. Yet there’s often a misconception that only individuals with certain characteristics can successfully contribute to specific roles in an organization and be effective leaders, particularly with regard to neurodivergent individuals (e.g., those with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities).  We see this misconception shattered when we learn the origin stories of successful leaders like Bill Gates (ADHD), Barbara Corcoran (dyslexia), Bill “Bond King” Gross (Asperger’s), and Elon Musk (autism spectrum). 

So how do you help drive DEI initiatives to ensure that neurodivergent individuals are included in the workplace and are given opportunities that are impactful for both the individual and companies alike? How do you successfully collaborate with these individuals and how do you help them progress their careers from individual contributors to leaders? Join Nancy Yuen, Senior Director of Global SOX and Audit Compliance, as she answers these questions through an inspiring session on the importance of DEI, its impact on the neurodivergent community, and the power of emotional intelligence in today’s modern workplace. 

Learning Objectives: 

At the end of this session, participants will be able to:

1. Articulate the importance of DEI, its benefits, and how organizations can promote DEI in the workplace.
2. Describe what neurodiversity is, including common traits and qualities of neurodivergent individuals.
3. Describe the role emotional intelligence (EQ) plays in effective leadership and tools for increasing EQ.
4. Understand how to provide support and career development opportunities for neurodivergent workers.

CPE Credit(s): 1

Field of Study: Personal Development

Instructional Delivery Method: Group Internet Based

Level: Basic

Prerequisite: None

Advanced Preparation: None 

Speakers

Nancy Yuen
Senior Director, SOX Governance
SoFi Technologies

Nancy Yuen is currently the Senior Director of SOX Governance at SoFi Technologies. Previously, Ms. Yuen was at Google, leading revenue accounting internal controls and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance for Ads Finance, Engineering & Applications, YouTube, and Alphabet Payment operations. Ms. Yuen held additional roles at The Clorox Company, RGP, and KPMG LLP in the areas of audit, accounting, privacy compliance, and SOX. Ms. Yuen is active with the Academic Board of Accounting at Saint Mary’s College and as Governor and Academic Advisor at The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA-NCEB). Ms. Yuen received a Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology from the University of California, Davis and Master of Accounting from Saint Mary’s College. Ms. Yuen holds an active CPA license (California) and is a CIA. Outside of accounting and audit, Ms. Yuen is a violinist in an orchestra and ensemble in Northern California.