Press Release

Nelu Expands Into the United Kingdom and Launches Global DE&I in Benefits Certification Suite

Issued by Nelu Diversified Consulting Solutions

Dec. 14, 2021

(London, United Kingdom, Date):  Nelu Diversified Consulting Solutions (“Nelu”), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is proud to announce its expansion into the United Kingdom (“UK”) and the official launch of its diversity, equity, and inclusion (“DE&I”) certification suite for benefit plan sponsors, service providers, and individual benefit practitioners.

The global regulatory environment is quickly evolving with respect to environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) standards. Many of the world’s top ten economies have embraced some form of ESG regulation, including diversity initiatives. Moreover, workforce and investor attitudes are changing rapidly with respect to ESG and DE&I. The workforce is looking for more diversity in leadership, and care about how their retirement funds are invested. In the 2021 proxy season, support for shareholder proposals seeking disclosure of corporate diversity data was near-unanimous.¹

“Now and tomorrow, DE&I will be central to employer and trustee thinking,” says Nelu co-founder and CEO, Uche Enemchukwu.

Speaking at the Corporate Adviser Master Trust & GPP Conference and the Barnett Waddingham DC Pensions Conference this past November, Enemchukwu explained that the UK is on the verge of major change with respect to DE&I and ESG from both a social and regulatory perspective. She said, “today’s workforce is more diverse than ever before. We have to be able to adapt to this ever-changing and increasingly complex environment.”

“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.” Barnett Waddingham

Recognised in 2021 by the University of Chicago Booth School of Business for the innovativeness of their work, Nelu is well-positioned to apply its unique approach to employers and service providers in the UK.

“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” says Enemchukwu. “Our ability to move quickly into global markets demonstrates Nelu’s key role in moving the employee benefits industry forward.”

In addition to the consulting services they already provide, Nelu’s Certification Suite aims to improve inclusion in benefits design and delivery, and increase diversity in benefits and benefits-adjacent industries. Pre-launch, Nelu has signed multiple plan sponsors and service providers for certification and has partnered with credentialing organization in the United States and the UK for distribution of its Certification Suite.

Nelu’s certification suite includes the following:

• Organizational Certification for Plan Sponsors, which offers a multi-module training and detailed review of benefit programs and communications. The review focuses on benefit offerings, design, administration, and resources.
• Organizational Certification for Benefit Service Providers, which offers a multi-module training, a review of hiring and inclusion practices, and a commitment to considering a percentage of underrepresented candidates for management roles.
• 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.

“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 recognized 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” says Enemchukwu.

About Nelu:

Nelu is a global DE&I consultancy that specializes in employee benefits. We are redefining how these programs are designed, delivered, and used. Nelu, which means “higher” in Igbo, was founded in 2019 and serves multi-national employers and benefits service providers, including financial institutions, financial advisors, asset managers and insurance companies.

Nelu is women-and-minority-owned, and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

To learn more visit: nelusolutions.com.

¹ The Proxy Voting Annual Review Volume 8, Issue 10 Insightia 2021

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